Cats can be aloof and independent, often acting as if they are indifferent to our affection. Slobbering golden retrievers they are not. We love them still. They can cuddle and purr their way into our hearts when they’re not slyly pushing things off our tables and shelves.

But do they put some of us at increased risk of psychosis?

It might seem that way when a cat is marching across your chest at 6 a.m. in an expression of impatience about breakfast. But a Canadian study looked at the very real association between cats and mental health problems.

Investigators recruited about 2,200 adults and quizzed them about their history of cat ownership and psychiatric experiences, including symptoms of psychosis. Psychosis is a condition in which someone loses touch with reality. It can be accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations.

Scientists found that having a family cat as a child increases odds of psychosis in adulthood, an association that, oddly, was seen only in men. The phenomenon also appears more prevalent in outdoor cats that enjoy hunting rodents. The heightened risk is small but statistically significant.

It’s not that the cats drive us to extremes of distraction with their feline shenanigans. It boils down to a common parasite that is found in rodents, and thus cats and their feces. The parasite, toxoplasma gondii [taak-so-plasma gaan-dee-eye], can be transmitted to humans and cause flu-like symptoms. Researchers believe it can also somehow trigger mental health ills.

It’s always a good idea to keep the kids away from the kitty litter and to keep it as clean as possible.

Cats, meantime, don’t want to hear your complaints. Grab a can of tuna, human. Now.