There's a great product called Soft Paws that are applied to a cat's claws. They come in many colors and 3 sizes. They prevent the claws from doing damage to furniture (and to yourself). They have 40 in a package and generally last about 1-3 months depending on how long it takes for your cat's claws to naturally shed. Cost is $20 a package. Totally worth it! You can buy them online at www.softpaws.com.

They are pretty easy to put on, takes me less than 5 minutes to do all of my kitty's claws, though, the first time he wasn't a huge fan. Once he realized they didn't hurt or come off, he totally ignored them.

Hope this helps! (And no, I don't work for them, but my kitty wears his paws proudly!)

Anything that feels kind of rough to their nails is more likely to attract them - cats love to scratch coarse materials. The slicker the upholstery, the less likely they are to want to claw it. Brocades are usually pretty unattractive. I stick with leather upholstery myself - it still shows claw marks where they patch out on it jumping up, but it doesn't get shredded, and it doesn't aggravate my allergies as badly as fabric.

The best thing, though, is to observe where your cats sleep, and put a sturdy, sisal-wrapped post within convenient proximity. Cats like to stretch and scratch right when they wake up, but they will not use a post that is rickety. Sisal's a much better material for scratching than carpeting, as it seems to satisfy them more, and it doesn't teach them to claw the carpets!

Keep the claw tips trimmed; I do my three boys' nails every two weeks. If all else fails, Soft Paws can work wonders, but they're a PITA to apply.

No matter what kind of cover you put on your current sofa, your cats may still choose to mark it physically as they had the item it covers. Being new it may actually attract their attention to this activity. Clawing is a means of marking territory visibly and the scent glands in their paws also designate their claim.

Placing pillows or a blanket somewhere on the new covered couch that already carries their mark and scent may alleviate the need to make new marks and allow you to enjoy a new look in your home. You may notice them sitting or staying near to those items initially until the new cover takes on a familiar scent to them (including yours).

Ideally finding other prepared targets for their marking activity, scratching posts, pads, beds, etc and training them to use them in place of your prized possessions is best. Remember the key is positive reinforcement. Punishment is not understood and will only serve to confuse them and hurt the trust you have built with them.

I know this doesn't apply to you, but for others reading this, please do not consider "declawing" your cat. This is a hugely unnecessary measure and despite its seemingly benign name is actually the amputation of the end segment of their toes (imagine cutting off the distal bone of your fingers at the joint to remove the part that has the nail). Cats walk on the pad that is at that joint so after this procedure are actually walking on the site of amputation.