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They are also stupid expensive. Why anyone would pay for a cat when there are plenty of good ones at shelters for free (or nearly so) is beyond my comprehension.
They are also stupid expensive. Why anyone would pay for a cat when there are plenty of good ones at shelters for free (or nearly so) is beyond my comprehension.
I often wonder why people pay large amount of money for new cars, when there are plenty of good shelter-cars available.
A: Still, I'm sure there's some stigma attached to a "used cat" just like a "used car." We're talking about a society which has evolved to think that it's ok to spend $1,200 on a purse.
B: They sort of do, actually. Both have finite lifespans, and the performance of both is directly affected by the way they were treated by their original owners.
C: That said, it's always bothered me that the same people who recoil in horror from buying a 5 year old car have no problem at all buying a 50 year old house.
Originally Posted by rleete
Unless it's Braineak, who seems to go through them like chicklets.
I don't know what all goes on in this thread, and frankly I can't be bothered to read all 3k posts to find out, but it looks like it would be the right place to post up this site my buddy sent me yesterday.
Cat owners can breathe easy: there’s little danger that your beloved tabby will make it more likely for you to develop a mental illness. New research has cleared the name of cats, helping put to rest the debate over whether the creatures are dangerous because they host a common parasite that may play a role in disorders like schizophrenia.
Cats host a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that other research has linked to various mental illnesses. So, for some time, people have wondered whether cats are unsafe; for example, pregnant women are usually told to stay away from litter boxes. (They should still do this because transmission during pregnancy is very real.) In a study published in the journal Psychological Medicine, researchers looked at data that tracked 5,000 Brits born in the early ‘90s until they were 18. This included information about whether the kids grew up with cats, or whether there were cats around when the mother was pregnant. After the scientists controlled for factors like socioeconomic status, there was no link between developing psychosis and having owned a cat.
The researchers suggest that previous studies that did show a link had relatively small sample sizes. In addition, many of these studies asked people whether they remembered having cats, which is not quite as accurate. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that some mental disorders linked to the parasite — like schizophrenia — tend to be diagnosed fairly late in life, so only tracking until age 18 might limit the study.
T. gondii is a fascinating parasite because of its mind-control effect on mice. The parasite essentially hijacks the mice to make them stop being afraid of cats and even love the smell of their urine — which of course makes mice easier to catch. When it comes to humans, more than 60 million people in the US have the parasite, but most of the time our immune systems keep us from having any negative symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention.
So if you’ve been thinking about adopting a cat, here’s another reason to go for it. And thankfully, cat lovers now have even more ammunition in the argument for why cats are better than dogs.
he's back home, he has congestive heart failure so it's always been expected. Went to give him his meds and could tell he wasn't feeling good -- just like in Oct.
his heart rate was over 300, and had very low BP. Annoying thing was, and thousands of dollars later, all the place did was give him his normal dose and he eventually came back down.
got another echo-cardiogram and ecg, and he's looking back to "normal". the cardiologist basically said, something can just randomly trigger his heart to spaz. We didn't think he was going to come home again, but again, he pulled through -- but unsure how many of these events he and we can take.
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Oh, man- that is hilariously cruel. 
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