Cat Ownership Does Not Affect Psychosis, Study Says; Warns Pregnant Women In Handling Cat Litter

There were studies that suggested that cat owners are likely to suffer from psychosis. However, the latest study from the University of London indicates that there is no link between the cat and the mental disorder.

According to a report, living with a cat during childhood does not cause any mental illness. This is according to a new study from the University of London. The latest study is to dispute previous studies about cats owned can cause psychosis in the future.

There was a theory from researchers before about that there is a link between cat ownership and psychosis. The study previously indicated that the mental illness was caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can be transmitted from the infected cat's feces to the person.

A report indicated that the new study used information from 5,000 children that were born in England. The year ranges for the birth of these children were from 1991 and 1992. They have been followed through up until these children reached 18 years old.

The researchers searched on whether these children owned a cat at a younger age or if their mothers owned a cat during pregnancy. The children ages 13 to 18 were also interviewed to find out if they are indeed suffering from psychosis. The study concluded that overall there has been no link between cat ownership and psychosis from the children ages 13 and 18 years old.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the study did not measure the T. gondii exposure. It is suggested based on the results of the study that if the parasite can cause psychosis then, cat ownership does not have a significant factor for the exposure towards the parasite.

However, researchers suggest that pregnant women must still be careful in handling cat litter. There will still be more studies that can be made in order to follow up on this theory.