Cat owners are more attractive, healthier, have more sex: Study

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If you own a cat, you are better looking, slimmer, healthier and have more sex than those that don’t, according to a study out of Finland.

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Researchers of the University of Turku analyzed data on 213 adults and those carrying the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii were considered more attractive.

They compared the “self-perceived attractiveness, number of sexual partners, number of minor ailments, body mass index, mate value, handgrip strength, facial fluctuating asymmetry, and facial width-to-height ratio” between individuals who had the bug and those who were not infected.

The results, published in the journal PeerJ, found that men and women who were infected by the parasite had more symmetrical facial features, and were perceived as being more attractive and healthier than non-infected subjects.

The infected female participants also weighed 10% less, had more confidence, and a higher number of sexual partners than those who were not infected.

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Men who were infected were also three centimetres taller, boasted dominant masculine facial features, and had higher levels of testosterone.

Toxoplasmosis is transmitted mainly through undercooked meat, in soil, or in cat poop, so any cat owner with a litter box could get it, although most people are unaware they are carrying it.

According to lead researcher Javier Borráz-León, “The parasite may produce changes in the appearance and behaviour of the human host, either as a by-product of the infection or as the result of the manipulation of the parasite to increase its spread to new hosts.”

Is this all a coincidence? Or perhaps some are simply not cooking their meat all the way through.

It remains unclear how it affects humans, but most healthy people need not worry as an individual’s immune system usually works to keep the parasite from doing too much damage.