One, make sure you get thick, distressed, loose leather. Don't get tightly
upholstered thin perfect leather or their claws can go straight through it just
walking on it or jumping off. Two, put a cat tree in the living room. Rub
catnip all over it. Put double sided tape on all corners of your couch. Do not
let your cat in the room with the sofa unsupervised initially. While you watch
her, if she starts to try and scratch it, take her and place her on the cat
tree. Reward her with treats and praise when she uses the tree. I have a thick
distressed baggy leather sofa and my cat sits on it and does no damage. I had a
thin tight perfect leather sofa which was totally in 15 minutes by my old cat
just walking on it. You can also trim your cats claws every 7-10 days. I put a
cat mat on the couch so my kitty has her own place to sit.

It isn't that they don't scratch leather or that it doesn't leave marks.  It
is just that leather hold up to the damage without looking ratty so much
better than say a nice tweed.  Our cats have destroyed three regular sofa's
in the last 16 years.  The leather set we bought for the family room 16
years ago does have "pin holes" in the arms but is still serviceable.

Jo

they don't.  Cat's don't like working out on leather.  They'd rather
claw the carpeting.

The damage is in the form of pinholes from kitty jumping to/from the couch.

Oliver has scratched our leather but didn't puncture it.  Eventually the
scratches darkened up and you can't tell where they are (the sofa is
navy leather).  He doesn't scartch anymore.  We used Feliway on the
leather and it stopped him in his tracks.  If you apply it too heavily
you might get a white residue on the leather but it wipes right off.
Interestingly, we no longer have to feliway the leather but we do have
to re apply it to the only piece of fabric furiture we have left.

I LOVE my leather and I don't think I will ever go back to fabric.

Having never had leather furniture, I don't have any personal
experience. That said, my three can wear out  a siscal rope scratch
post in six months. At one point, they started to scratch the corner
of my fabric couch, but stopped when I put a scratch post right next
to where they were had been scratching.

Think leather covered with pin-pricks!  Unlike fabric, every single
puncture shows!  (Even if you can't see them all, you can certainly feel
them when you run your hand over the surface.) I got leather furniture
because someone told me cats don't like the feel of leather on their
claws.  (WRONG!!!)  Personally, I think there's a lot to be said for
old-fashioned plush upholstery (if you can still find it).  It doesn't
show claw damage any worse than any other fabric, and the shed fur lies
on top of the plush, where it's easily brushed off.  (Instead of weaving
itself into the fabric so that couches and chairs soon look like dirty
angora sweaters.)

I don't know if your cat will use the leather sofa as a scratching post.  We
had a wonderful leather sectional and Vino never once scratched it.  Now we
have a leather couch and 2 chairs and he leaves them alone too.  He does
however scratch on fabric furniture.  We will therefore continue to have
leather couches.  Much better with Vino.  Your cat may be different though.
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

Thanks to everyone for the answers so far. Thin, tight leather seems to be
a no-no.