Cats are beautiful, cuddly, and bizarre creatures that have taken trending internet videos by storm. Out of all the popular cat videos online, one of the most memorable feline trends began in 2015 when owners would film their furry friends reacting in fright when cucumbers were placed nearby. This raised several questions, such as:

• Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
• Is it a bad idea to scare your cat by placing a cucumber nearby?
• What other common objects can cause cats to react in a similarly frightened way?

Below, we provide the answers to all these questions and more.

Why Are Cats Afraid of Cucumbers?

While researchers can run tests and develop hypothesis, there’s no definitive answers to conclude why cats are afraid of harmless objects such as cucumbers. Given how felines can’t vocalize their thoughts into words, experts have provided several theories as to why cats are afraid of cucumbers, including the following popular theories:

• Cucumbers Look Like Snakes: Cats have evolved as natural predators; however, they are also prey to certain species. One of the most popular theories states that cucumbers resemble the physical appearance of snakes, which cats are naturally afraid of due to not wanting to get bit. While most housecats have never encountered a snake before, which could disprove this theory as they don’t know to be scared of one, genetic memory may instill some information so that your cat knows to stay away from poisonous snakes.
• Cats Are Frightened of Surprises: Due to their innate survival instincts, cats are always working to be aware of their surroundings. When out in the wild, felines must always be cautious of local dangers as a precaution so that they’re not eaten. So, if a cucumber is placed nearby your cat while they’re in a vulnerable position, they simply may be alarmed by the previously undetected change in their environment. While this theory is among the most popular by experts, it explains that cats aren’t specifically scared of cucumbers, rather, they’re scared of anything sneaking up on them.
• Cats Can’t Easily See Cucumbers: We’ve previously written an article on feline vision, which you can read here, that describes how cats can’t easily see certain colored objects, such as the dark green spectrum of cucumbers. Felines have excellent night vision, however their visual perception has issues perceiving colors and still objects during the day. If an owner places a cucumber nearby while they’re eating food, sleeping, or looking the opposite way, they may become alarmed when they notice an object nearby with a difficult-to-detect color.

While these videos of cats being frightened by cucumbers are entertaining, experts all agree that scaring cats in this way isn’t beneficial to their health. When pranking a human peer, you can communicate to them afterwards how the stunt was merely a prank for amusement, although, cats will forever remain in the dark to this innocent prank. Even if the prank was amusing to the owner, their cat may hold onto the anxiety and began to distrust their living environment. It’s common for veterinarians to observe significant health problems in pets who’ve experienced traumatic events, which explains why you shouldn’t frighten your cat with cucumbers.

What Else Are Cats Afraid Of?

Besides just cucumbers, there are some other common household products that felines have been observed to be frightened of, such as:

• Bananas: Boasting a similar shape as cucumbers, bananas have been seen as objects which commonly scares cats. Banana peels also emit a scent called ethene as they ripen, which is a smell that felines prefer to stay away from.
• Their Own Reflection: Self-reflections in the mirror have been shown to scare cats, especially young kittens. This may be due to cats thinking there’s a scentless intruder in their home, causing them to fear for their safety.
• Water: Cats have a widespread fear to water that’s become a well-known character trait. While it may be due to the fact that they can see their own reflection in water, most cats merely don’t enjoy having wet fur. If your cat stays away from their water bowl, consider purchasing a small water fountain which usually encourages them to drink more often.

How to Lower Your Cat’s Stress & Anxiety

A feline’s source of stress, from cucumbers, bananas, water, or anything else, stems from cognitive function. To help lessen your cats overall anxiety, Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support provides 36 essential ingredients that aid in the maintenance of their healthy brain and nervous system functions. Dr. Bill’s Feline Cognitive Support has proven to be superior in slowing the progress of and potentially even reversing the signs of cognitive dysfunction.