Cats react because cucumbers look like 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.
Cats are hypersensitive to their surroundings, so it's the sudden appearance of a random object that has them spooked. Cucumbers also look quite snake-like on first glance, so this may be why this vegetable provokes such an extreme reaction.
A cat sees that cucumber is a threat, and when confronted with a "threatening situation," explain PAWS Chicago, cats respond with fear and anxiety. This instinctive reaction is visible when a cat is surprised by a cucumber: jumping up or, conversely, freezing in place; fur standing up; yelping and so on.
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.
Loud Noises
Of all the cat fears, this one probably is the most relatable. Sudden loud noises can really startle your cat and cause them to either jump or go run and hide for a while. Things like the vacuum cleaner tend to trigger a cat's anxiety and send them to their favorite hiding spots.
Cats react because cucumbers look like 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.
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.
Keep the cucumbers away from the kitty!
Videos starring cats afraid of cucumbers are popping up all over the Internet. In the videos, the felines face away, and their owners secretly place a cucumber behind them. When the cats turn around, they are startled by the fruit that wasn't there beforehand, often leaping back.
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.
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.
It's Not The Fruit; It's The Peel
Some pretty astute cat lovers on a recent Quora forum weighed in on the topic with a surprising suggestion: It's not that cats don't like bananas themselves (which are edible to them), but rather that cats don't like the smell of bananas.
More interestingly, cats lack taste receptors for sweetness, as Scientific American explains. If you're expecting your cat to enjoy the sweetness of a carrot, they won't be reacting the way you'd hope. They may respond positively to the texture though, as they do with many types of vegetables and grains.
Do Cats Enjoy Eating Carrots? Even though carrots are a safe food for them, cats won't always jump at the chance to eat them. Some cats are pickier than others, just like humans, and it's possible that they refuse to eat them.
Rest assured cats are not, nor ever were,scared of vegetables. Cats actually enjoy eating some types ( carrots,zucchini,asparagus,green beans) and are not more “ scared” by them than they could be by a magazine.
Citrus: orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit
Citrus smells are widely reported as being repugnant to cats. You can use this to your advantage by throwing orange peels around your garden to keep cats away or spritzing a citrus scent on indoor fabric that you don't want your cat scratching up.
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.
"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 dislike the smell of rue, lavender and pennyroyal, Coleus canina and lemon thyme. Plant a few of these throughout the garden. (Interplanting can attract pollinators and other beneficial insects too.) Cats steer clear of strong citrus scents.
The second part of the outdoor cat predator problem is that cats are themselves prey. They will be killed by coyotes, eagles, owls, raccoons, dogs and otters. Two cats were killed by an otter when the cats got to close to their nest. Cars and humans also kill cats.
The smell of vinegar can keep your cats away from some specific areas and items in and around the house. Vinegar can work as an effective cat repellent and training tool. Using Vinegar can make you prevent your cats from going to that your favorite furniture or any other area in the house.
Cats have only 480 taste buds, and they only have taste receptors for salty, sour, and bitter. Like dogs, cats have a strong sense of smell and dislike anything that tastes bitter.
Goldman explains that the cucumbers are triggering the cats' natural startle responses, since they “would not normally see cucumbers on the floor.” It's also possible they may associate the green invader with snakes, which can be deadly predators, Goldman adds.
To keep cats away from gardens, flower beds, or specific areas of property, scatter fragrant items that don't appeal to a cat's sense of smell, like fresh orange or lemon peels, organic citrus-scented sprays, coffee grounds, vinegar, pipe tobacco, or oil of lavender, lemongrass, citronella, or eucalyptus.