We all talk about "Crazy Cat Ladies" - and let's face it - there truly are some out there, somewhere! But as we all joke and talk about it - there's two definitions of "Crazy Cat Lady". A more scientific/technical one and the more joke definition. It's a rare case when someone refers to a "Crazy Cat Lady" and is indeed referring to the scientific definition of it.
In the old days Crazy Cat Lady meant: a woman with lots of cats who was likely old or batty or any combination of these. I laugh a lot over this. I have been gifted the crazy cat lady action figure set (https://shorturl.at/dfwAX) more than once. It leaves me to wonder, I was gifted that before I became a proud owner of a dozen cats, so what were the givers of those gifts thinking?
Do I come across as batty? I like to think that I'm not old (age is just a number right?!) I've always had a few cats, but never to the point I am now. Who knows, maybe to some I am a bit batty. So watch out world as I get even older, my mind will slip and then I'll be full on batty with a dozen cats at my side. I guess to my "younger" friends and some family I could be old. In fact, I would put money down that some of my siblings would flat out say I am straight up crazy and batty.
The scientific definition: Crazy Cat Lady Syndrome - Toxoplasma gondii to several mental disorders and behavioral problems. Thanks to the news for coining this term/definition of something that is actually a disease and can be contagious.
Toxoplasma gondii is actually a parasite - the sexual reproductive cycle is in cats! The parasite is transmitted thru the feces of cats, into humans, mice, rats and other cats. So, please think twice before sampling your cat's poop! What does this parasite actually do? It can change your behavior, and make you have an increased affinity for cats. Toxoplasma infects more than a third of humanity and it still confounds those trying to figure out the full effects of it on human behavior. Surprisingly 15-40% of cats have been infected with Toxoplasma at some point in their life span. While that seems high, the chance of it being shed is extremely low - 0-1% - meaning that it is harder to transmit to humans.
Really - who knew!? We all hear pregnant woman should not be scooping/changing cat litter - so husbands - step up and handle it for your pregnant wife! Gene, maybe just scoop every so often to make sure I don't bring home MORE cats. Above all else, keep those litter boxes clean - use vinegar/water to clean boxes or bleach diluted with water to clean the litter boxes, and be sure to wash those hands after scooping litter or cleaning their boxes.
I'm one of the slackers who always forgets to take stool samples to annual vet visits - but really - that gross thing is a HUGE piece of making sure your cat (or other pet) is healthy! It's relatively cheap to get the stool sample run for parasites. So when you schedule your vet appointment and drop it on your calendar - add a reminder to grab some fresh poop to take along!
Till our tails cross again,
Mel
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