Feline Communication 37
remove the dead outer sheath. But scratching is also performed as a means of scent-
marking. Scent is deposited during scratching from the interdigital glands between the
toes and from glands in the large foot pad, known as the plantar pad. Scratching also
leaves a visual mark that might serve the purpose of attracting other cats towards the
olfactory mark.
The exact purpose of scratch marking is unclear. It is generally thought to be a form
of territory marking because it is more likely to take place in familiar rather than unfa-
miliar areas (Feldman, 1994a, b). However, cats do not appear to avoid scratch marks
made by other cats so it is unlikely to be a territorial warning. Mengoli et al. (2013)
found that entire cats have an increased tendency to scratch mark in comparison to
neutered individuals, and observations of feral cats have shown that the behaviour is
more likely to occur in the presence of other cats (Turner, 1988, cited in Bradshaw et al.,
2012). It is possible that there might be an element of sexual ‘advertising’. But neutered
cats also scratch and with varying enthusiasm. Owners often report that their cats
scratch furniture or scratch posts when they return home or when they greet the cat first
thing in the morning, and Schär (1986) cited in Mertens and Schär (1988) suggested that
scratching might be a sign of excitement during interactions with people. However,
scratching by pet cats occurs both indoors and outdoors, in the company of people,
other cats and when alone, which indicates that the message the cat is leaving may be as
much for itself as it is for others and one theory is that it might provide an indicator for
the cat of where he can relax and where he may need to be vigilant (Casey, 2009).
Urine
Urine marking or ‘spraying’ is probably the most recognized of the feline methods of
scent signalling. When spraying, a cat adopts a particular standing position, with the
Fig. 3.12. Scent is deposited onto inanimate objects by a behaviour known as ‘bunting’.