Schizophrenia—any of several severe mental disorders having such symptoms as hallucinations, disorganized thinking, withdrawal from reality, or bizarre behavior—is produced by premature deterioration of the brain. This deterioration is usually a product of genetic predisposition combined with stress, but it can be accelerated by external diseases or parasites. Schizophrenia affects only 1% of the population, although many people are predisposed to it but are never exposed to enough stress to exhibit any symptoms. How could cats possibly play a role in something so complicated?
Well, as it turns out, one of those potentially accelerating parasites can be found in our feline friends. Toxoplasma gondii, T. gondii for short, is a parasite that lives in raw meat and some garden soils. Cats become infected with it through consuming outdoor prey and then can pass it along to humans through their feces and litter boxes. So, does owning a cat make you susceptible to schizophrenia?
That’s just the thing—scientists still aren’t sure. Though some studies have been done, none has been conclusive. The current consensus is that there is a definite correlation between cats and schizophrenia, but it is unlikely that the animals are a causal factor in the development of the disorder. Basically, cats probably don’t actually cause someone to develop schizophrenia. The T. gondii found in some cats can cause cysts that accelerate premature brain deterioration, but such deterioration can happen only in individuals who are predisposed to schizophrenia.