Cats NEED to scratch; it’s not a viscous behavior because they are unhappy or mad with their owner/surroundings. Actually cats do scratch to remove the thin skin from their claws, not really to sharpen them. Since the claws are the most effective “weapon” for a cat to defend herself, the claws need to be kept in excellent shape. That’s instinctively done, and has nothing to do with “getting even with my owner”.
There are numerous ways to train your cat, even an older one, to stay off your precious furniture, carpets, drapes, etc.
Please keep in mind that “training” means rewarding a cat (that applies for any animal that’s trained) for good behavior. When an animal is consistently rewarded for a job well done it will automatically try to do a good job in expectations of rewards, such as a treat, a hug, a pat, a praise.
To avoid or correct misbehavior you can use the following:
1.) Voice a sharp, loud “NO” addressed at the cat (works with mine, but I have to add their name since we have two 
)
2.) Fill a tin can (preferably metal, because it creates the most noise) with coins and shake it as soon as you see that your kitty-cat tries scratching elsewhere but the designated tool/place. Rattling coins will startle your animal. You then can lead kitty to her scratch tree, condo, etc. and encourage doing her business.
3.) Have a plant spray bottle with water ready. A little - and immediate - mist when your cats intends to misbehave will be associated with a non-pleasurable activity. Cats don’t like to get wet. You can also use a water pistol, but they create more mess for you.
4.) Put double sticking tape on places where kitty likes to scratch. She will be less than pleased to get her paws caught on these and avoid them in future.
5.) Some cats are afraid of aluminum foil. Tape aluminum foil onto places that are temptations for your cat, or wrap them around. Soon your cat will avoid these places.
6.) Buy a Scat Mats for Dogs or Cats. See our product review. These mats are giving up small electrical pulses and will startle the animal. The mats can be placed about everywhere, and moved to different spots if required. Well worth the reasonable price!
7.) On wooden furniture you can also use Grannick’s Bitter Apple® Spray. Cats will avoid scratching there again because they really dislike the taste of it. This awful bitter taste is transferred to their paws, etc. when coming in contact with it.
8.) A Farnam Feliway(R) Behavior Modification Kit. This product uses a synthetic form of feel-good pheromones to make feel cats safer in their surroundings (especially important if you move or for a newly adopted animal that is still insecure in the new environment). It can be used as additional aid to stop cats from scratching (and also urinating outside the letterbox).
So far these are some of the options to PREVENT cats from scratching where they have no business to do so.
What cats really need is a place where they are ALLOWED to scratch. To provide such a place, or more, is most important if you want your training to be successful.
1.) Scratch posts, such as Deluxe Sisal Scratching Post by Green Duck, or the Blitz(R) TurboScratcher Cat Toy are ideal scratching devices. We have tested these products, please view our >> Test and Review results at our sistersite >> PetStuffReviews.
2.) Play/scratch towers, such as Floor to Ceiling Tower by Green Duck, Play Gym with Hanging Tunnel by Green Duck, or Two Tunnel Stacker by Green Duck are ideal for your animal to play AND scratch.
It is advisable to place the scratch devices close to the animal’s bed. Cats have the urge to stretch and scratch immediately after waking up. The closer the scratch tree is to the cat, the more convenient it is for your kitty to use. If you cat should not take to one of these devices immediately, rub a little catnip around the base to make it more appealing for your animal.
We cannot mention often enough the importance of rewarding your animal for good behavior. Praises, treats, hugs, etc. are an absolute must when you try to get it to use its gadgets instead of your carpet. Your cat will associate using a scratch tree with a rewarding experience and soon forget about the “fun” of shredding your upholstery.
3.) Some animal owners prefer to clip a cat’s nails. That can be done and is harmless, just don’t clip too close to prevent damaging the animals “quick”. We have described how to do this in our section >> Cat Grooming Tips.
It’s easy to see that there are numerous ways to teach your cat proper behavior and to stay away from precious furniture. We’d like to repeat what we mentioned already several times:
“Cats get declawed and put through excruciating pain because humans fail to teach them better.”
