I first heard about this in Carl Zimmer's Parasite Rex, about, well, parasitism (highly recommended for the group, marvelously squicky and well-written.) Here's an article he wrote in the NYT about this research: * http://tinyurl.com/yu7qaz.
*Oh, and if you follow the link, you'll see the Slate article references the original paper. On 5/8/07, Karen Bertocci <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The cat/rat behavioral research is more interesting to me than the lit crit--I read *Ravelstein* and was not overly impressed by Bellow's genius. If anybody finds the research this article is referring to, please share the link. ------------------------------ From: *"Gina Ellis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: *[wc] Speaking of cats...* Date: *Tue, 08 May 2007 11:46:17 +0000* I just submitted this to Gene for today's chat. It involves pop culture with two o's. In an article in Slate by Ron Rosenbaum - whatdya think? (Step BACK from the litterbox...) http://www.slate.com/id/2163437/pagenum/2/ ... sociobiological effects of toxoplasmosis parasites. .... The parasite then migrates to the rat brain, where it has the effect of making rats more friendly to cats, or at least less likely to regard cats as predators. Which makes it easier for the cats to prey upon and consume them. Could there be a similarity in the human–cat relationship? ... On an individual level this exposure may have profound life-changing effects. We all know terminally fanatic cat lovers. I have an ex-girlfriend who never liked cats in her life, indeed virtually despised them, but adopted one during a period of emotional stress and underwent what I can only call something akin to a radical religious conversion. A total personality change, which manifested itself as an almost utter inability to talk about anything but the super extraordinary adorability of her cat. I would get calls from her for no other purpose than to describe to me various different "adorable" positions the cat would assume while sleeping. It was almost shocking. Particularly since when it comes to adorability, her cat has nothing on my cat (or so the parasite tells me). But seriously, I underwent a milder version of such a conversion after half a lifetime of being a dog person. _________________________________________________________________ Get the Kung Fu Bunny Theme pack free! http://www.imagine-windowslive.com/Themes/Messenger/Reward/Default.aspx?Locale=en-CA# Yahoo! Groups Links
