By now you’ve probably seen one of the “cats vs. cucumbers” video compilations that have swept the internet. (But if you haven’t, you can check out what happens when this kitty finds out that a cucumber snuck up on her.)
While these videos are funny to watch, you may be wondering: “Why are cats scared of cucumbers?”
Cucumbers might seem like a pretty strange thing for cats to be afraid of. After all, they’re totally harmless. So why do cats get so freaked out by them?
We spoke to Dr. Alex Blutinger, a veterinarian with BluePearl Pet Hospital in New York City, to find out what makes cats so afraid of cucumbers.
Why are cats scared of cucumbers? Three possible reasons
1. Cats don’t like to be surprised
One theory for why cats are scared of cucumbers is that they just don’t like the vegetable sneaking up on them — similar to how you might get scared if someone suddenly came up behind you.
“If I put a plastic spider on the floor behind you or a mannequin in the entrance of your apartment, chances are you would have a momentary freak-out before realizing either wasn’t real,” Dr. Alex Blutinger told The Dodo.
As cat parents know, cats keep up a pretty cool front. They like to always be aware of what’s going on around them, and they only settle down to eat or nap when they know there aren’t any immediate dangers around.
So in those videos, when you see the cat’s owner sneak that creepy cucumber behind her while she’s eating, the fact that she isn't expecting anything to be right behind her is enough to make her literally jump in shock.
Many of these videos are also done while a cat is eating. A cat’s food bowl or eating area is a safe place for her, so she’s not expecting anything to invade her space, which could lead her to be particularly scared.
2. Cucumbers might look like snakes
Your cat might also think that the cucumber behind her looks like a snake.
“While we know cats as being predators (for our NYC apartment mice), they are also animals of prey,” Dr. Blutinger said.
Cats are both predators and prey in the wild, so they have an instinct to avoid anything that seems like a threat to them.
“While most of the cats that we know have been domesticated, they retain their innate, instinctual drive to protect themselves from predators as they would in the wild (e.g., from coyotes, owls, dogs and snakes),” Dr. Blutinger said. “Cucumbers and bananas may resemble snakes or other predatory species to a cat.”
(Though the jury’s still out on this one — some experts think the theory of cats hating surprises or changes to their routines makes more sense as cats would not be likely to get scared by such a small “snake.” But no one really knows!)
3. Some cats are more anxious than others
Not every cat is scared of cucumbers. So why do some cats have a reaction, while others don’t?
One theory is that cats who tend to be more fearful or anxious are more likely to be afraid of cucumbers simply because they’re more easily frightened in general.
Every cat has her own personality. Some cats are more fearless and curious, while others are timid and shy. So if you have a cat who tends to be very curious, she may be more interested in finding out what the cucumber is rather than being scared of it.
Is it bad to scare your cat with a cucumber?
While those videos of cats and cucumbers are pretty funny, you shouldn’t try it with your cat. It’s actually scary for her, and it can be stressful.
“Cats are also creatures of habit and can become severely stressed with deviations in their routines or environment,” Dr. Blutinger said. “Stress can even lead to life-threatening complications, such as feline urinary tract disease, a disorder causing cats to obstruct their urethra — a life-threatening emergency.”
If a cat jumps and tries to flee from the cucumber, she could also injure herself by jumping onto or bumping into something hard or sharp.
Another reason not to scare your cat is that if you tease her with a cucumber often (or with other things she’s afraid of), your cat could begin to associate her fear with you rather than the object. You obviously don’t want your cat to be scared of you, so you should keep your pranks to a minimum.
So while the “cats vs. cucumber” videos had their moment, we still recommend keeping your cucumbers off the floor and in your salads.
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Videos starring cats afraid of cucumbers are popping up all over the Internet. In the videos, the felines face away, and their owners secretly place a cucumber behind them. When the cats turn around, they are startled by the fruit that wasn’t there beforehand, often leaping back. Although both the videos and the cat reactions are shocking, the question remains as to why are cats afraid of cucumbers.
Cucumbers might remind cats of snakes
There are a few theories, but no definitive answer. Most experts agree that it isn’t necessarily the cucumber itself that scares cats. One of the most popular explanations is that cucumbers remind cats of snakes. “Cats are genetically hard-wired through instinct to avoid snakes,” Con Slobodchikoff, animal behaviorist and author of Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals, told ABC News. “Cucumbers look enough like a snake to have the cat’s instinctive fear of snakes kick in.”
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Cats don’t want the cucumber to be behind them
Another idea is that the sudden appearance of the cucumber is what scares the cat. This is similar to startling someone by sneaking up behind them, Mikel Delgado, a certified cat behavior consultant who studied animal behavior and human-pet relationships as a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley, told Mental Floss. Reports and videos of other fruits and vegetables scaring cats—including apples and bananas—reinforce the likelihood of this theory.
Jill Goldman, a certified animal behaviorist in southern California, explains that the cucumbers are triggering the cats’ natural startle responses. “With a startle response, a cat will often try to get out of there as quickly as possible and then reassess from a distance,” she says.
