Toxoplasma gondii uses cats as its definitive host, but clinical toxoplasmosis in cats causes significant welfare impacts while posing a zoonotic risk that is often misunderstood and overstated.
Clinical toxoplasmosis in cats causes significant suffering — uveitis leads to painful eye inflammation and potential blindness; pulmonary toxoplasmosis causes respiratory distress; neurological forms produce seizures and loss of coordination. Immunocompromised cats, including those with FIV or FeLV, are most vulnerable to severe systemic disease. Welfare management requires prompt diagnosis using antibody titres combined with compatible clinical signs, and early treatment with clindamycin. The zoonotic dimension creates an additional welfare pressure — cats with toxoplasmosis are sometimes surrendered to shelters by fearful owners, creating a secondary welfare impact. Accurate public education about true transmission risk is essential both for human health and for preventing unnecessary cat relinquishment.