Cucumbers, bananas, and similarly shaped things look a lot like snakes – and this is enough to startle a cat that wasn’t expecting a predator to wander behind his back. Keep in mind a cat is not scared of the cucumber itself but what it looks like.
Cats rely on their reflexes to survive in the wild. And they do not lose their instincts simply because they started living indoors! Because of that, when someone places a cucumber behind a cat’s back, he will be quick to jump away from what seems to be a threat.
After the cat realizes the cucumber isn’t a snake nor a predator, he will quickly go back to whatever he was doing.
Is it normal that my cat is afraid of cucumbers?
It would be completely normal if your cat gets startled when you place a cucumber behind him without him knowing. On the other hand, it’s not common for a cat to be scared of cucumbers all the time, especially if they are in front of him.
Keep in mind your cat will get scared by anything that suddenly gets close to him. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cucumber or another animal, if it suddenly enters his field of vision, he will get startled. Cats have quick reflexes!
If the mere sight of a cucumber scares your cat, there’s something wrong going on there. There’s not much to be done, though, other than keeping cucumbers away from him.
Why shouldn’t you scare your cats with a cucumber?
Scaring a cat with a cucumber might seem funny for some people – but the truth is, the cat is terrified when that happens. He will instinctively jump away from it and won’t care where he lands. This could lead to serious injury.
Scaring an animal is not like scaring someone else as a prank, because animals do not understand the concept of it. They will go through it as if it was a serious threat and might be emotionally unstable for the rest of the day. It’s better not to do it!
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
Different things scare different cats – but one thing you can be sure of is felines do not trust unfamiliar things. New pets, new people, and new appliances are all elements that will scare a cat until he feels safe around the new thing. Cucumbers suddenly appearing from behind included!
Simply put, cats are scared of a sudden change in their environment. And if that change is big (like a new person walking through the door), they will be quick to seek refuge away from that threat.
This doesn’t mean your cat is 100% scared of what has walked through the door, it means your cat feels like safe is better than sorry!
Cats are also afraid of big, loud things such as a vacuum. There’s nothing you can do about it, loud things tend to scare little animals. A treat is always a good thing to have around when you’re done vacuuming.