You’ve probably heard about cats and cucumbers. It’s cruel, and we don’t suggest doing it to your cat, but some people find it funny. For some reason, house cats will seemingly overreact if a cucumber suddenly appears nearby. Thus, there are countless videos of a cat springing straight up into the air after spotting a cuke.
Are cats afraid of cucumbers? Well, it’s probably related to their close-up vision. While cats have superb night vision, they can’t detect objects moving very slowly so well. So when they suddenly spot a dark, green cylinder, they may not know if it’s moving. Of course, it’s surprising to see something out of nowhere. And perhaps it looks a bit like a dangerous snake. (Again, please don’t traumatize your cat with a cuke.)
But here’s something even we find surprising. Big Cats are sometimes very fond of cucumbers!
Big Cats Love Cucumbers?
The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, MN, has long known that its Big Cats love cucumbers. For example, their rescued Bobcat Tractor, who lived to be 20, was wild about them and other veggies. Even more surprising, Tractor preferred them to a piece of chicken!
“Tractor likes all sorts of toys including balls, hammocks and catnip boxes. But his favorite things in the world are vegetables – he’ll pass up a piece of chicken any day for a cucumber or pumpkin. It’s a great form of enrichment for him and keeps him busy as the other bobcats watch, wondering what in the world he’s doing!” the sanctuary shared.
Tractor munches on his favorite, a cucumber via Facebook/Wildcat Sanctuary
Cucumbers to Eat and for Enrichment
For Tractor, the cucumber was a delicious treat to eat, and would consume as many as he could get. That was very unusual. But his fellow Bobcat Athena viewed it as a fun toy for enrichment.
“There was nothing cuter than watching Bobcat Tractor grab his cucumber and run away with it! He absolutely loved them!” they shared on Facebook.
Here’s a video of Tractor and Athena enjoying their beloved cukes:
Video via Facebook/Wildcat Sanctuary
Big Cats Having Fun with Cucumbers
In a recent video, the sanctuary staff delivered a bag of delicious cucumber slices to the Bobcats Bella, Luna, and their rescued African Serval friend, Sebastian.
It’s a fun way to help the cats enjoy their day, and we love watching it, too! As you can see, these Big Cats can’t get enough of the cukes, rubbing their cheeks all over them to mark them with their scent.
“Cucumbers aren’t a meal for carnivores, but they are fresh enrichment for our rescued residents! 🥒 Who knew something so simple could be so much fun?! 👏”
See the video below via Wildcat Sanctuary on Instagram.
“That first one has it right, cucumbers are great for the complexion,” commented Layce E.
“So true! We joked that Bella needs a clay mask, too!” replied Wildcat Sanctuary.
One thing all cats share in common -they love cardboard boxes! Here’s best pals, Bobcat Luna and Serval Sebastian, enjoying a box together. But don’t be fooled, these are no house cats and dangerous for anyone to approach.
“Bobcat Luna and Serval Sebastian are like two peas in a pod, or, well, two wildcats in a special enrichment box!” the Wildcat Sanctuary shared.
You can follow and support the Wild Cat Sanctuary on Facebook and Instagram. At the time of this writing, donations may be doubled for their 25th anniversary!
