• Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works
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    21 days ago

    Is there any truth to the toxoplasmosis thing, or is it another “fact” the Internet collectively won’t stop repeating?

    • ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org
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      21 days ago

      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.

      • altkey (he\him)@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        21 days ago

        The Gardens of Eden are all yours, hoomans. I only ask you to

        just refrain from licking the cats ass

        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

      • lemming@sh.itjust.works
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        21 days ago

        I heard from an expert that the usual infection comes from insufficiently washed home-grown vegetables contaminated by mouse droppings.

    • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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      20 days ago

      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

      • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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        20 days ago

        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.

        • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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          20 days ago

          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.