Is there a disease that makes us love cats? - Jaap de Roode

Is your cat amazing ... or is there a parasite in your brain that exercises mind control? Get the facts on toxoplasmosis. -- Today, about a third of the world’s population is infected with a strange disease called toxoplasmosis — and most of them never even know it. And while the parasite can multiply in practically any host, it can only reproduce sexually in the intestines of cats. Could this disease be the reason so many people love cats and keep them as pets? Jaap de Roode shares what we know about toxoplasmosis. Lesson by Jaap de Roode, animation by Anton Bogaty. Sign up for our newsletter: https://ed.ted.com/newsletter Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/TEDEd Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/TEDEducation Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TED_ED Peep us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/TEDEducation View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-there-a-disease-that-makes-us-love-cats-jaap-de-roode