Although the videos showing cats afraid of cucumbers and other fruits are entertaining, experts advise against trying any similar pranks at home with your pet; doing so isn’t good for their health. National Geographic reports trying to do so could cause cats to injure themselves, break something or lead to prolonged stress.
But that’s not the only time you could unintentionally be harming your cat. Are all those essential oils doing your pets any favors?
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Originally Published: July 29, 2019
The internet was made for cats. Since the very earliest days of memes, videos, and sharing content online, cats and their crazy antics have played a massive part. From Can Haz Cheezburger and Lolcats to celebrity cats like Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, a vast chunk of the internet is dedicated to our funny feline friends.
In recent years, however, a concerning trend has emerged showing cat parents sneakily placing cucumbers behind their unsuspecting felines and filming the extreme reaction this elicits. The results are sometimes quite dramatic, with cats flipping out (quite literally), leaping into the air in shock, and all but levitating in response.
Of course, a cat totally overreacting to a salad ingredient can be hilarious to humans, but the same cannot be said for how cats interpret the experience. It can be extremely traumatizing for them, not to mention that some cats have even injured themselves in the process of trying to escape this perceived threat.
So, what’s the deal here? Why are cats scared of cucumbers? Do cats hate cucumbers?
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
People have proposed that cats are afraid of cucumbers because the fruits so closely resemble snakes and cats don’t like snakes. It’s a good theory — cats don’t enjoy snakes’ company — but it’s not entirely correct.
While cats and snakes are natural foes, cats are usually more curious about them than terrified. A cat will naturally be intrigued by a snake, especially one as small as a cucumber, and will in all likelihood paw at it and try to learn more about it.
So that doesn’t fully explain why cats hate cucumbers and react so badly to them.
If you presented a cucumber to your cat upfront, would they still react in the same extreme way? In reality, they might give it a sniff, investigate it a little, and continue with their day without too much fanfare. No extreme reactions, no fear.
At worst, your cat might approach the cucumber with some suspicion for resembling something foreign, but it certainly won’t elicit a dramatic freakout.
So, if it isn’t cats vs cucumbers, what is it that causes the extreme reaction? The truth is, it’s less about the cucumber as an object in itself and more about its sudden appearance behind the cat.
Lean, mean, hunting machines
Cats are world-class hunters, constantly aware of their surroundings and in tune with what’s going on even behind them. Their keen ears are always scanning for subtle noises which may indicate the presence of prey, their noses are finely tuned to pick up even the slightest scent on the breeze. Like a tightly wound spring, your cat is primed to leap into action in response to even subtle changes in the environment.
So, it makes absolute sense for your cat to react so badly when all of a sudden, a potential threat appears as if out of nowhere. Poof! It’s like a Harry Potter character apparated out of thin air.
Your cat has been snuck up on, and this isn’t something that cats are used to (refer back to the super-sensory advanced warning system).
What’s this? It wasn’t here before. I didn’t smell it coming. I didn’t hear it coming. What sorcery is this?!
It’s no wonder sweet Fluffy is going to be startled. It’s much the same when you’re deeply concentrated browsing cat videos online, and suddenly your boss appears over your shoulder. Startling, right?
So, it’s ultimately more about the element of surprise than the type or shape of the fruit. Your cat might react in the same way to an apple or a bunch of grapes (for the happiness and welfare of your cat, we do not recommend that you try this at home). It just so happens that these videos have all used cucumbers as the offending fruit of choice.
Why you really shouldn’t scare your cat
You may have gathered by now that cats aren’t big fans of surprises or big changes. Sneaking up on your cat or otherwise startling her at all is not something we’d encourage.
When a cat is startled, they’re probably going to want to get away from whatever it is that startled her as fast as possible and assess it from a safe distance. This sharp jolt and sudden escape can cause your cat to injure themselves, not to mention the obvious trauma of the fright.
A lot of the videos where cats are startled in this way are done quite near to the cat’s food bowls. This is particularly inadvisable (and also pretty cruel) as cats associate their food bowls as being a place of safety, and so are very much not expecting any nasty surprises.
Repeated trauma like this can severely damage the trust you have built with your cat and the relationship in general, and it can take years to repair. Some cats are predisposed to be more highly strung than others and it can severely impact their long-term mental health to feel so insecure in what should be their safe space.
This can cause your cat to become reactive and difficult to manage. Traumatized cats act out in many ways that can further damage the relationship. Anyone who’s rescued a kitten from bad circumstances will know that it takes a long time to build trust with a traumatized cat. It can be a long road back to Soft kitty, warm kitty from there.
Whether it’s a cucumber or a bunch of grapes, your cat is likely going to have a strong reaction to anything sneaking up on them (fruit or otherwise), and you’ll both be happier off avoiding that situation.
There are plenty of laughs to be had with your cat that don’t lead to long-term trauma and aren’t at your cat’s expense. Please film your cats being cats in a happy and healthy setting and share it online for all of us to enjoy at work.