Cat ownership and the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases.

[Donn]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/

(I realize I'm on thin ice here among the science haters, but thought this one might be warm and fuzzy enough I may get away with it.)

[Dan Schultz]

Interesting article! I've had cats all my life and not one of them has been responsible for stressful situations. On the flip side... EVERY dog I've owned has required more care and presented problems.

Cats tend to take of themselves while dogs are more 'needy'.

[Michael Bush]

Interesting article! I've had cats all my life and not one of them has been responsible for stressful situations. On the flip side... EVERY dog I've owned has required more care and presented problems.

Cats tend to take of themselves while dogs are more 'needy'.

I'm with you. Helping with my sister's and several friends' dogs when I was young cured me of wanting any part of dog ownership. Far too demanding and annoying. I was a cruel and heartless father when my kids came home every so often wanting a "puppy." I gave them a choice: Fish or cats. We've had both.

And, consistent with the linked article, in my doctor's words I have "the blood pressure of a sixteen year old girl."

Now my (college age) kids all have plans for the huge dogs they say they're going to get when they are out of school. They have been warned.

[Donn]

Have you ever had to administer pills to a cat?

http://www.nativetech.org/billy/howtogiveacatapill.html

Note the instructions at the end for dog, also.

[tbn.al]

Interestingly in the middle of the discussion they mention that only people with allergies(to cats?) were involved in the study. If I am reading correctly the only way to help your heart disease is to get an animal that you are deathly allergic to. It might help your heart, but where are you going to find someone who can fix your stupid?

[Donn]

If I am reading correctly the only way to help your heart disease is to get an animal that you are deathly allergic to.

Some of your phrasing there would if taken literally force us to conclude you were not reading correctly, but good catch on the allergy connection.

As luck would have it, though, my friend who yesterday got a prescription for statins is indeed allergic to cats, so that works out.

[UDELBR]

Apparently cats also pass along mind-altering parasites to humans. No kidding; it's called Toxoplasma gondii and supposedly 1/3 of all humans are already affected, and it's thought possible it's the cause of many cases of schizophrenia.

[MaryAnn]

a) all humans have parasites, and the "advanced" cultures that don't recognize it, are infected worse
b) instead of "you are what you eat," in reality you are very much what your parasites poop
c) food cravings and many behaviors are parasite-driven

Have fun, guys. When you start researching what parasites do to you, you may come around to thinking the way I do about them.

[MaryAnn]

As for the cardiac disease part.....cat people are much more towards the "live and let live" attitude, while dog owners are more of the "follow me and do what I say" attitude. The former attitude is probably less stressful overall.

[Donn]

Around here, both camps have a regrettable tendency to inflict their pets on the whole neighborhood. The dogs rarely run loose, but are diligently brought to crap on your planting strip day and night. The cats prowl your back yard hunting for song birds, and sowing their parasite infested crap in any garden spot with loose soil. Since the cat behavior isn't as conspicuously connected with the owner, more "out of sight, out of mind", I'm sure that's less stressful.

For the cats, I'm sure life is better. I believe most pets of whatever kind around here are left to their own devices, inside a house or apartment, for about 22 hours a day. For a cat, that's a pretty good deal. For a dog, insane. I'm not sure about the miniature dog mutations, whether they are mentally like a normal dog or if the smaller brain makes them more like a cat in some ways.

[Dan Schultz]

Apparently cats also pass along mind-altering parasites to humans. No kidding; it's called Toxoplasma gondii and supposedly 1/3 of all humans are already affected, and it's thought possible it's the cause of many cases of schizophrenia.

Well... that could explain a few things around here.

[k001k47]

1/3 of all humans are already affected, and it's thought possible it's the cause of many cases of schizophrenia.

This whole thread is a plot to get me!!!!! I won't let you!!!! I need to go hide with my cat!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOEuY5lWENg

[Heavy_Metal]

Apparently cats also pass along mind-altering parasites to humans. No kidding; it's called Toxoplasma gondii and supposedly 1/3 of all humans are already affected, and it's thought possible it's the cause of many cases of schizophrenia.

Well... that could explain a few things around here.

Naaaah.... the fact that we're tuba players explains it all!

[iiipopes]

Apparently cats also pass along mind-altering parasites to humans. No kidding; it's called Toxoplasma gondii and supposedly 1/3 of all humans are already affected, and it's thought possible it's the cause of many cases of schizophrenia.

My first wife's mother was horrendous about cat sanitation. I believe it affected my first wife who is now under the care of the probate court and the public administrator. Sad situation: college degree with honors, had to give up practicing law because of her health -- I have always thought she was a victim of this desease, although as far as I know, she was treated and medicated by a psychiatrist, but never tested for the parasite.

[MaryAnn]

Or she could have the gene that makes here subject to the toxins in water damaged buildings, which would make her nuts and a person living in the same place without the gene, sane. Never diagnosed correctly except by the exceptionally rare expert in the field.