1 definition by Bib the boulder
A common phenomenon where your cat has heightened energy and they have no choice but run around the house to burn off the excitement. Causes for the zoomies include but are not limited to prey, and changes in the environment. It can also start spontaneously for no known reason. In the wild, the cat’s body builds up enormous amounts of adrenaline, so that when they pounce, they can effectively catch their prey, but because most cats are enclosed in a house, they cannot reach the desired destination. So the adrenaline (which is now useless) forces them to run around like a spooked chicken until the energy is spent. This quirk happens in the early stages of a cat’s life, and as they grow older and more mature, the zoomies get rarer and are eventually substituted for more sensible ways of burning off useless energy.
by Bib the boulder December 23, 2021