Let me rephrase this....yoou only put the Vaseline on the area they are clawing.......for us it was the corners of the couch and where the armrest would meet the baxk in that nook. It wipes off with a paper towel. Which I would do every other day or so. If they started clawing again back to a dollop of Vaseline in that spot.

It took us really watching them, as the leather sofas we had were very enticing to them, and after afew months of having all "good spots " all icky to their paws, they gave up.