Pet owners filmed themselves secretly placing cucumbers behind their unsuspecting cats. When the cats turn around, they are startled by the fruit and often leap back in fright. Although both the videos and the cats' reactions are shocking, the question remains: Exactly why cats are scared of cucumbers?
The mystery of why cats hate cucumbers is normally explained by the natural fear cats have towards snakes. To a feline's eyes a cucumber can look similar enough to the pesky reptile to elicit their fear response and make them jump a few feet in the air to avoid being bitten.
It may seem harmless, but using a cucumber to get a jump scare out of your kitty isn't healthy for their physical or emotional well-being. Instead, engage your furry friend in safe, fun activities that strengthen your loving bond.
Unfamiliar Objects, Fruit or People
But it is a good example of cats being afraid of unfamiliar things (people, objects, fruits, etc.). Cats like to feel safe and secure in their home — if something new enters their space, that's probably going to cause some stress.
Cucumbers aren't the only grocery which cats are unimpressed by, bananas are also a no-go. Cats have a sense of smell which is 14 times stronger than our own so strong odours like fruity scents can be too much for their sensitive snoots.
"Cats are genetically hard-wired through instinct to avoid snakes," Con Slobodchikoff, animal behaviorist and author of "Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals," said. "Cucumbers look enough like a snake to have the cat's instinctive fear of snakes kick in."
Cats also don't like the smell of bananas, so another way to stop them from pooping in your garden is to finely chop bananas and scatter them around your flower beds. Ripening bananas give off a strong smell that cats simply can't stand.
Orange and lemon peels (cats dislike citrus smells), cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, & mustard oil.
As a general rule, cats are sensitive when it comes to smells, but there are a few scents they hate that might just surprise you. They can't stand citrus and as much as you might love the smell of fresh herbs, cats hate rosemary and thyme. Banana and mustard are a big no-no too, as well as lavender and eucalyptus.
Texture: Sticky paper, aluminum foil, heavy plastic or a plastic carpet runner (knubby side up) can be placed in areas you want to be off limits. Cats hate walking on these surfaces.
It has a strange sound
And believe it or not, aluminum foil actually makes high-pitched sounds that humans can't hear but your cat definitely can. “Cats have extremely acute hearing, and the strange crinkly noise that the foil makes when touched can be irritating to their ears,” Dr. Conrad told The Dodo.
Because of the high fat content, it's also possible for dogs or cats to develop pancreatitis (painful inflammation of the pancreas).” So, while avocado is fairly safe for our dogs and cats to eat, the best bet is to limit their access to just small amounts of the fruit itself.
Are Cats Afraid Of The Dark? Sometimes cats will be afraid of the dark, and there are several possible reasons why cats develop this fear. The first reason is that some cats may feel disoriented in the dark. This is especially common for young kittens and elderly cats.
However, cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and as citrus fruits are very aromatic, what smells heavenly to us is way too over the top for cats.
Most cats don't like apples and would actually rather enjoy tasty cat-specific treats instead . However, when giving your cat treats, always make sure that treats don't form more than 10% of their daily diet, with the other 90% of their nutrition coming from their complete and balanced cat food.
Vinegar as a cat repellent
Spraying Outdoors – Straight or diluted vinegar can be sprayed around the edges of a garden, and on plants, fences, posts and garden décor to keep cats away. Concentrate the spray on areas that the cats frequent or that you particularly want to protect.
Quick Solutions: Scatter fresh orange and lemon peels or spray with citrus scented fragrances. Coffee grounds, vinegar, pipe tobacco, oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella or eucalyptus also deter cats. Plant the herb rue to repel cats, or sprinkle dried rue over the garden.
Mix together lemon juice, rosemary and white vinegar - three things cats detest. Put the liquid in a spray bottle so it's easy to use around the garden. Simply spray near where the cats spend time - on planters, the patio, or even inside.
Some of the most toxic food for cats include onions & garlic, raw eggs & meat, chocolate, alcohol, grapes and raisins. Avoid feeding your cat table scraps, especially around the holidays, as these may contain potentially toxic ingredients.
Try orange and lemon peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and mustard oil. You can either sprinkle drops directly onto your flower beds or soak a cotton wool around it and place at entry points. One sniff and they'll be gone.
Citrus or lemon scents (orange peels, lemon peels), garlic, ammonia, vinegar, coffee grinds, pipe tobacco, mustard, citronella, or eucalyptus all deter cats as well.
1. Mix together 3/4 parts water with 15 drops of each essential oil. Cats dislike eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint – just choose the ones you don't mind the scent of yourself.
Citronella oil is a homemade cat repellent that many people have had success with. Citronella is best known as a mosquito repellent, but cats find the Citronella odor to be distasteful. Simply mix one part Citronella oil to four parts water and spray liberally in the troubled areas.