Why Does Your Cat Randomly Sprint Away From Nothing?

Cat parents will know this one well. Your cat is hardcore chilling — napping, grooming, or cuddling with you on the couch — when suddenly, they bolt. Sometimes, it’s because the doorbell rang or someone dropped something in the other room, but sometimes it seems like nothing happened. There was no noise, no movement, no disturbance of any kind. So, why the sudden sprinting across the room? Did your cat see a ghost? Did they remember something important they forgot to do? What gives?

Dr. Ezra J. Ameis, founder of Paw Priority, a veterinary urgent care center in Los Angeles, says that one of the most common questions he gets from clients is why their cat suddenly takes off running when nothing seems to be happening. “They are not startled, they are not playing, and there is no obvious trigger, yet they launch into a full sprint that lasts a few seconds and then it is over. It looks random, but there is a real instinct behind it.”

It turns out that cats are wired for this wacky behavior. “In the wild, their days are built around long periods of rest broken up by quick, explosive moments of speed,” Dr. Ameis explains. “Even indoor cats still have that same neurological rhythm.“ He describes these random sprints as almost like a reset of the nervous system. When they do this, they burn off excess energy and help keep your cat’s muscles and reflexes sharp. “It is the natural expression of a predator’s nervous system, living inside a very bored domestic house cat.”

That killer instinct can’t be tamed.

Cats have a hardwired prey drive that runs on a loop: hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom, sleep. According to Dr. Ameis, that cycle keeps running even when there’s no actual prey involved. “That sudden bolt can be the ‘hunt’ phase kicking in with no external cue,” he says. In other words, even when it seems like your cat is chasing a phantom, they may be responding to an internal trigger that has nothing to do with their environment.

Then again, sometimes there is an external trigger — but it’s too subtle for humans to detect. “Cats process tiny sounds and movements that we never register,” Dr. Ameis says, “so a shift in the environment we cannot detect may push them into action.”

Dr. Victoria Carmella, a veterinary advisor at Pet Honesty, agrees. “Cats have incredibly sensitive senses, and subtle things such as a shift in static electricity, a faint scent or odor drifting through, or a barely audible sound can send them zooming,” she explains. So, while it may have seemed like your cat bolted for no reason, something may have happened, and you just missed it.

An explanation for the zoomies

Speaking of zooming, there’s a technical term for this behavior: FRAPs, or frenetic random activity periods. Most cat parents, however, know them as “the zoomies.” Dr. Carmella says this is completely normal feline behavior. These episodes typically last only a few seconds to a couple of minutes, and often occur as part of natural play, especially in kittens and young cats. “They serve as an important outlet for energy and can be a healthy way for cats to engage in instinctive behaviors,” she says.

Certified cat behaviorist Stephen Quandt breaks it down: “Cats easily sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, and sometimes they just have to let loose.” I get it. While I’ve never slept that much, I’ve definitely developed a case of the zoomies after doomscrolling for a few too many hours. (OK, humans may not actually get the zoomies, but Dr. Carmella says they’re common in both dogs and rabbits.)

Quandt notes that some cats zoom around after using the litter box. While this is usually nothing to worry about, it can occasionally indicate discomfort. So if post-potty sprints are a regular thing, he recommends mentioning it to your veterinarian. Sometimes, though, it’s just that predatory instinct randomly kicking in, as if a sleeper cell has been triggered in your innocent kitty’s little brain. 

Your frustrated predator

While most random sprinting is harmless (at least, harmless to your cat; I’ve had my leg accidentally shredded by a cat suddenly launching off my lap more than once), Quandt says that sometimes this is a sign of stress or overstimulation. This is especially true of cats who spend all their time cooped up indoors. Plenty of playtime, and maybe some new toys or puzzle feeders, might be just what your cat needs to burn off that anxiety.

The bottom line, though, is that you don’t need to worry. “As long as the sprints are brief and the cat settles immediately afterward, this behavior is completely normal,” Dr. Ameis reassures me. In other words, it’s instinct, not insanity. And it’s probably not a ghost, either. Your cat isn’t a medium; they’re just a predator with nowhere to hunt and energy to burn.