A twenty-three-year-old man living in Belgium suffered from erectile dysfunction because he had been scratched by a cat at his home – that’s the diagnosis. We don’t know whether the cat belonged to him or somebody else. Importantly, we don’t know where the cat scratched him! It invokes an interesting image in one’s mind as to where it might have happened and because the site of the scratch is not referred to in the story from the online version of the Daily Mail I am inclined to believe that he was scratched on that most private of parts! If so why……!
Putting that aside for one moment, the experts decided that he developed cat scratch fever which might have caused a form of paralysis of his penis. In the past, apparently, there have been cases of cat scratch fever triggering facial paralysis. Although doctors aren’t absolutely sure why there appears to be a connection in this instance between a cat scratch and erectile dysfunction.
He was prescribed antibiotics and the unfortunate symptoms vanished quickly. He also, by the way, suffered from pain in his testicles, a fever and intense sweating at night.
To my knowledge, it is the first case of its kind anywhere in the world which is why I am reporting on it. Cat scratch fever apparently affects 12,000 Americans annually. I wonder if any of them have suffered from erectile dysfunction as a consequence. I think we would know about it if they had. If they have please don’t blame the cat. That would be very unfair.
Toxoplasma gondii can cause toxoplasmosis in humans and has apparently been linked to “sexual arousal from fear and danger”. Researchers at Charles University in Prague have suggested that having a cat companion can be linked to “love BDSM”. There you go!
That is today’s discussion on the linkage between cats and human sex. Please note that this story is at the extreme of current scientific knowledge. Don’t quote it as gospel truth and hard science.
