Instructions
Keep your cat's claws trimmed. Use specially design cat claw trimmers or use regular bail clippers. Hold the cat in your lap and use your thumb and forefinger of your free hand to spread your cat's claws. Trim only the white part of the claw, avoiding the pink part.
Set up a scratching post or two in the vicinity of the leather furniture. When the cat tries to claw the furniture, pick it up and take it over to the scratching post. Sprinkle the scratching post with catnip to attract it to the scratching post. Set up scratching pads, which are smaller and flatter than scratching posts, in other rooms as well.
Keep a spray bottle loaded with water handy and squirt the cat before it begins scratching the furniture. Never spray the cat directly in the face. Aim for the torso or back end.
Use a commercial cat deterrent spray on the leather furniture or make your own. Use a small amount of distilled water, such as a 1/2 cup, mixed with a few drops of fresh lemon or lime juice and a few drops of orange juice (cats do not like citrus scents) and add to a spray bottle. Apply a light mist to the furniture at first and apply a heavier coating if the scratching still occurs.
Place double-sided tape in areas where the cat is scratching. The cat will get its paw stuck on the tape and eventually stop scratching in that area.
How to Keep My Cat From Harming My Leather Furniture
Although domesticated for hundreds of years, cats still have a little wild animal inside of them. They still have the same instincts that the wild jungle cats have but, in general, don't act on them. Scratching, however, is a natural instinct that cats do act upon. Scratching serves two purposes in a cat's life: sharpening its claws and marking its territory. Giving your cat other options, such as scratching posts, and keeping your cat's claws trimmed will protect your leather furniture from cat scratches.