The internet seems to have an endless fascination with creating funny videos of cats. The cats are put in an awkward situation, especially when they are scary. One such scenario is to scare them away with specific foods and vegetables. You would have come across videos, of cats reacting to lime, bananas, spinach, etc. But what else are they scared of? According to the feline owners, the most dangerous vegetable is that they are terrified of cucumbers.
In most of the videos, you can see that the cats are unaware of the cucumber placed near them when they are resting. When they notice the vegetable, the cats freak out and panic. But how does that happen? Why are cats terrified of cucumbers? If you’re also seeking answers to these questions, then here is the guide to understand if there is any logical explanation behind the whole frightening of cats.
Why are cats afraid?
Before answering the question further, you must also know what makes the feline afraid or terrified. Most commonly now, “Fraidy-cat” or “Scaredy-cat” is used to refer to “someone who is afraid to even attempt something” or an “unduly fearful person.” Does that mean cats generally get scared quickly? Well, this does not happen to dogs or horses or any other animal. But cats are always associated with terms like fear and afraid. If you are a cat owner, you might have observed that cats are scared of various things around them.
| Things that cats afraid of | Reason for the fear |
| Water | They don’t know how to swim The natural oil in the body doesn’t let the watershed easily The flickering pattern on the water makes them think it’s a sign of prey |
| Balloon | Some cats are globophobic When they touch it with claws, it will burst with a loud noise. |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Loud noises frighten them The vibrations send survival instincts to their brain |
| Strangers | They are very suspicious An apprehension because they are not social animals |
| Change in routine | Feel anxious about the change Not easy to adapt to a new routine They are creatures of habit. Hence changes frighten them. |
From evolutionary standard, there are authorized explanations on the fear that keep the lineage giving. For some animals, the underlying fear is a reflex imbibed at the birth. It may be due to the environment they are born in or the place where they are fed as a kitten. Cats are one such animal that has fearful triggers in them all the time. It may be an amusing fact because cats are predators, but it seems very irrational with the fears in them. Cats can be afraid of almost anything not just cucumbers. They have threatening qualities, which makes them less of a predator.
Also, the feline is not on the top level of the food chain even though they are preying on other animals. And they majorly fall in the category of “Meso-predators.” Thus”, it makes it logical about how the cats become cautious about strange things or even experiences for that matter.
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
Cats are afraid when anything is sneaked on them
Most of the videos that you see on the internet, the cucumbers are placed superstitiously behind the cat. And when it turns out, the cats are potentially terrified about anything that is sneaked upon them. Cats are usually sharp and cautious, and they are very much aware of the situation and circumstances.
If you have gone through those types of videos, the cats get scared only because they have not noticed that the cucumbers are kept behind them. In these videos, it is clearly shown that the cat is busy with her meal. One common thing about the cat is that they won’t eat until they are unsure about the safety of the food and the place. It is easy to threaten them with anyone or anything just being in the vicinity. To be rightly put, as a pet owner, you must have realized that cats eat comfortably only in a safe and secure place. If you have trained to make them eat one food station, they complete the meal only there. Therefore, the sudden appearance of the cucumber scares them. It is similar to someone startling or sneaking just from behind.
Cats think of cucumbers as a snake.
There are numerous theories on why cats are scared of cucumbers. But we are unable to trace the definitive answer. Most experts think that the cucumbers freak them out because they look like snakes. It is one of the popular explanations which is agreed by many certified cat behavior consultants. Cucumber may scare the cats because it gives a snake appearance to the cats. Snakes and cats are both predators, but snakes can win over the cats easily. A certified animal behaviorist in southern California – Jill Goldman says, “cucumbers may seem like snakes to cats, thanks to the green, elongated exterior that these vegetables have.”
Why shouldn’t you scare the cats?
You need to be extremely mindful of what you shouldn’t do for the cats. “One thing that many well-intentioned people do is tried to ‘show’ the scared cat that the scary thing is okay,” says Dr. Delgado. For instance, cats are afraid of newcomers or visitors. Usually, in that case, owners put the cats on hiding, thinking it would convince the cats that they are safe. Also, visitors can come without any hesitation. But this will cause ‘Flooding’ behavior in the feline. The behavior is extremely dangerous as they lose control over the exposure to people and consider the scenario to be stressful than ever. It will turn around and backfire on the owner as they grow up. It will become worse as it affects behavior.
But you must know the difference between normal cats and phobia-stricken cats. Hence visit a vet or cat consultant for the desensitization of this behavior. Maintaining a cat who is scared of the vacuum, visitors, or even cucumbers must be accommodated by setting a safe place for the cats. Desensitization helps in many cases. You may want to try them with other techniques of socialization. With the counter conditioning, it changes from a negative response to a positive one. The cats must be exposed to the scary things to a level in which it does not cause the trigger or unusual sort of fearful response for the cat’s behavior.
But Cats should Eat Cucumber and not be scared of them?
Unlike dogs, cats are carnivores – animals that probably consume only a meat-based diet for existence are known as carnivores. The cats meet their nutritional needs by consuming other animals. As a result, their digestive system becomes useless when it comes to processing food items made up of plants. Also, they don’t eat anything raw produced out of plants. Their intestines are engineered to digest the food that has meat majorly, while the vegetables or plants must be well-nourished along with it.
However, only plants have the fiber required for easy digestion process. Apart from this, cucumber is a rich source of water content; it is highly recommended to include cucumbers in the cat diet for their proper growth. The primary reason behind it is that the cat that eats dry food may lead to dehydration. It is also mandatory to include any other food item that is rich in fiber for good health. You can either mix or blend them in such a way that cats can’t see them at all. You can also try some vegetarian dry cat foods such as Whiskas Adult Dry cat food and Benevo Vegetarian food meal, which helps in providing the essential fiber from plant sources
Conclusion
If you think your cat might be afraid of strangers, you can ask any of your friends to come and sit quietly with the cat and feed them favorite food. After continuous effort, you can see constant progress. And it gets closer to them after sometime. Also, there is a clicker training technique that is helpful for the scared cats. But most of the certified cat consultants and experienced pet owners believe that prevention is better than cure. By which they mean, it is recommended to make the feline socialize, socialize, socialize. Experts think that if your cat is already fear-stricken, then it’s time to help them overcome and let the fear goes. But only with patience, you can all set them in peace. For more information related to cats, stay tuned and connected with us.
