By Sarah Fader
I gave a schizophrenic a cat
I gave a paranoid schizophrenic person my cat. She is my friend, Michelle, and she makes art and clothes. Sometimes the art is on the clothes. To be clear, before I gave her the cat, she had never owned a cat before.
There are several articles out there that allege that cats give people schizophrenia. Well, this proves that Michelle did not get schizophrenia from a cat, because she has never owned cat.
Cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii linked to mental illness – CBS News
Could owning a CAT give you schizophrenia? Study finds strong link – The Daily Mail
Now, while there are other schizophrenic people who own cats and have had them before they were diagnosed, I cannot speak for them or the concept that the cats gave them schizophrenia.
I am not a doctor, scientist, or someone who performs research. I don’t work for the FDA or any pharmaceutical companies, however the assertion that cats can give people schizophrenia empirically seems unlikely. But, again, what do I know, right?
I know many schizophrenic people who have cats. And, as I mentioned, I just gave my schizophrenic friend a cat. She asked me to write this article and I thought it was a fantastic idea.
It made me want to prove (using mathematical logic) that schizophrenic people are not given schizophrenia through feline transmission.
From what I remember- If P then Q is a logical theory. So if you own a cat you will become a paranoid schizophrenic. I fail to see the logic here.
What is it that cats have in their biological makeup that gives people a chronic mental illness? I have heard that cats can transmit toxoplasmosis to pregnant women, but I have never read an actual scientific study that says that cats give people schizophrenia.
Anyway…
My paranoid schizophrenic friend who is an incredible artist and person has a cat now. She wants her to kill the mice in her stove. I hope she gets her wish.
