A new study by a University College London team has refuted earlier research findings that say cat ownership contributes to mental disorders. Previous studies have suggested that people who grew up with cats as pets were more susceptible to mental illness. Earlier research linking the two was based on cats being the primary host of the parasite Toxoplasma Gondii (T. Gondii), which is linked to mental health disorders including schizophrenia.

“The message for cat owners is clear: there is no evidence that cats pose a risk to children’s mental health. In our study, initial unadjusted analyses suggested a small link between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms at age 13, but this turned out to be due to other factors. Once we controlled for factors such as household over-crowding and socioeconomic status, the data showed that cats were not to blame,” said Dr Francesca Solmi (UCL Psychiatry), who was the lead researcher in the study.

Published in the journal Psychological Medicine, the study, however, advises pregnant women to avoid handling cat litter. “There is good evidence that T. Gondii exposure during pregnancy can lead to serious birth defects and other health problems in children. As such, we recommend that pregnant women should continue to follow advice not to handle soiled cat litter in case it contains T. Gondii,” senior author Dr James Kirkbride told the university’s news team.

Solmi said earlier research linking cat ownership with psychosis had failed to control other possible explanations in their study. Researchers said the new study was more reliable as it involved a larger population that was studied over a period of almost 20 years. The study followed almost 5,000 people, who were born in 1991 or 1992, up to the age of 18. The team had information on whether the families had pet cats while the mother was pregnant and when the children were growing up.