A Groundbreaking Study Is Good News for Cats—And People
Researchers studying the cat-poop parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, made a breakthrough that will spare a lot of felines from research.
Of the many parasites known to control the mind of their host, none is more famous than Toxoplasma gondii—the single-celled organism known colloquially as Toxo. It can survive in a variety of animals, but it only reproduces sexually in cats. If it gets into mice or rats, it alters their behavior so they become fatally attracted to the scent of feline urine. They get eaten, the cat gets infected, and Toxo gets to make more Toxo.
Read the full article at: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/07/groundbreaking-parasite-study-good-news-cats/593779/