Is it true that people like cats because of toxoplasmosis?

No, that theory is stupid. People like all kinds of animals. I wouldn't even say cats are more popular than dogs, or ferrets, or turtles, or whatever animal a person happens to own.

The features that make people love animals is familiarity, and that they have features that resemble infant humans (animals people like tend to have large eyes)

>>7919604
nope
toxoplasmosis evolved with rodents and shit , its not built to work with humans but it probably does something because theres some statistical differences between people with and without toxoplasmosis , i think people with it and more likely to suffer from schizophrenia and some other disorders but its not a huge correlation .

it probably cant work in a human brain so it just fucks around and causes trouble

>>7919626
>>7919638
That's what the parasite wants you to say.

>>7919604
cats are low maintenance and cute.

>>7919656
if we could actually develop it to this level it would be remarkable .

>>7919604
They're dogs for poor/lazy people

>>7919626
It's arguable when it comes to cats vs. dogs, but they're clearly more popular than ferrets and turtles, come on

>>7919795
They are "more popular" but it's not true that cat owners "like" their cats more than ferret owners "like" their ferrets.

The question in the OP was about why people "like" cats, not why they own them. The reason people own them more is because they're extremely low maintenance and because they're common.

Dogs smell bad.

It's possible. Unlikely, but possible for some cases.