Some people, including cat owners, jokingly use the term “crazy cat lady,” but there might actually be some truth to it. A large study showed a significant connection between people treated for cat bites and depression – with 86 percent of patients being female.

Some people, including cat owners, jokingly use the term “crazy cat lady,” but there might actually be some truth to it. A large study showed a significant connection between people treated for cat bites and depression – with 86 percent of patients being female.

In 1.3 million people’s health records covering 10 years, around 41 percent visited hospitals for cat bites and struggled with depression.

While the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, researchers could not back up their findings with any direct cause-and-effect relationship, the large volume of cases studied did lead them to make three guesses.

First, depressed people – especially women – may be more likely to own, and therefore be bitten by, cats. Many studies have confirmed the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of pets for humans coping with sorrow and stress. One Swiss study identified cats as the best pet for people who are depressed or lonely.

Second, people’s depressed behavior may cause cats to respond aggressively. Certain animals like dogs, horses, pigs, and cats respond to the gestures, eye contact, and mental states of their owners.

Lastly, cat owners may have parasite infections caused by the Toxoplasma gondii protozoan in cat feces. It affects the brain and can cause depression, self-inflicted violence, and suicide.

The researchers recommend depression screenings for people bitten by cats.