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Cats Make You Pretty

It turns out that the cat lady isn't only crazy, she's sexy too!

According to a study, cat feces can harbor a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. When humans are exposed, through cleaning the litter box, the parasite can actually influence the human's brain. It manipulates the host in ways that increase its own spread, including subtle changes in appearance and behavior that may make the person seem healthier and more attractive.

Now I'm feeling conflicted about possible cat ownership! Should I continue letting that neighborhood stray in my house? I think I would trade my sanity for a parasite that makes me ravishingly beautiful. Wouldn't you?


Each picture represents the average face of men and women with (left) and without (right) Toxoplasma infection. Since each picture was created by merging photos of 10 individuals for each category, the faces shown in the pictures are not real individuals.