References

Many of us have pets. And many of us are getting old enough, and have accumulated enough health issues, that we're inclined to be more cautious about health threats than we were when we were young, and lived as though we were invincible. A recent Medical Xpress article caught my eye, for that very reason.[1] Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite commonly found in cats, although any warm-blooded animal or bird (including humans) can be infected. The parasite causes the disease known as toxoplasmosis. You may have heard about it at some point in the past. Cats are the definitive host, meaning that cats are the host in which the parasite sexually reproduces.
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Cats are ubiquitous (they're very common on farms and ranches, in cities, and in most wild areas). Many cats are pets, many are wild, and many are feral. A feral cat looks like a house cat, but has either never had any physical contact with humans, or has returned to the wild, and avoids human contact). According to Wikipedia, over two thirds of the cats in the world are feral.