It seems like letting the couch be destroyed is the worst option of all the options mentioned.
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It seems like letting the couch be destroyed is the worst option of all the options mentioned.
You might also try putting dryer sheets on the couch where he likes to go. Supposedly cats are afraid of them as well (and not in an EEEK RUN FOR YOUR LIFE kind of way that would promote claw-holes). I haven't personally tried it, but a friend with an open-roofed cabin and seven cats keeps them on the rafters to keep the cats from climbing around up there.
ha ha, dryer sheets?! I can give that a go for sure, I'll let you know if it has any effect.
update:
I tried the dryer sheets. He sniffed around it and left (the only problem is it's so stinky *I* want to leave the couch! I had to take them off while I was sitting on it). I also moved the cat bed onto a nearby cupboard so there should be nothing to attract him on the sofa. I also put sheets of aluminum foil - he ran away when I was tearing them out of the box.
It doesn't look like anybody was on the couch overnight as none of the sheets were disturbed. It's not pretty, but better than having a tattered sofa. Let's hope it works in the long term!!