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Cat-tastrophe
Fark linked up this bit of silliness in an op-ed about cats, madness, and toxoplasmosis.
I've got a pretty good idea who worked on the original study, and if I'm right he's been trying to prove a link for years and hasn't gotten anywhere with it. Plus, living with a vet tech like I do I know that not all cats have toxo, and it's not all that communicable. Ellen had worked with hundreds of cats for years and tested negative (i.e. "no exposure") during her first pre-natal exam.
If you keep your cats inside, make sure they don't get in fights, and scoop the box regularly you'll be fine. Of course, this goes a long way toward explaining Lair and Amish Tech...
Also, you are MORE LIKELY to get Toxo from eating undercooked meats and playing in the garden, your cats are the least likely cause of it.
Cats get Toxo ONCE. Shed it during one time-and you hardly catch that time too. If the cat is tested + for it, you are most likely seeing that the cat either HAD toxo or was EXPOSED to it.
Posted by: Ellen on September 22, 2003 12:55 PM