Cat Scratch Nightmare? 3 Auto Body Fixes For A Clawed Up Hood

19 November 2015
 Categories: Automotive, Blog

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While it may be hard to imagine, cats can do a great deal of damage to the hood of your car in the matter of minutes. Most of the time, cats don't intentionally set out to wreck as many paint jobs as they can in a night. In most cases, they're simply lounging on the hood, slip and gouge their claws into the paint to stop their descent. Or they may be running from a predator. In any case, your cat or a neighborhood cat can definitely wreak havoc on your car's paint job. So what can you do about it? There are three auto body fixes for a cat-scratched hood.

Buff Scratches Out

If the scratches only affect the clear coat, you can probably have your auto body technician buff them out easily enough. Buffing essentially removes a thin layer of paint, exposing the fresh paint underneath. This is the least expensive and involved of all repair processes. However, it won't work on all scratches. If the scratches are deeply grooved or if you can see metal, buffing is not an option. You will have to choose one of the bottom two options. 

Focus on the Spot

Scratches that are localized in one area can often be sanded down and touched up with paint. Afterwards, the top coat or clear coat is often reapplied in order to restore the original shine of the car. This method is ideal if only one small area of your hood is scratched. If the scratches are long or cover the majority of your hood, this may not be a great option. It can be difficult to match up paint exactly, which makes this fix more noticeable when more of the hood is involved.

Repaint the Hood

The most involved option is naturally the most expensive option. However, repainting the entire hood or car is the only way to get a flawless paint job. This option is ideal if your hood is severely scratched or if it is difficult to match up your car's particular paint color. 

Before deciding which option is right for your car, be sure to talk to an auto body technician like Collisions Plus Performance and get estimates for each job. You might also want to discuss the benefits and limitations of each restoration method. Once you get your car fixed, be sure to prevent future scratches by parking your car in a garage or covering it with a tarp.