this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2025
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Is there any truth to the toxoplasmosis thing, or is it another "fact" the Internet collectively won't stop repeating?
My sister in law was pregnant and scared she may get infected because she has a cat. So she talked to the vet and she replied in her typical uncouth way and said: just refrain from licking the cats ass, when she comes from the litterbox and you're good!
Where I live the typical recommendation is to skip cleaning the litterbox while you're already immune compromised (sick, pregnant, ...) and you don't have any trouble.
The Gardens of Eden are all yours, hoomans. I only ask you to
I don't think it's that hard.
5 minutes in
PUT DOWN THE CAT ADAM, I ORDER YOU. Ah gosh, now they teamed up to spite me
Man, these pesky doctors. They always forbid the fun stuff.
I heard from an expert that the usual infection comes from insufficiently washed home-grown vegetables contaminated by mouse droppings.
Yes, because bacteria is transferred in one single way and that's direct contact. Nowhere in the history of the planet has indirect infection happened. Shaking hands has been the cleanest form of greetings since day 1! Cats never sit down on items human introduce into their mouths or put food on. And all humans, without exception, wash their hands after handling cats and prior to consuming or preparing food.
It's a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. At least in Germany it's assumed most infected people got it from insufficiently heated pork.
Read up on it
As you can clearly read, one doesn't require feline anilingus to acquire the parasite.
yes, it's harmless to most people, so much so that you might be infected without even knowing. it's only dangerous to immunocompromised people, especially foetuses.
the "change in human behaviour" is more iffy, we know it changes rats behaviours, but it's hard to measure that in humans.
check the wiki though
Ive been told that cats meows have evolved to sound enough like a fussing baby to trigger our maternal instincts.
No idea how true it is, but it feels true.
that is just neoteny in general.
most domestication involved selecting animals who stay in their childlike state, ie an adult dog is mentally a puppy.
and there is the concept that we have done that to ourselves, natural selection chose less aggressive childlike humans because they make better societies.
My understanding is that it will only infect people who are immunocompromised.