kinsey --

i too have cats who adore water, making the usually-effective spray bottle more of a treat than a deterrent. wouldn't ever think of declawing them, so i bought them a huge scratching post (about as tall as me!) for them to attack in their fits of fury. i did notice that although they no longer scratch on the back of my couch and chair (probably also from the loud noises i make at them when they do), they stretch against them, leaving small pulls at the same height for each couch/chair leg. i read somewhere that vinegar drives cats' sensitive noses crazy, so diluted some white vinegar with water, put in a spray bottle and sprayed the back of my couch and chair. tada! haven't seen them stretching on it since. and since their sense of smell is so much more acute than ours, i never even knew the vinegar was there.

hope this helps!