Happy National Love Your Pet Day! Here's 7 quirky cat behaviors and what they mean

Amanda Macias/Business Insider

Happy National Love Your Pet Day!

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?

Here are some explanations, backed by cat researchers, for why our feline friends behave the way they do.

1. Why do cats sometimes suddenly bite or scratch the person who is petting them?

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It seems you missed the warning signs that your cat has had enough affection if you are suddenly nursing a scratch or bite on your hand.

According to cat expert Arden Moore's book "The Cat Behavior Answer Book," your cat is trying to say, "kindly stop petting me or I will bite harder."

"While some cats can tolerate being petted, others feel overstimulated by the sensation and automatically react by lashing out," Moore wrote.

According to "Cat Sense" author Dr. John Bradshaw, who specializes in anthrozoology (the study of interaction between humans and other animals), your cue to stop petting a cat may include, tail lashing, flattened ears, dilated pupils, and tense muscles.

Bradshaw also notes, that most cats like to be stroked on their heads and fewer than one in 10 cats like to be stroked on their belly or around their tail.

Source: Cat Sense, The Cat Behavior Answer Book, Scientific American Special Editions, September 2015

2. Why do cats intentionally knock objects off tables?

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While some cats are clumsy, most cats intentionally knock items off of surfaces as a ploy to get their owner's attention.

"Sometimes they seem to do it for their own entertainment or because they have learned that this is a game that their owner seems to enjoy," Bradshaw explained to Scientific American magazine.

Source: Scientific American Special Editions, September 2015

3. Why do cats look you straight in the eye and then slow blink?

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Even though cats are considered masters at concealing their thoughts and emotions, they do try to show affection to their owners by slow blinking at them. Researchers call these slow blinks, "kitty kisses."

The slow blinks are a cats' way of saying, "I like you and I trust you." Next time you notice that a cat is giving you this feline eye wink, try and slow blink back, more often than not, a cat will continue to slow blink with you.

"As for staring contests, cats save that intense look for when they are on alert or are feeling animosity toward someone or some situation, so it's best to avoid looking your cat directly in the eyes if you want to keep those happy feelings," Moore wrote in "The Cat Behavior Answer Book.

 Source: Cat Sense, The Cat Behavior Answer Book, Petful

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