Can a Cat Scratch this deep?

[markhedder]

I have two very deep scratches on the bottom right side of my car, on the chassis under the passenger side door. Attached pics.

I decided to try something new and park in the back parking lot of my work. The problem is, there are feral cats that hang out there, dirty and covered in brake dust.

The scratches are very deep and one of them looks like it's peeling. Can a cat's claws scratch that deep into the plastic paint?

The scratches were not there 2 weeks ago when I had last washed the car. To my knowledge, I had not ever hit or scraped anything on my car. Even my wheels are perfect with no curb rash. Is it even possible to scrape that area without damaging the wheels at all, especially at those angles?

I'm really confused on how they may have gotten there.

 

[RMD]

I just don't see a cat doing that kind of damage.

 

[PA DETAILER]

Agree. They look way too deep for a cat.

 

[tom p.]

No way a cat did that.

That sort of appears what a key would do, but I'm not suggesting that's the cause.

 

[Don]

Did you run over anything that may have bounced up and did the damage, like a small tree branch or other debris?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Back of the parking lot...landscapers? Some junk that you ran over in the lot (as alluded to above)?

 

[Don]

Back of the parking lot...landscapers? Some junk that you ran over in the lot (as alluded to above)?

I was thinking something similar, If someone had intentionally scratched it with a key, the damage would have been much higher, so the OP could easily see it and get bent out of shape (I sure would).

 

[Ccrew]

That almost looks like something with a real sharp edge hit/cut it. Certainly no cat.

 

[Accumulator]

Trying to guess what caused that really has me thinking! I'd vote for somebody moving something around next to the car, thinking "this'll clear...oops!". Yeah, like landscapers, e.g., had it been parked on grass I'd say a lawnmower. Not so likely to be something you drove over or the scratches would probably be longer IMO.

Whatever caused it, looks like it's touchup paint time.