I can't think of a way to attach an arm cover or slipcover to leather without some type of adhesive which would damage the leather.

Maybe someone else has some ideas.

I would look into getting soft paws for the cats claws. They're little plastic covers that you glue onto their claws and it takes the sharp edge away. I have to admit to being the cruel owner who had their cat declawed, but he was a tiny kitten and we left the back claws on.

I think this would work well...Plus it's a fashion statement!

Here is a link that might be useful: Soft Paws

I'd love to hear from anyone that has actually used the Soft Paws. Do they stay on? Do your cats tolerate them?

I'm intrigued. It seems to be a harmless solution to the cat claw problem.

Thanks for the link Carol. I read a few user reviews on Amazon for Soft Paws. Opinions were pretty much 50/50. My cats only use their scratching posts to claw but they like to jump up on the furniture including the leather sofa. I'm afraid if I used the Soft Claws they would end up pulling them off while using the sisal posts.

So aside from not having bought the sectional to begin with, and covering them up as I do now, what other options can anyone offer?

You may not appreciate my idea, but it works for us :^)
I just rub the chair down with leather conditioner about once a week and it sort of "hides" the little claw scratches. You only have to do the part that the cat "launches" from. I got the leather treatment stuff from a boot store. It is for use on boots of course, shoes, purses, backpacks and jackets/vests. I would think that a horse tack company would be another place to look for leather conditioner...the kind that they use on saddles and other leather equipment.

I had to take drastic measures to keep my cats off of the FR furniture. Mine isn't leather but they can shred upholstered furniture quicker than you can say, "skat!" I put up French doors to the entrance to keep them out. It changed the whole feel of the downstairs, but I really like it.

My DIL has soft paws. She got them because they have 3 leather sofas, 2 leather club chairs and leather seated breakfast room chairs and bar stools. Their cat does not bother them. He now has two motel/tree thingies which they set near the windows, one in grandson's bedroom on second floor and one in the music room on first floor, and they open the shutters so he can see Kitty TV.

I don't think she keeps the soft paws on half the time. I have never seen him with them on. She got several colors so he would be the cool kat, but I don't think they put them on him or either he takes them off.

He likes to watch kitty TV from his motel/tree which has a great scratching pole, but he especially likes being in it and watching when the birds are out and about and the kids are home from school where he can watch his young master playing.

My son (her husband) took one of the pole/tree/motel thingies to the when it was about 6 months old because he thought it was dirty and bought him a new one. The cat did not take to it and started losing weight and not eating. He went without eating for 4 days, so they took him to the vet.

Grandson told the vet "He quit eating when Dad threw his "TV tree-motel" away. The vet laughed and said, "Go to that dump and get this old man's recliner before he has a nervous breakdown."

They did and they vacuumed it, cleaned it with microfiber and he started eating again.

One of my cats clawed the leather, and I spritzed her with water each time I caught her and she quit, but I think the kitty motel/tree is a good idea, especially if you can put it where the cats can watch Kitty TV and stay occupied with birds and so forth outside.