“Excuse me my dear, but is that cat urine you're wearing?” said the Toxoplasma infected rat.

Unlike Plasmodium, however, which can rely on the natural behaviour of mosquitoes to spread it around, Toxoplasma’s rodent hosts have a strong aversion to helping it into its next home.

The Toxoplasma then continues its life cycle in the cat's gut, until it is pooped out.