How Your Cat Could Make You Mentally Ill

At the date of this post, there are a plethora of articles about how the toxoplasma gondii (deliberately described as “toxoplasma protozoan” here) can cause mental illness in people. It is all over the Internet at the moment. Recently TIME also published an article about it. It is disturbing to cat lovers. It should be disturbing to many people, particularly parents, who care for a cat or cats and children. I have already written about how there is lot of exaggeration regarding the cat’s ability to transmit the disease to people. There is also, I believe, a bias. The domestic cat is being victimised.

The research published in Schizophrenia Research examines a possible link between a child’s connection with a cat or cats in the family and a later development of serious mental illness in that child.

I want to mention the authors of this research who have stated that there is a link between the toxoplasma protozoan and mental illness in people as it is very relevant. The authors are E.Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Dr Robert H Jolken of the Stanley Laboratory of Developmental Neurovirology.

Edwin Fuller Torrey is the Executive Director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute. Back in the early 1970s, over 40 years ago, Edwin Fuller Torrey became interested in the possible causes of schizophrenia due to viral infections and particularly the toxoplasma protozoan. Many of the current research studies on the link between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis written by different authors in different countries have been funded and supported by the Stanley Medical Research Institute.

We therefore have to conclude that Mr Torrey has been convinced, possibly obsessed, with the idea that the toxoplasma protozoan causes mental illness in people, particularly children at an early age. His theory that the mental illness of schizophrenia is caused by viral infections rather than through bad early experiences or inheritance is “not prominent in current mainstream scientific views”¹. In other words, his strong views that the toxoplasma protozoan causes schizophrenia is not supported by mainstream science and scientists. This observation must put what he says about cats into context. It must put what has been often quoted in the online media recently also into context.

Torrey said he likes cats:

“My wife thinks I’m going to be assassinated by cat owners,” says Torrey with a sigh. “In fact, I like cats. Unfortunately, if we are correct that they transmit infections…” (note: he says ‘if we are correct’ – he is not sure yet journalists quote the research as gospel truth…..)

What is disappointing is that the journalists who quote Torrey’s research do not put Torrey’s long held views and his research into context, namely a more than 40 year crusade to establish that toxoplasmosis causes schizophrenia. This is scaremongering in my opinion and it needs to stop.

The other author of this research Dr Yolken. It is noted in his biography that he has speculated that a virus or the toxoplasma protozoan invades the brain and lies dormant for years triggering the onset of schizophrenia. This appears to be a pet (excuse the pun) concept of this scientist.

There is a desperate shortage of good sense amongst reporters and journalists when reporting on science. Standards need to be improved. This article is openly intended to defend the domestic cat and deliberately biased in the cat’s favour with the intention of adding balance to the debate.

Note: 1 — Sources for info about the authors: Wikipedia and general internet research.