This Common Household Pet Was Linked to Mental Health Problems in Children - VICE

A study from late 2025, published in the World Journal of Pediatrics, found that among nearly 2000 Spanish families, having a cat when children were around 4 to 5 years old was oddly associated with more mental health problems later in childhood.

There is an important catch: the study found only an association, not definitive proof that cats directly cause mental health issues in kids. It was just an observational study.

That said, the link is worth exploring, as the research followed children from pregnancy through the ages of 7 to 8 as part of Spain’s Infancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) project. Researchers collected information about pets as they relate to their home circumstances and children’s behavior, paying close attention to symptoms related to anxiety, depression, conduct problems, and social difficulties.

Of all the pets in the household, cats were the only common one linked to worse mental-health statistics. Kids who lived with dogs and birds showed no significant associations, while kids who regularly lived with other animals, like hamsters, rabbits, fish, turtles, and reptiles, seem to have a somewhat lower association with mental health problems.

An association was observed, but as for an explanation, that’s a little trickier to pin down. Researchers say there are several possible explanations, and none of them involve cats planning dastardly plots to rock the brains of children, though as a longtime cat owner I would not put it past them.

Cats tend to be more independent than dogs, and the researchers think families that choose cats may be choosing a low-maintenance pet because the child probably already has emotional or behavioral difficulties. No need to add more stress to a situation that’s already full of it.

There’s also good old toxoplasmosis, the parasite that cats can infect people with that makes us care for them. The researchers didn’t establish toxoplasmosis as a direct cause in any way, but it is a running theory that toxoplasmosis affects mental health, so it makes sense why it was added to the list of possible explanations.

None of this changes the fact that pets help kids develop empathy, a sense of responsibility, and sharper social skills. But this research makes a fine point: it all depends on the animal, the child, and the family circumstances.