https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/declawing-cats-far-worse-manicure

Understand your cat’s need to scratch and forget punishment (it doesn’t work!)  What are the options instead of declawing?

• Provide a suitable place for your cat to scratch.
• Make the scratching post attractive to your cat (example – provide a sisal scratching post).  Try a few types of scratchers--some like cardboard, some like sisal, some like carpet...and some prefer scratchers that lay flat on the ground, some like ones on posts, some like ones that hang from door handles.  The options are endless!  Many stores carry different types or you can even make your own.  There are many good videos to watch and learn from online.  
• Make the place kitty's been scratching unattractive with physical or scent-related deterrents or double-sided tape (cats don’t like to walk on sticky things!).  Whenever possible, start cats at a young age with appropriate scratching toys.  Place scratchers near the "no" areas.  For every NO (no, don't scratch the couch), place a YES nearby (cat tower, scratcher, tree, etc.)
• Trim your cat's claws regularly.  If you give them treats afterwards, they'll come to associate nail trims with positive things!  Like humans, trim the white long part of the nail and stay away from the pink part (called the quick).  There are great videos on how to properly do this online or you can ask your vet to show you.  Pet stores can do this service for you as well for a small fee.  (Be sure to bring your proof of Rabies shot to any vet/pet store to get nail trims)
• For indoor cats, consider Soft Paws^® (www.softpaws.com) as extra insurance, or an easy alternative.  They’re small covers for kitty’s nails so when kitty scratches, the nail cover protects the furniture, wall, etc. from being scratched.

A word about punishment – don't do it!

Cats don't understand physical punishment.  In addition to it being wrong to hit your cat, punishment simply doesn't work and is likely to make your situation worse.  As smart as cats are, they won't understand WHY you're punishing them or what for.  Kitty will only compute that sometimes you treat them badly and this could greatly affect your relationship and how the cat views humans in general.  The cat may become more insecure and this may cause them to act out even more and develop other undesirable behavior problems.  Eventually you will break the trust and security that is the basis for your cat's relationship with you.  No one wants that!

Scratching is a natural behavior by which cats place their mark and establish their turf.  They are very territorial animals and need to feel they "own" things.  Scratching their domains is more than just visible signs of claw marks.  Cats’ paws also have scent glands that leave their own marking on their territory.  This is why they mark the most visible portions of your house.  It's your cat’s way of adding their own personal touch to your (and their) home.  Beds, cat towers, scratchers, toys, litter boxes all help the cat feel secure.  These are the things they "own" that help them go, "this is mine and I live here."  Give them the tools to succeed by providing them the RIGHT things they can own and don't punish them from the things they shouldn't.  Provide a YES for every NO.

Exercise

Scratching also serves to keep your cat in shape.  The act of scratching stretches and pulls and works the muscles of a cat's front quarters – like kitty yoga.

Sheer pleasure

It feels good to scratch, so give up the idea of reforming your cat’s desire to scratch.  Rechannel her to scratch where you want her to.  You'll both be happier.

Provide your cat with an appropriate scratching post

Give your cat a surface that helps her meet the goal of scratching to leave a mark.  Good items are pressed cardboard or wood because of the bark.  The scratching post needs to be stable because cats will not use it again if it falls on them and surprises them.  Make sure it is tall enough for your cat to stretch up fully upon.  An example is the Purrfect Post (www.purrfectpost.com).  Sisal scratching posts (sisal textile materials, not the sisal rope) are also good because it’s a material she can shred to pieces with great satisfaction.  Studies have shown most cats prefer to mark their territory with vertical shredding marks; sisal textile provides the perfect texture and grain for this behavior.

Placement is important.  Place scratching posts in areas where the territory changes in meaning for your cat, such as where your cat goes to eat, sleep or eliminate, or areas where your cat may be exposed to other cats (like on the edge of where other cats live if you have them separated).

