Cats scratch their paws by dragging their front paws down on a horizontal or vertical surface - this action is called "stepping", which relaxes and removes the skin of their paws, exposing the sharp surface below.

It can also exercise the muscles of the forelimb and spine to make the cat in the best condition for hunting.

Scratches are also used as a form of territorial communication or marking behavior. The smell between the foot pads is mixed with sweat glands to produce a unique smell. When the claw is scraped off the surface, the odor will deposit and mark. The combination of abandoned claw shell and odor will provide strong visual and odor information for other cats.