If you’ve ever visited YouTube, you’re no doubt familiar with the dozens of hilarious videos showing cats jumping in fear of cucumbers. According to animal behaviorist Jill Goldman, the cucumbers trigger the cats’ natural startle reflexes. “With a startle response, a cat will often try to get out of there as quickly as possible and then reassess from a distance,” she explained. Placing cucumbers near where cats eat may confuse them further, because they often associate those areas with safety and security. Goldman said it’s also possible that cats may associate cucumbers with snakes, which can be deadly predators. She went on to caution people not to pull this kind of prank on cats because it causes stress than can turn into lifelong trauma.
