The intense reaction of cats to cucumbers is related to their visual structure. Cats are born with special visual nerves that are very sensitive to green and yellow. Therefore, suddenly seeing objects of this yellow-green color causes a strong subconscious response.

So, actually cats are not afraid of cucumbers psychologically; their eyes are just too sensitive to the frequency of refracted light in these colors, making the reaction obvious. Most cats are not afraid of cucumbers, and in fact, cats basically like to eat cucumbers because of their cool scent and moderate texture. If the owner shows cucumbers to the cat in front of them, many cats are not scared. It is only when you suddenly let them see cucumbers that they feel fear. One possibility is that indoor cats have never seen cucumbers before; cucumbers are thin and long, so they might mistake them for snakes and perceive them as a threat, thus showing strong reactions. Another possibility is that the cat has been hurt by similar objects in the past, causing it to have a fear.

Generally, cucumbers suddenly appearing behind cats cause the most severe reactions.

A cat’s eyes can only recognize a few colors. So most of the time, a cat’s visual range is mostly black and white. Combined with the sensitivity to green and yellow, when these very sensitive colors suddenly appear in a cat’s black, white, and gray world, it does cause mental tension for the cat. If the cat is in a relaxed state at that time, encountering an unknown object suddenly appearing behind it will trigger an even stronger reaction.

Internationally, feline doctors have commented on this situation. They do not recommend teasing cats excessively with cucumbers or other objects. Cats are naturally nervous animals with fragile bodies, and sudden shocks like this may leave psychological shadows or even significant aftereffects. Physically, overload on the heart can shorten their lifespan. For the healthy growth of cats, it is advised not to play big pranks or use objects to scare cats.