Frantic Feline follies?
Internet users have a never-ending fascination with cats. There was Keyboard Cat, videos of cats chasing laser pointers and posts of cats in a bathtub or the kitchen sink.
The latest viral fad is posting videos of felines frightened by cucumbers.
In these videos, a cucumber is placed behind an unknowing feline while the cat is eating or sleeping. When the cat notices the vegetable, it spazzes out: leaping into the air and running away to the amusement of the videographer.
Bob Ramsey, clinic manager of Moraine Grove Vet Clinic, 637 New Castle Road, said the cucumber trick doesn't depend on the cucumber.
He said, “It's the idea of anything being behind them that wasn't there before. It wouldn't have mattered what was behind them. It caught them off guard.”
And while the situation might be hilarious for human witnesses, the effect is less beneficial for the animal.
Ramsey said, “I think it is stressing the cat out. I don't know if it is cruel, but it's just like someone coming up behind you and yelling 'Boo!'”
“It's mean. When a cat is sitting in front of their bowl, that's their comfort zone,” said Kim Caruso, practice manager at the Cranberry Cat Clinic, 20465 Route 19, Cranberry Township.
“They aren't expecting something behind them,” said Caruso. “You could accidentally cause them to become food adverse. It's not a nice thing to do to kitty cats.”
Shanna Best, kennel director in charge of the cats at the Butler County Humane Society, 1015 Evans City Road, said, “I am not sure why they would be afraid of a cucumber.”
Best added, “I imagine it is stressful on them because they are frightened. It could raise their heart rate.
“I don't know if it is animal cruelty, but it's not kind.”
“I'm not sure they could link it with a person because they are not seeing the person put it there. It is just appearing out of nowhere,” Best said
“I think people are drawn to cats. They think things like that are funny but they can be stressful to the cat,” she said. But surprising your cat with a cucumber is low on the list of bad ideas that dog and cat owners keep having.“Giving them people food is probably the biggest thing that they do that is not good for the animal,” Ramsey said.“A slice of cheese for a dog is equivalent to three or four Big Macs for us,” he said.“If you have a 10-pound dog and you give him a hamburger, that's like a 150-pound man sitting down and eating 15 hamburgers,” Ramsey said. “People think 'If we can eat it, they can eat it.'”Best, when asked about other potentially harmful pranks, said she had heard of some but wouldn't elaborate because “I don't want to give anybody ideas.”Veterinarian Cheryl Haywood of the Myoma Animal Hospital, 1230 Mars-Evans City Road in Adams Township, said that while dressing up a dog or cat for a special occasion is fine, she draws the line at dyeing an animal's fur.“I actually wouldn't dye a pet because you don't know what the long-term effects might be,” Haywood said.“I don't think painting their nails would do any harm unless you have a pet that licks or chews their nails,” she added.“However, I have heard of people who are into piercing and tattooing doing the same to their pets.“I think this would be cruel. It's one thing if a human chooses to do that to themselves, but it's another thing to do that to a pet. They cannot choose to have needles stuck in them,” Haywood said.
Another habit that's harmful, she said is the owners' belief that an indoor cat doesn't have to have a yearly physical.“It's still important. A veterinarian can catch a lot that an owner never could, like heart disease or an abdominal mass,” Haywood said. “How many people really open their cat's mouth?”But rather than scaring cats with certain vegetables for the amusement of the Internet, animal advocates say people should be finding homes for the stray cats (and dogs) living at shelters.Amy York, adoption assistant at the Butler County Humane Society, said the shelter has 55 cats and kittens available for adoption.“They are medically cleared, spayed and neutered, microchipped and vaccinated,” said York.Adopting a cat is a process involving references, a questionnaire, a check of the potential adopter's living conditions and an in-shelter visit with the animal, York said.All adopters, whether of a dog or a cat, agree to keep the animal in the house.“We do get a lot of cats here. There are a lot of cats out there and we get kittens,” York said.While there is a consistent adoption rate for cats, dogs tend to get adopted a little faster, she said.“We can only house so many. We want to make sure we don't crowd them,” York said.
The Butler County Humane Society lists the following requirements for prospective pet adopters:Two personal referencesReference from veterinarianLandlord/homeowner informationFees$100 for adult dogs more than 6 months old$175 for puppies under 6 months old$60 for adult cats more than 4months old$100 for kittens under 4 months old$50 for dogs and cats more than 5 years oldHours11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and SundaysContact infoPhone number: 724-789-1150Address: 1015 Evans City Road, RenfrewWebsite: wwwbutlercounty-hs.org
