<div><p>You know the symptoms all too well: Fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, impulsive aggression, and general anxiety. These are the reminders that your period is on it's way. But could your cat be partly to blame for your debilitating PMS symptoms? </p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5012242/#R16">A new study</a> published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research suggests that your feline friend could be the reason why you can't get out of bed when your period is on its way. </p><p></p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/1311-pms-art_0.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/1311-pms-art_0_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Women's Health</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Cats carry a parasite known as T. gondii that can cause symptoms similar to that of brutal PMS.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --> </p><p>The study tested 151 women diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD)- the condition that makes PMS really awful for some. They found that 7% of these women tested positive for T. gondii exposure. </p><p>The infected women in the study suffered from more PMS symptoms than the women that tested negative for the parasite. </p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/PMS.png" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p>If you do own a cat, and want to make sure you don't contract T. gondii, there are many ways to protect yourself. The parasite is transferred in the animal's stool, so make sure you wear gloves when you clean your cat's litter box and wash your hands well before handling food afterwards. Also, ensure that you wash all of your fresh produce, which can carry contaminated soil. Be sure to avoid under-cooked meat like pork, lamb and venison because you can become infected with T. gondii that way, as well. </p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Treatment is rarely needed if you have been infected and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/gen_info/faqs.html">symptoms tend to subside</a> within a few weeks. </p><p>Could this explain some of your severe symptoms? </p></div>