Why do Cats Hate Cucumbers?

NGSS Phenomena: A cat eating food turns around to see a cucumber behind it and jumps up into the air.

In the above gif, we see a cat reacting to seeing a cucumber that was placed behind them while they're eating. Cats have only lived with humans for a few thousand years, but most of their reflexes and actions come from where they evolved for millions of years: as lions in the wild. While you answer the questions that follow, think about what would cause cats to react to a cucumber in this way.

NGSS Phenomena: A lion walking through the savannah, sticking his tongue out.

1. After the cat sees the cucumber, their muscles are responding to a stimuli.

Drag the answers below into the grey placeholders above

electromagnetic

mechanical

chemical

2. The cat is unable to control their body or reaction when seeing a cucumber. Using the resources provided, what two pieces of evidence supports that cats hate cucumbers? Describe a cause and effect relationship and give an example of two of the following sensory inputs: electromagnetic, mechanical and chemical. Justify your response with evidence.

3. The cat's response to the cucumber is likely an example of a .

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stored memory

immediate response or reflex

4. If the owner of this cat were to continuously place a cucumber behind their cat when they started eating everyday for a month, what impact would that have on the cat's behavior in the future?

5. In the space below, draw a model to show the pathway that the nerve impulse will take from when the cat sees the cucumber to when the cat jumps.

Color

Width

6. Explain how your model shows the path of the nerve impulse from when the cat sees the cucumber to when the cat jumps.

7. Which of the following would help to make the cat's immediate reaction seem more credible?

This cat has seen cucumbers in the past and hasn't reacted like this.
There is another cat in the household, who did not react like this when they saw a cucumber behind them.
This cat is normally very relaxed while eating, but the owner does like to surprise them at other times.
There are other videos taken after this one that show the cat reacting in a similar way.

8. Is the information presented here sufficient to say that the cat is reacting to the cucumber for the first time or that this is a reaction to a stored memory?

9. In the space below, construct a CER statement to answer this question:

Was the cat's reaction to the cucumber caused by the cucumber, or correlated with the cucumber?