As we entered the sunroom on the rear of the house, my client asked me, "Why are the window sills all scratched?"
She was right, the sill in front of each window was scratched terribly!
Well, look things over.
Can you see what happened to the sill here, and deduce why?
Hint: the house abuts a wooded area behind.
I said that this may be the sunroom, but it could also probably be called the four-legged woodland animal view room too.
Having her look out the window I surmised that a dog used to live here and had the best time watching out the rear windows for other mammalia to walk by.
When they did the dog would explode with the fun!
So, I expect that the woods have a variety of animals to see and enjoy! I suggested that my client have a chair out there for doing just that!
My recommendation: some things are easy to diagnose and some are not. And some diagnoses are easy enough to extrapolate out a step or two further than the initial indicator! The dog who used to live here will probably never have such fun again.
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.
Office (703) 330-6388 Cell (703) 585-7560
Good morning Jay,
Happy New Year.
Sitting and watching the local wildlife can be fun and relaxing.
Make yourself a great day.
Hi Jay,
The scratches in the window sill would have led me to believe that a four legged friend was busy there a lot.
Looks like the have a room with a view. Thanks for the help all year long.
Have a great day and an even better 2014 in Bristow my friend.
Best, Clint McKie
Nice work, Sherlock! A happy and healthy New Year to you and your family.
And how easy it would have been to sand and refinish and not leave a buyer wondering what else may have been neglected.
Hi Jay, The moment I read the heading I guessed the cause, my 2 dogs do the same thing. Have a Happy New Year!
It can Raymond, unless you are a hairy four legs and really explode at the opportunity to explode!
Clint - this dog has moved and now misses his formerly-fun room with a view!
That was an easy one Gabe!
S&D - what, leave the house in good shape?
Joan - once years ago I was a contractor and was doing work for an architect. Their house had a bay window, which overlooked the bike path behind the house. They had two Toto dogs, who loved to get up there and bark at people walking by. One day the couple came home to find me in the bay window with both dogs, bouncing and barking at someone walking by! I did not know they had come home! They thought it was a very funny sight! The dogs thought I was pretty cool.
Yes, this one was obvious to me as I am a pet owner. Of course, my cats don't make those marks when they check out the birds.
Jay, a house is not a home until it has been "stressed" by pets, children and "life."
I find it funny when we encounter questions like this. It doesn't really take Sherlock Holmes to figure it out, eh?
WOW Flooring Chick - cats are pretty nondescript when it comes to the home, except perhaps for furniture, blankets, towels, toilet paper, rugs, poop boxes - anything else?
Charlie - isn't that cute? I think that little guy had a lot of fun out there!
Jason - my client didn't have any idea! I knew pretty much right away.
They may have taken the poor little dog away in a straight jacket! I'm sure it was driving him crazy that he couldn't get out there to make "frends" with those outdoor creatures!
I have seen this same markings in rentals in which the tenants did not have a pet deposit; I sure looks like a dog had been there Jay. :)
I think he had some fun there Fred. He misses this spot now!
Tom - pet deposit? They need to live too! I gotta believe he left some deposits around the house from time to time.
Jay, I think anyone who has had a dog can recognize the tell tale signs of "dog frenzy"!
That's a good term Tom. This one had much fun!
Jay~ Explaining the scratches were caused by a dog enjoying the wildlife put a nice spin on things. :-) Suggesting that you client could have the same enjoyment was genius!
Thanks Donna, spin maybe. But the house is the house and that's what happened!
But sure, she should enjoy the room too! I want to see the frenzy Tom suggested above!
Having pets my entire life, I knew immediately what caused those marks.
Either that or it was a really big cat :) A little spackle and sandpaper will fix that right up!
I did too Jim. We pet people seem to have a general understanding of things that non-pet people don't!
I thought this was pretty cute Suzanne. That dog had a great time out there!