I don't know. My mom tried it with her cats and none of them even looked at the thing. Maybe some cats are more scared of strange objects in their vicinity? I don't have any kind of explanation.
I just checked it out, but remembered it going around facebook. I admit I did chuckle but personally think it's cruel. I think it's funny when it's an honest reaction, not planned. When my boy Simon was about a year old, he was purring for the first time really loud, I called my husband in to listen and my husband gave a big ROAR with his hands up in the air, from that day forward Simon only purred on occasion. I was sooooo angry.
Scaring any animal will make for an untrusting companion, IMO.