My theory is that most (all?) mammals evolved a liking for fast movement to counteract the unpleasant exertion that usually accompanies it, and which might othe

My theory is that most (all?) mammals evolved a liking for fast movement to counteract the unpleasant exertion that usually accompanies it, and which might otherwise encourage them to sit around doing nothing all day. This is a simpler mechanism (and thus more likely to evolve) that something involving delayed rewards for exertion. If you can get the the fast movement without the exertion, net pleasure is even higher. The cat being thrown probably feels the same as a human driving a fast car or riding a roller-coaster, or a dog putting its head out a car window, or a mouse stopping suddenly on an exercise wheel to let it spin it around.