I've had one of my cats for only half a year and he needed to be socialized because he used to be a stray for about a year. He still gets scared and bolts every time I sneeze if he's sitting next to me, lmao.
The sound our grumpy old cat makes when our irrepressible kitten-cat gets too bouncy-pouncy in his face is exactly like a sneeze, so it's understandable. Usually comes with a swat and a snap, if the youngling doesn't jump back fast enough.