「Ground of pawing pussy cats」: a bordered, limited-access, patrolled area by guards with weapons, having definite boundaries, situated around castles and rich folk dwellings back in the old days, the capitals of fiefs. Relates to a line between different jurisdictions or administrative districts, zones, village sections, town quarters, all areas with a separate set of laws, rules, and regulations. Borders are normally patrolled to limit unrestricted access across the lines, with gateways and low walls if within a city, checkpoints, document verification and medical inspection stations enforcing quarantines if necessary. Borders encompass areas ranging in size from a country down to a small neighborhood.
　「Ground with hatchets」perhaps as neighbors holding a grudge and not at peace in this world of humans who seem to never forgive or forget being wronged in the past, different religions, battles lost and ensuing atrocities and so on, with both sides always trying to take a little more「ground pawed or chopped」from the other side. Area surrounding a capital is associated with people constantly vying for favor and advantage by「hatcheting or pulling down」a rival by the ankles, or by sycophantic flattery,「soft pawing strokes」on royal「soil」or a government official (in the old days, of course).
　Some external sources list the AREA AROUND A CAPITAL where the king or emperor resided, but which might also refer to any area in ancient times where a castle was built and lord of a region dwelt…these areas around a castle were bordered by patrolled gateways and walls with restricted access for protection, and also enclosed the entertainment district with various services offered for dining, drinking, and playing with prostitutes: elements as「penis teasing, pussy pawing.」Nonetheless, a「capital」is also the flanged topmost portion of a thick column, something that might resemble the prepuce and glans of an erection, an area that can be filled in with other material and fluids at times resembling a moat, depending upon where that capital is inserted…see Used-In glyphs for that application.

Modern definitions (that generally disregard history) …excluding politically incorrect concepts and other meanings deemed offensive today; may list only pigeonholed definitions, euphemisms, or meaningless mnemonics)
Chinese: boundary; a border
Unihan extended: border, boundary
EDRDG: region surrounding the capital