- Joined
- Apr 17, 2020
As many of you already know, I am a Cat Lover. These creatures are very special to me and I love every last one of them, even bad cats like GRIBBO and The Cake-Stealing Cat. From my own personal pet to the jolly animals drawn by Richard Scarry to the mankiest stray; I'll take a cat, any cat.
But something has been bothering me for a long time. I know I can't be the only one who has had their suspicions.
The majority of you know that there exists a particular parasitic microorganism named Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii for short. You've probably seen it mentioned in some article somewhere. To summarize for those who didn't pay that much attention or have forgotten (or were...influenced...to forget) this parasite can infect any mammal, but out of the millions and millions of species of land-dwelling animal on this planet, cats are the only hosts in which this organism can breed and grow, can have a future. Cats are basically the home for these organisms. Furthermore once the parasite infects a rat or a mouse, the primary prey animal of a cat, it begins to actually manipulate the behavior of the rodent to make it more easy for the cat to prey upon it.
Yes, a bacteria that grows and multiplies only in cats, apparently completely independent of the animal in both design and origin, performs effects upon its hosts that actively helps feed the cat, and those effects are to alter the prey's behavior and instinct so it will feed itself to the cat. This by itself is enough to give you the willies. The implications of it are just so bizarre and limitless. But remember, I said T. gondii could infect any mammal. And humans are mammals.
In fact...studies have shown that up to as much as around 50% of the world's population has already been infected. The effects of Toxoplasmosis on a human are usually asymptomatic but are at their worst when the person is a small infant or has immune system problems. Some of the symptoms then can include seizures and sickness, like with a flu. Don't forget that this organism is adapted to changing the instincts and behaviors of those rats. So then obviously this organism must be dangerous, right? Obviously such a thing must affect the minds of average people in some way, shape or form.
Apparently not. Not according to the literature. In fact, you'll constantly see the phrase "there is little evidence that T. gondii is related to increased risk of psychiatric disorder, poor impulse control, personality aberrations or neurocognitive impairment" or others like it. Around 50% of the population... Strange. Now, I'm not a doctor, so I can't even begin to understand most of this. It just seems to me like if there WERE an intelligent organism that was capable of manipulating the minds of living creatures to ensure that the only being that could ensure the future of its species was well fed and healthy, it could do other things, too.
Maybe it could make people think a certain way. Maybe the cat is just a biological vehicle, designed by some unknown entity to look intentionally cute and friendly so that humans would eventually want to bring them into their homes. Close proximity to cats and cat feces is how infection occurs, after all. Maybe we are the targets, and not the rats. Maybe this is all part of some plan. Around 50% of the population. That seems significant, somehow.
Oh well. I'm just having fun speculating, lol. There's probably nothing insane like this going on. I love being silly and entertaining wacky ideas. And I sure do love cats.
But something has been bothering me for a long time. I know I can't be the only one who has had their suspicions.
The majority of you know that there exists a particular parasitic microorganism named Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii for short. You've probably seen it mentioned in some article somewhere. To summarize for those who didn't pay that much attention or have forgotten (or were...influenced...to forget) this parasite can infect any mammal, but out of the millions and millions of species of land-dwelling animal on this planet, cats are the only hosts in which this organism can breed and grow, can have a future. Cats are basically the home for these organisms. Furthermore once the parasite infects a rat or a mouse, the primary prey animal of a cat, it begins to actually manipulate the behavior of the rodent to make it more easy for the cat to prey upon it.
Yes, a bacteria that grows and multiplies only in cats, apparently completely independent of the animal in both design and origin, performs effects upon its hosts that actively helps feed the cat, and those effects are to alter the prey's behavior and instinct so it will feed itself to the cat. This by itself is enough to give you the willies. The implications of it are just so bizarre and limitless. But remember, I said T. gondii could infect any mammal. And humans are mammals.
In fact...studies have shown that up to as much as around 50% of the world's population has already been infected. The effects of Toxoplasmosis on a human are usually asymptomatic but are at their worst when the person is a small infant or has immune system problems. Some of the symptoms then can include seizures and sickness, like with a flu. Don't forget that this organism is adapted to changing the instincts and behaviors of those rats. So then obviously this organism must be dangerous, right? Obviously such a thing must affect the minds of average people in some way, shape or form.
Apparently not. Not according to the literature. In fact, you'll constantly see the phrase "there is little evidence that T. gondii is related to increased risk of psychiatric disorder, poor impulse control, personality aberrations or neurocognitive impairment" or others like it. Around 50% of the population... Strange. Now, I'm not a doctor, so I can't even begin to understand most of this. It just seems to me like if there WERE an intelligent organism that was capable of manipulating the minds of living creatures to ensure that the only being that could ensure the future of its species was well fed and healthy, it could do other things, too.
Maybe it could make people think a certain way. Maybe the cat is just a biological vehicle, designed by some unknown entity to look intentionally cute and friendly so that humans would eventually want to bring them into their homes. Close proximity to cats and cat feces is how infection occurs, after all. Maybe we are the targets, and not the rats. Maybe this is all part of some plan. Around 50% of the population. That seems significant, somehow.
Oh well. I'm just having fun speculating, lol. There's probably nothing insane like this going on. I love being silly and entertaining wacky ideas. And I sure do love cats.
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