What is it with cats and cucumbers?
Social media is full of, frankly, inexplicable trends that go viral. One of the lates is videos of cat owners placing a cucumber behind their pet. When the cat turns round, it jumps out of its skin.
While not exactly an ailurophile, I do find the videos a little cruel, but why do cats react in this way when they encounter a cucumber unexpectedly?
According to Jill Goldman, a certified animal behaviourist, I leave you to draw your own conclusions, the cucumbers trigger the cat’s natural startle reflexes. Their natural reaction is to jump out of the way and then have a good luck to see whether the object poses any threat. Some think that they mistake the fruit for a snake and are especially concerned when they encounter one in an area that they regard as a safe haven, such as where they eat.
As with most social media crazes, videos of startled cats will soon be a thing of the past, but it is good to have an explanation of the behaviour.
https://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/RD-Cat-Gets-Startled-By-Cucumber.gif?fit=700,1024
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