I figure I'm pretty cat-savvy, but I'm becoming a bit flustered at not being able to help this situation.
It's a bit superficial, but I got a new leather couch. My cats are fine, but my mother's cat, which I've inherited, has razor-sharp claws and he's scratching it all up. It's not even 4 months old and it looks about 4 years old from all the scratches (he's not purposely scratching it, but rather uses it as a launching pad when he's gone kitty-crazy).
I clip my cats' claws no problem, but this cat is SUPER skittish and the one time I did manage to hold him down, he went as one would say "ape poo". I was afraid he was going to tear my eyes out. And it's mostly his hind claws that are doing the damage, and I'll NEVER be able to hold him down to do his back claws.
I won't be able to put those soft claws thing over it for the same reason. I can't afford to keep taking him to the vet to have them clipped, and besides, he'll get even more skittish if I have to put him into the kitty cargo to the vet (it took him months just to let me touch him without him jumping).
I've tried putting towels over the couch, but they just slip off and really, a claw goes right through the towel. Double sided tape? I think that'll damage the leather. I'm really not sure what else I can possibly do other than admit defeat and have my $2600 couch destroyed in a year.
I would love to re-home him (he's not MY cat, and my mother won't take him back because she's not in the country all the time), but I doubt anyone will take him.