For a cat with a scratching problem already, place a really appealing scratching post right by the inappropriate spot she is scratching because she already has a habit of going there for this activity.  It helps to change the texture of the item you don't want her to scratch (like putting tape on it, or foil, or sticky tape).  The trick is to make the old thing unappealing and the new post very appealing.  Once your cat has had about 30 days to form this new habit, you can move the scratching post slowly to a new area if you wish (only move a couple of inches a day).

How to get your cat to prefer the post

You can also do some things to encourage your cat to scratch where you want her to.  Cats can be rewarded for behaviors with clicker training (a helpful Web site is Karen Pryor's site www.clickertraining.com).  If you are using clicker training, and catch your cat on the right post, then click and give her a treat.  You can also purchase “Pavlov's Cat” Cat Scratch Feeder (available at www.petco.com) which automatically dispenses food when your cat scratches the post.

There are other ways to encourage your cat to use the desired scratching area:

• If your cat enjoys catnip (and is not negatively affected), rub catnip on the post or take water from a tuna fish can and rub that on the post.
• Make all associations with the post pleasurable:  reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it, have her chase a string or a toy around it, or attach toys to it (which will result in her digging her claws into it).
• If your cat is doing a lot of scratching, check to see if there is some kind of stress in her territory (all cats scratch, but a high level of scratching could be a sign of stress).  One woman’s cats were shredding her wallpaper on one particular wall as high as they could reach.  The wall was directly across from where free-roaming cats would come up on her porch.  The outdoor cats agitated her indoor cats so the indoor cats were scratching instead of spraying to express their resistance to the territorial invasion.
• Remember that your cat has marked her favorite spots with her scent as well as her claws.  You may need to remove her scent with pet odor removers from the areas you want to distract her from.  Some cats have an aversion to citrus odors.  Use lemon-scented sprays or a potpourri of lemon and orange peels to make areas less desirable.
• If your cat still persists in scratching the furniture, try using a loud whistle or other noise-maker.  You must employ these deterrents while she is scratching for them to be effective.  The point is to establish an aversion to the spot you don't want her to scratch.

Start them young

If you have a kitten, consider yourself fortunate.  It's much easier to initiate good habit patterns than to correct undesirable ones.  Cats are creatures of habit; start them off with good ones.  From the beginning, teach your kitten the appropriate place to scratch.  Use the methods described above, especially playing around the scratching post to capture her interest.  Take advantage of your kitten's desire to play and attach toys to the post.  She will soon "dig in" to catch her toy and discover how good it feels to scratch this surface.

Do not take her paws and make her scratch the post.  This is a major turn-off and will only inspire a bratty "you can't make me" attitude.  Even at an early age, cats refuse to be coerced into doing what they don't want to do.  If she starts to scratch an inappropriate object, immediately place her in front of her scratching post and begin petting her.  Some cats will begin kneading when petted, thus digging their claws into the desired surface and establishing this as a fine place to scratch.

Soft Paws^®

If you have a strictly indoor cat, you have another very desirable option, a wonderful product called Soft Paws^®.  These are lightweight vinyl caps that you apply over your cat's own claws.  They have rounded edges, so your cat's scratching doesn't damage your home and furnishings. You can find Soft Paws^® at www.softpaws.com or 1-800-989-2542.

Soft Paws^® should be used only on indoor cats since they blunt one of the cat's chief means of self-defense.  Soft Paws^® last approximately six weeks once your cat becomes accustomed to them.  They may feel a bit strange to her at first and she may groom them excessively causing them to come off sooner.  She'll get used to them quickly though, and thereafter they will last longer.  It is amazing how well cats tolerate the Soft Paws^®; most don't even notice they are wearing them.

Soft Paws^® come in a kit and are easy to apply (just glue them on).  They are generally applied to the front paws only, since these are what cause most of the destruction to your home.  You may find one or two caps missing from time to time, and these are easily replaced using the adhesive included in the kit.

Picking Pet-Friendly Furniture:

https://www.foundanimals.org/how-to-pick-pet-friendly-furniture/