Why do cats randomly run around like they’re on a mission, then suddenly stop and act normal again?

r/

Okay, I know it might sound like a silly question, but I’ve always wondered—why do cats do that random burst of zooming around the house like they’re chasing something invisible, then just stop and go back to acting normal? It happens at the weirdest times, and they seem so serious about it! Does it have something to do with their instincts, or are they just playing around for fun? Anyone else noticed this, or am I just overthinking it?

Just curious to know if there’s a real reason behind it or if cats are just… well, cats!

Comments

  1. sneezhousing Avatar

    Temporarily possessed by a demon

  2. WorldTallestEngineer Avatar

    Cats are ambush predators. They evolved to have a lifestyle with short periods of rapid movement.  

  3. WhoIsLorna Avatar

    they’re downloading updates from the Cat Matrix, and sometimes the WiFi hits mid-zoom

  4. MonetSweet Avatar

    Never ignore the zoomies; they’re your cat’s dramatic way of unleashing primal energy and claiming their kingdom. Let them sprint, because it’s either that or they start clawing your couch for revenge.

  5. abnormal2004 Avatar

    We had a cat who would walk into a room and freeze mid-step. And she’d just stand there… then, just as abruptly, she’d start walking again. We called it “mental pause”.

    Of course, she was abused by the army men who owned her before we did. So that might be why. They got deployed and asked my mother if she wanted the cat. Old girl lived into her late teens.

  6. Hyperdragoon17 Avatar

    Frenetic random activity periods, aka “the zoomies”! Just a way for cats and dogs to burn excess energy.

  7. EverythingBOffensive Avatar

    they can see greebles

  8. beamerpook Avatar

    I think there’s just random tiny piles of cocaine around my house, because sometimes the cats will flip the fuck out and run up the stairs, fall off the balcony, jump to their top tower in a single leap, and fall down the stairs again

  9. DeadCatGrinning Avatar

    It is a little known fact that cats are a hive creature with a ridiculous amount of bodies, but about 8 personalities.

    The system is not what you’d call real stable so the switches can be abrupt and sometimes carry over to the next incarnation, kind of like when you get straight murdered in an online game and you are still heated when you respawn.
    And sometimes the new personality just has an agenda different from the previous.

    This is also why cats sometimes just fritz out and stare at the wall as if though a hundred ghosts are trying to get out of it.

  10. eaglecream Avatar

    Sometimes after the poop they feel lighter, or less bloated maybe. Then they’ll sprint around for a bit.

  11. ColoRadBro69 Avatar

    Cats can see ghosts, and their first reaction is usually “I can take that down.” 

  12. PeaceOut70 Avatar

    They’re chasing greebles.

  13. Space19723103 Avatar

    says “you’re late for class “, watches you run in panic before realizing it’s a holiday… sometimes the fight or flight just happens

  14. fugsco Avatar

    Just because you can’t hear the signal doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

  15. okraspberryok Avatar

    Cats run on instincts and bursts of high energy. They don’t think in the same way we do. Their actions won’t always make sense to you.

  16. Kaa_The_Snake Avatar

    They see ghosts, and are playing with them

  17. Livid_Parsnip6190 Avatar

    My ex’s cat used to do this when she had to take a dump. She wasn’t very bright. I assumed that she was freaking out about the sensation of having to poop. Then a trip to the litter box and she was back to normal.

  18. terrymr Avatar

    Because they get a mission, carry it out and then wait for the next one.

  19. midgetmakes3 Avatar

    Practice makes purrfect

  20. SnooPickles8695 Avatar

    1 brain cell forgot what they were doing