Great post Stiffchick!
My Tigger is not declawed. I got him from a petstore rescue when he was 1 1/2 years old........I purchased a small scratching post and it only took a couple of times to clap my hands when he started on my chair. He got the meaning and got to the scratching post.
With that said, in my younger years we had a cat and her kittens destroyed one sofa while we were gone from the house. Unfortunately I had the next cat declawed.....my vets only suggestion was to give him a separate room, well that was Impossible so I went forward with the procedure............just my experiences. [my cats are inside kittys]