Are cats afraid of cucumbers?

If you've been around the internet, you've likely seen videos where cats seem to react in fear when seeing a cucumber. If not, here's a compilation video of cats vs cucumbers videos so you can see what I mean.

So, what's the deal, are cats afraid of cucumbers? Let's look more into the world of cats and cucumbers! 

There is a theory that when you see cucumbers scaring cats it's because the cat mistakes the cucumber for a snake. This New York Post article suggests that cats have such an extreme reaction to seeing a cucumber for just this reason, but Dr. Pamela Perry at the college of veterinary medicine at Cornell University disagrees. The argument is that cat's don't have a natural fear of snakes and many of them even hunt snakes. A small snake came under the door in my basement once and I can tell you my cat was not afraid of it and treated it much more like prey than as a threat! 

So, what could the story been with the cat and the cucumber then?

The Spruce Pets says that it's because cats can be prey to larger animals and so they are wary of anything sneaking up on them. So, if they turn around and see something that wasn't there before, they will be startled! If you notice, in a lot of the videos where cats scared of a cucumber, the cucumbers are behind the cat while they are eating or drinking. When a cat is eating or drinking they are vulnerable because their focus is more on their food than on their surroundings, so the appearance of something behind them is especially startling! Think of when you are focused on something and suddenly there is someone (or something) behind you - you'd get startled too! 

While the videos are funny, I don't recommend to trying out the cat cucumber scare! The Spruce Pets points out that that your cat could hurt themselves in panic in their initial reaction to the cucumber. Plus, If you sneak up on your cat to scare them, they might stop trusting you! If you are always trying to scare them when they are eating, they might get stressed around eating and may even become afraid to go to their food dish! 

So, I think it's safe to say that cats are not afraid of cucumbers in themselves. What they react to is actually just turning around to see something unexpected behind them after they had let their guard down for a minute. Not only are cats not afraid of cucumbers, they can actually be a healthy treat for them! It's always a good idea to check with a vet before giving your cat any food they aren't accustomed to, but according to cattime.com cucumbers have a high water content, so they can help make sure your cat stays hydrated. But, peel the cucumber before giving to your cat to make sure they aren't eating any chemicals that may be on the skin. Other health benefits of cucumbers for cats are vitamin K, which can be good for the liver and molybdenum, which is good for metabolism. Cattime cautions to not give your cat too much cucumber though as the high water content could lead to diarrhea if over done. Oh, and stay away from pickles for your feline friend! 

What about your cats? Do they think cucumbers are a scary menace, a healthy treat, or just another vegetable?