Kitty Litter Parasite Grows In Cat Owners’ Brains

Due to their resilience, people say that cats have nine lives; but new evidence shows that a parasite they leave in their kitty litter could threaten yours.

A study of 45,000 Danish women found that those infected with a parasite commonly carried by felines, called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), were more likely to suffer mental health problems and attempt suicide than others. The parasite is spread through contact with cat feces (when you change kitty litter) or by eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables.

"We can’t say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that warrants additional studies. We plan to continue our research into this possible connection," says Teodor T. Postolache, M.D., the senior author of the study and director of the Mood and Anxiety Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Researchers estimate that up to 2 billion people around the world have this parasite living in their brains.