7 quirky cat behaviors and what they mean

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cat lady harlem

Amanda Macias/Business Insider

My cat-lady selfie with my spoiled cat named Harlem.

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

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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.

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