Cats vs. cucumbers: Experts warn scaring your pet with produce is harmful

It's a hobby for those lacking social lives everywhere: using cucumbers to horrify the hairballs out of cats.

Normally, scaring a human requires a lot more work than just setting a piece of food on the ground. So, why are these pussycats so frightened by them?

Theory one: the pure element of surprise. Cats don't expect anything creepy and are startled. That's something we humans have dedicated entire shows to.

Theory two: suspicion of the unknown. Dr. Roger Mugford, an animal behavior specialist, told The Telegraph that kitties aren't actually scared of cucumbers, just suspicious of danger. The tabbies could initially think it's a snake or another predator.

Watch more clips of humans scaring cats with cucumbers:

Theory three: Cats associate the places they eat with safety and security. That's according to Pam Johnson-Bennett, author of "Think Like a Cat." She told National Geographic that ruining this sort of sanctuary is "a cruel thing to do."

Animal behaviorist Jill Goldman agreed and said scaring little Whiskers could make your cat injure itself, break something or lead to prolonged stress.

General advice: Stop frightening felines and go scare human friends. If you make your posse mad, they're less likely to intentionally urinate in your bed.

Entertain yourself instead with these fabulous cat costumes:

More from AOL.com:
Yellowstone park proposes killing 1,000 bison this winter
Research says airplane food may suck because of the cabin noise
Animals rescued from illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia