I would suggest getting a couple scratching posts and training your cat to use those so they stay away from the furniture. Don't get the carpet covered ones. And make sure they are sturdy with little to no movement. Otherwise, they won't use them. You can also keep their nails trimmed and put those wax covers on them.

 

I'm not quite understanding your question. Are you looking for fabric to upholster a sofa or a slipcover to cover a sofa?

If you're asking about fabric, I've read that cats don't like leather or ultrasuede, but don't know for a fact. I've read that chenille is forgiving, but don't know that for a fact either. I think cats are probably different, too, so the scratching post is probably your best bet.
As for training cats, good luck with that!

 

A water squirt bottle works well for training. A little squirt when they scratch anything but post works.

 

Not all, but cats are definitely trainable. Have you seen America's Got Talent? Some cats even play fetch and are more dog-like than cat-like.

 

I have not had luck dissuading cats from scratching the sofas but that's just my experience. Even if trained to not intentionally scratch (or in our case they just weren't interested), their claws would catch when they kneaded the furniture. We never had leather furniture, so no idea abut that.

What has worked for us with the dog and young kids who went through toilet training (haven't had a cat for 10 years) has been buying furniture that comes with slip covers over the frame and cushions. It's not super classy, but the Ikea Ektorp line has been around for years, and when the upholstery gets too ripped up or disgusting we just buy replacement slip covers off the shelf relatively cheaply.

Worst choice in past 5 years was buying a relatively expensive couch with no removable upholstery. It has been ripped up by the dogs nails from just sleeping on it, and smells like wet dog and urine after countless cleaning attempts.