Cats may fuel suicidal thoughts in women

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Story Created: Tue Jul 3, 2012 4:05 PM

Story Updated: Tue Jul 3, 2012 4:05 PM

A study published this week says kitty litter boxes could be making women suicidal.  The report in the Archives of General Psychiatry says a parasite found in cat feces could be the problem.

Researchers studied 45,000 women in Denmark over a three-year period.  Women infected with the parasite T-gondii had a one and a half times higher risk of attempting suicide.

But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to get rid of your kitty.  The study's senior author says about one in three people around the world have the parasite, and most of those infected don't try to kill themselves.

Psychiatrists say T-gondii previously has been linked to psychiatric problems.