Editing Scratching post (section)

== Why cats scratch ==
Cats have a natural urge to scratch.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=What To Do If Your Cat Scratches |url=https://topcatbreeds.com/what-to-do-if-your-cat-scratches/}}</ref> As cats are predators it is a reflex for them to sharpen their [[claw]]s. Other functional reasons they do it include removing the outer sheath of the nail, exercising the muscles of the paws, and stretching.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=DePorter |first=Theresa L |last2=Elzerman |first2=Ashley L |date=2019 |title=Common feline problem behaviors: Destructive scratching |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1098612X19831205 |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |language=en |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=235–243 |doi=10.1177/1098612X19831205 |issn=1098-612X|pmc=11373750 }}</ref> Scratching is also a social outlet for cats that facilitates communication. Cats have scent glands in their [[paw]]s, allowing them to leave their scents and pheromones on surfaces to [[Territorial marking|mark territory]].<ref name=":02" />