# Looking to enhance your physical attractiveness? Get infected with some brain-altering cat parasites **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 19, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681 "2022-05-19T13:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/1 "2022-05-19T13:22:27Z")
[People Infected By Brain-Altering Cat Parasite Are More Attractive, Finds Study | IFLScience](https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/people-infected-by-brainaltering-cat-parasite-are-more-attractive-finds-study/) > […] according to a new study published in the journal Brain, Cognition and Mental Health, the parasite responsible for affecting the host’s brain and potentially causing neurological conditions may actually make the host more attractive. > Taking a sample of 35 infected people and 178 non-infected people, a separate group of “raters” were asked to rate each participant on their perceived attractiveness, while metrics that could play a role in attractiveness were taken from each. These included body mass index, face symmetry, minor ailments, and more. > > When all the results were tallied, a significant difference between the two groups emerged. Infected people were rated as healthier and more attractive across the board, with infected men having more symmetrical faces and infected women also having more symmetry, more sexual partners, lower BMI, and higher perceived attractiveness. The great thing is that this not only works on people, but the same effect was also found with rats. So whether you’re a person or whether you’re a rat, try some _Toxoplasma gondii_ today! ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/2 "2022-05-19T13:31:27Z")
That [cat toxo](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/science/23parasite.html) is weird stuff. When it infects the brains of rats, it makes them attracted to the scent of cat urine, so they hang around where they ought to know they shouldn’t be. The cats eat the rats, and the parasite gets to complete its lifecycle within the cat’s body. The details are murky to me, but a similar parasite infects the brains of ants, who become compelled to climb to the top of a stalk of grass and bite in, holding on for life, making them more likely to be eaten by a cow and complete that lifecycle within the cow’s body. In both cases, there’s literal mind control going on. What a time to be alive. > **[These Brain Worms Turn Ants Into Death-Seeking Zombies](https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a21248947/brainworms-turn-ants-into-death-seeking-zombies/)** > > Look inside the head of a doomed ant overtaken by a mind-controlling parasite. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/3 "2022-05-19T14:02:20Z")
I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but to me these are some of the most interesting discoveries ever. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/4 "2022-05-19T14:19:40Z")
I definitely recommend reading the [first half of the associated study](https://peerj.com/articles/13122/) which goes into the stuff about rats and sexual attractiveness, etc and is pretty bonkers stuff, especially if you were previously familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/5 "2022-05-19T14:21:20Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but to me these are some of the most interesting discoveries ever… Ha ha. _New study shows that being infected with Toxoplasma gondii causes an urge to write positive articles about Toxoplasma gondii_ Since it can be sexually transmitted, does that study really just discover that attractive people have more sex? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/6 "2022-05-19T14:31:58Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Since it can be sexually transmitted, does that study really just discover that attractive people have more sex? Yes, I wondered about the correlation vs. causation thing as well. Does _Toxoplasma gondii_ actually cause people to be more attractive, or are attractive people just more likely to contract it? ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/7 "2022-05-19T14:35:33Z")
Yeah, 35 infected people is an awfully small group to test. At the very least we should be looking at an individual’s attractiveness before and after infection. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/8 "2022-05-19T14:38:49Z")
Oh, great, so now we’ll have a host of idiots out there scarfing parasites because they think they’ll have a better chance at getting lucky. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/9 "2022-05-19T16:29:00Z")
Clever! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/10 "2022-05-19T16:33:43Z")
It may make people less picky in sexual partners, too. I think there is some documented relationship between toxoplasmosis and HIV that probably helped HIV spread when it was still rare. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/11 "2022-05-19T16:48:51Z")
Ever since I read… > **[Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by...](https://www.amazon.com/Parasite-Rex-Dangerous-Creatures-14-Jan-2002/dp/B011T8A5RY)** > > Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer (14-Jan-2002) Paperback on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by... …I have been fascinated by parasites and their evolutionary strategies. There are many newer books on the subject, Amazon sure has some suggestions. But some factoids remain: Every species has at least one parasite that is specialised in it. Therefore, there are more parasite species than non parasite species. And many parasites have [their own parasite](https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/big-fleas-have-little-fleas-upon-their-back-to-bite-em.html) in turn (Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em… but not at infinitum). And every time a species goes extinct, their parasite goes extinct too. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/12 "2022-05-19T18:03:56Z")
I’ve always shared food with the kitties, sometimes off the same utensil. And I thought all this time I was a natural beauty. 🥺 ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/13 "2022-05-19T18:07:57Z")
I…question the logic of this. I would argue it might be more the reverse: that attractive people, for whatever reason, are likelier to be cat owners and become infected in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/14 "2022-05-20T01:56:34Z")
Take that all you dog people. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/15 "2022-05-20T05:03:23Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Oh, great, so now we’ll have a host of idiots out there scarfing parasites because they think they’ll have a better chance at getting lucky. 🤣 Remind them to eschew ivermectin. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-enhance-your-physical-attractiveness-get-infected-with-some-brain-altering-cat-parasites/964681/16 "2022-05-20T05:33:18Z")
Pretend I inserted a relevant clip from the Futurama episode where Fry gets infected with worms that cause lots of improvements. “Parasites Lost” I couldn’t find a clip that was a good relevant snippet although there are lots.