Some people adore cats, and some do not, but what amuses them alike is seeing a cat jump out of its skin at the mere sight of a cucumber. You might have seen such videos making rounds on social media with tons of views and likes, but have you ever wondered why cats fear cucumbers? While there’s no scientifically backed answer to this question, there are two popular theories that make sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7vML9C3PZk

Sudden intrusion

It is prudent to mention that being super-aware of its surroundings is one of the many traits of a cat. And whenever there’s a sudden intrusion in a cat’s immediate surroundings, the immediate reaction of the cat is to hastily jump back and forth due to extreme fear and anxiety.

Besides, what’s common in every Internet video showing a cat getting startled by a cucumber is that the cat is either eating or focused on something else when the cucumber magically appears out of nowhere.

So, it immediately frightens a cat when it finds the cucumber appearing out of thin air. Therefore, the instinctive reaction of the cat is mostly jumping up and running away.

Cucumbers’ resemblance to a snake

Another theory of why cats fear cucumbers is that cats have a genetic tendency to avoid potential threats like a snake. Although cats are natural predators and they can hunt snakes, some snakes can still prey on them. Therefore, cats have developed a natural instinct to avoid snakes.

So, whenever a cat encounters a cucumber out of nowhere, natural instinct kicks in, and the cat tries to avoid the cucumber in haste as it resembles a snake.

Apart from the above, some experts also believe that depending on the personality, some cats get easily scared by the sudden appearance of an object like a cucumber, while others may not get scared at all.

These things can also scare your cat.

Cats are super-sensitive to sound. Therefore, they don’t like loud noises like thunder, firecrackers, or loud music. Your cat despises these and will jump right away to get to a safer place the moment a loud noise reaches its ears.

A cat’s sense of smell is also 14 times stronger than a human’s. Therefore, cats hate strong odors like fruit, citrus, chemicals, etc. The presence of a strong scent can overwhelm your cat and often scare it. Also, the aerosols of some chemicals present in daily household items, like cleaning agents, can trigger respiratory irritation and fright in cats. So, keeping your cat away from strong odors and chemicals is a good idea.

Apart from the above, a new pet, be it a dog, a cat, or an iguana can also give your cat a fright. Not just a new pet but new people or even new furniture in your house can also startle your cat.

Why is it a bad idea to startle your cat?

Watching a cat getting scared off by a cucumber on the Internet may seem funny and give you a good laugh but pulling this prank on a cat is not a good idea.

Your prank can leave the cat tormented with extreme mental stress that can even lead to behavioral changes. Your cat can start to fear the surroundings or the room where it was pranked. It can even associate fear with the human playing the prank.

So, instead of trying to scare your cat with a cucumber, why not add it to your cat’s diet? After all, cucumber is a safe snack for your cat. You can offer your cat small seedless chunks of cucumber to see if they like it.