There are a few alternatives. First off make sure that your kitty has a proper scratching post. Soft Paws are an excelent alternative, they are plastic caps that fit over the nail. The cat can still use their claws as they normally would for play and stretching but since it's capped they are unable to actually claw into things like furniture. You can also make sure to keep your cats nails trimmed so that they are dull instead of sharp.