Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Close-up photo of the face of a fluffy domestic cat with bright yellow-orange eyes and gray fur Having a cat as a pet could ...

A comprehensive new analysis is stirring debate in both psychiatry and public health: does owning a cat during childhood increase your risk of developing schizophrenia-related disorders later in life?

Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related conditions, according to an analysis of 17 studies. Psychiatrist John McGrath and colleagues at the Queensland ...