Why are cats scared of cucumbers?

Placing a cucumber behind a cat causes them to leap into the air in fright

'If you cause stress to an animal that's probably not a good thing' (Getty Images)

People have been sharing videos of their cats' extreme reactions to cucumbers.

Placing a cucumber behind a cat when it's eating appears to startle them, causing some cats to leap into the air in fright.

The trend has spawned a dedicated subReddit called 'CucumbersScaringCats', where users have posted videos of them testing the trick on their own cats.

Jill Goldman, a certified animal behaviourist, told National Geographic the cucumbers were triggering 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 said, explaining their terrified reaction.

Placing cucumbers near where cats eat may confuse the cats further, because they often associate those areas with safety and security, Pam Johnson-Bennett, author of Think Like a Cat, also said.

Ms Goldman said it was also possible cats may associate the cucumber with snakes, which can be deadly predators.

She added: "If you cause stress to an animal that's probably not a good thing."

[This article was originally published in November 2015]