Our cats, we love them and they make us feel good about them:whether we are sad or angry, sometimes all we need to do is cuddle them to feel better. As menstruation approaches, women affected by premenstrual syndrome (PMS) need this comfort all the more, as they can suffer from headaches, stress, and even depression. But contrary to what one might think, cats would not be our best allies in such a context. Worse still:they could cause premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS, according to a study from the University of Juarez in Durango State, Mexico.
In question ? A parasite known as toxoplasma gondii and transmitted by cats. Before making this potentially heartbreaking revelation, scientists took blood samples from 151 women with PMDD. They discovered that ten of them had toxoplasma gondii. By comparing symptoms, scientists found that infected women were nine times more likely to feel "overwhelmed" or "out of control" before their period than uninfected women.
Not cause for alarm, or even blaming all of our premenstrual symptoms on our cat:the researchers admitted that the study was weak and needed further investigation to verify the results. Whew!
