On social media, several cat owners have been sharing short videos of their cats being... afraid of cucumbers. Specifically, the cat just turned around and saw a long, big cucumber...and jumped up in a very funny way.
There's no denying that the cats' reactions were... funny, so the trend spread quickly on social media.
But what is it about cucumbers that scares cats so much? Are all cats afraid of cucumbers? Please join us to find out.
Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?
Cat lovers often wonder why cats are afraid of cucumbers and why they get startled when they suddenly see a huge cucumber behind them.
According to British zoologist Dr. Roger Mugford, it is an unconditioned reflex when an object is suddenly seen in a place where it did not exist before.
Specifically, when cats bend over to eat, their brains secrete the same comfort-inducing chemicals as humans do, so they can let their guard down a little.
At the same time, a cat's instinct must be to be suspicious of everything in order to avoid being attacked by predators. So when they see a...long, big, snake-like object "suddenly" appear behind them, their instinct makes them unconditionally reflex...jump back.
Mugford adds that cats are often frightened by many other things, not just cucumbers.
However, British zoologist Pippa Hutchison says this isn't good for cats.
Specifically, Hutchison said that when a cat is frightened, the sympathetic nervous system activates an emergency function that puts the body into a "fight or flight" state. This state causes the body to react very strongly and can also cause the heart rate to increase.
Therefore, frequent teasing of cats in this way will keep them in a state of stress, which will cause many harmful effects on the body, such as loss of appetite, fatigue, and even death from heart failure. In addition, the "relationship" between owner and cat is at risk of... breaking down.
Not only are they afraid of mice and cats, but they also feel nauseous when they hear the scratching sound of comb teeth.
Many scientists believe that cats' nausea at the sound of comb scratching is related to their innate sensitivity to high-frequency sounds. Cats have excellent hearing and can hear the high-frequency sounds used by food sources such as mice and fish to communicate. So they can easily determine if there are rats or fish nearby.
The teeth of the scraping comb also produce high-frequency sound waves that suddenly cause the cat's vocal cords to vibrate, causing the cat to feel nauseated and vomit.
Additionally, a study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery showed that cats vomiting when they hear the sound of a comb being scratched is associated with Feline Audiogenic Reflex Seizures (FARS).
All in all, no matter how fun this game looks, it's not something you should be doing. If you are a cat lover, please protect cats!
Have you ever used a cucumber to play a prank on a cat and been curious about their reaction?
Cats love playing with balls. In contrast, cucumbers have a long, rough shape with dark-colored skin, leaving cats afraid of them.
To a cat's eyes, a cucumber may resemble a bothersome reptile, which could be why they become scared and jump when they see them.
According to Dr. Roger Mugford, a British animal behaviorist, this is an involuntary reflex when they unexpectedly see an object that wasn't there before.
