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Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

journals.plos.org

41–50 of 157 posts

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#41
post #37
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds perfect for a Dr. House mystery.

IIRC there was an episode where someone's cat was the cause of their mysterious illness (toxoplasmosis I think).

By the way, the common myth is misleading. Toxoplasmosis is almost always caused by undercooked meat, which is why it's so much more common in France. You can get it from cats but it's almost always stray cats, not house cats.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#43
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We learned years ago that our cats get put in the lower part of our house with the door closed at night. We felt bad about it, but being able to sleep all night made up for it. Quick story: for several nights, I'd wake up in the middle of the night with horrendous stomach pains. I was thinking I needed to see the doctor it was so painful. Then on the fourth night when the pain hit I woke up fast enough to notice our…

...why not let them outdoors during night?

The coyotes agree with this premise.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#44
post #27
post #3

"Sixty percent of cat owners sleep with their cats, which may enhance their sense of security and improve their quality of sleep" Maybe, but now only between the hours of 10pm - 5:30am, for me anyway.

> "Sixty percent of cat owners sleep with their cats, which may enhance their sense of security and improve their quality of sleep" I regularly open my eyes in the middle of the night and my cat's face is about 5 inches away from mine, just sitting there perfectly still, staring at me.

When I was a teenager I was having an odd dream of my nose really tickling as I came out of a deep sleep. I finally opened my eyes to see my Siamese sitting on my chest holding a struggling mouse by the tail over my snoring mouth. Its front paws had been scrabbling just on the edge of my upper lip.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#45
My family and I are all sound sleepers who sleep on our backs. Our cat, from the first day we acquired her at the pound until her last, would go from chest to chest during the night. There are few things nicer than waking up in the morning to a cat purring on your chest.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#46
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My most recent cat, who sadly died a couple years ago, was unusually snuggly. We slept in physical contact, often spooning some or all of the night, for most of the 12 years I had her. She was particularly well adapted to me, my habits and my schedule… I was very fortunate! I had a really rough bout of insomnia, along with a bad mental health stretch not long after she died. I didn’t make the connection until recentl…

My cat acted like she wanted to spoon, but her dastardly plan was to seize the exact center of the bed, and she was relentless at it. Like a chess player. Every night I'd wake up curled around the edges. So I guess I must be the first person dominated by the iron whim of a cat.

As far as I can tell it is a common experience with dogs, cats and toddlers... good thing I love the buggers.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#47
Cattle digestion improves when grazed with camels - https://www.rcsaustralia.com.au/cattle-digestion-improves-wh...

This co-habitation stuff is pretty interesting, but it'd be good to skip some steps and just analyse gut microbiota. You can literally buy a Leucaena inoculum for cattle so they can eat Leucaena. The tech seems better in cows than people.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#48
post #3

"Sixty percent of cat owners sleep with their cats, which may enhance their sense of security and improve their quality of sleep" Maybe, but now only between the hours of 10pm - 5:30am, for me anyway.

If sleeping with a cat enhances your sense of security... try sleeping with a dog.

Re: Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

#49
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my case, it demolishes any chance of restful sleep. She literally walks all over me. She'll meow at the door if I shut the door. So it's either meows or walking. It's a ... nightmare.

It may be frowned upon, but we communicated to our cats that meowing at the door was not acceptable by discouraging them with a vacuum cleaner. Flip the switch on the vacuum and run the cord under the door to your bed side. Upon meow, quietly plug the vacuum in to activate -- if the cat senses that you activated the device, the process doesn't work. If "the environment" doesn't want them to meow at the door, they lea…

Sounds like a good reason for a robot vacuum cleaner.

"I'm just fiddling with my phone over here entirely not related to your meowing and the vacuum coming to get you!"

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