Could your kitty make you sexier?

In December 2006, the Australasian Science mag reported that the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can be found in the feces of infected felines as well as raw or undercooked meat, has mind affecting properties. Properties which can make women more likely to take risks, outgoing, friendly and sexually adventurous.

Prior to the recent study from the Czech Republic, the parasite has been known to cause pregnant women to abort or deliver disabled babies.

While inconclusive, the study is supported by animal studies that found that the behavior of mice, when infected, also changed. They were often more likely to be eaten by cats because of riskier behaviors ensuring the spread of the parasite. When treated with drugs that eliminated the parasites the behaviors were reversed in the animals.

Dr. Nicky Boulter, a Sydney University of Technology infectious disease research stated that "the increasing body of evidence connecting Toxoplasma infection with changes in personality and mental state...warrants increased government funding and research." It is estimated that 40 percent of the world is affected with Toxoplasma gondii.