Why cats are terrified of cucumbers

The tabbies could initially think it’s a snake or another predator.

The trend, depicted in YouTube videos, involves sneakily placing a cucumber behind a cat, usually while it is eating.

That’s why the Internet’s newest viral sensation shows cats being frightened by – wait for it – cucumbers.

An animal rights group has hit out at cat owners who deliberately scare their pets with cucumbers – and upload the results to the internet.

While a few deem the prank harmless and cute, animal experts disagree. In fact, words they’re using to describe it include “despicable” and “cruel”.

You might have seen the video of cats panicking when they see a cucumber behind them.

McMillan, a director at Best Friends Animal Society, says that scaring cats with any kind of object, even a seemingly benign member of the gourd family, could cause serious physical or psychological injury. The cats then turn around and jump into the air when they spot the fruit (and yes, cucumbers are technically fruit). I suspect that there would be the same reaction to a model spider, a plastic fish or a human face mask.

Goldman said he finds the videos “despicable”, saying that startling cats could cause them to injure themselves, or create “prolonged stress” by making them fear a previously safe space. She told National Geographic that ruining this sort of sanctuary is “a cruel thing to do”. Dr. Roger Mugford, an animal behavior specialist, told The Telegraph that kitties aren’t actually scared of cucumbers, just suspicious of danger.

One of the reasons cats get scared is the simple element of surprise.