Cat lady suicides are suicides linked to female cat owners
Owning a cat and being a woman, allegedly, goes right in line with suicide caused by depression, a bad family life and a low self-esteem.
New studies associate a parasite found in cat feces with suicides of women. The name of the bacteria causing cat lady suicides is Toxoplasma gondii, and it lies in the brain and muscles, producing no symptoms. T. gondii is also common in unwashed vegetables and undercooked meat.
According to WebProNews, the alleged cat lady suicides are typically violent. These cat lady suicides normally involve stabbing oneself with a knife or wrist-slashing. And, according to The Inquisitr, leaps from buildings and shootings are the other forms of cat lady suicides.
Teodor T. Postolache, M.D., said that while the cat lady suicide association is not absolute, it is strong.
Postolache said, “We can’t say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that warrants additional studies. We plan to continue our research into this possible connection,” adding, “If we can identify a causal relationship, we may be able to predict those at increased risk for attempting suicide and find ways to intervene and offer treatment.”
Studies conducted at the University of Maryland found that women affected by the parasite are one and a half times more susceptible to a “cat lady suicide” behavior. The infection is called toxoplasmosis and is associated with schizophrenia and unusual behavioral changes.
On cat lady suicides, University of Maryland’s vice president of medical affairs, Dr. Albert Reece said “T. gondii infection is a major public health problem around the world, and many people don’t realize.”
