Cats need to sharpen their claws on something and that something is usually the sofa, drapes, and expensive rugs. To prevent your expensive furniture from getting wrecked, it’s best to get inexpensive furniture so your cat can wreck it. The other alternative is to get your cat a scratching post.
Most scratching posts force your cat to scratch vertically but some cats prefer scratching horizontally. That’s why you might want to consider a scratching mat instead of a post. A scratching mat lets your cat claw up the floor as if it were an expensive rug. By getting a scratching post and a scratching mat, you can see which one your cat prefers (which will probably be your expensive furniture instead).