Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

7 quirky cat behaviors and what they mean

Samantha Lee,Amanda MaciasApr 11, 2016, 20:28 IST

Amanda Macias/Business Insider

Nearly 100 million cats are kept as pets in the US.

My temperamental calico cat, Harlem, is one of them.

And while she's the only one I have, she embodies many of the most common, and most perplexing, cat stereotypes.

So why does she - and the tens of millions of cats like her - act that way?

In honor of National Pet Day, here are some explanations, backed by cat researchers, for why our feline friends behave the way they do.