Scratching is a completely normal and healthy behavior that most cats engage in, and it serves many purposes. In order to peacefully cohabitate with our cats, it's necessary to understand why they may engage in what we consider to be a negative activity and then provide them with an alternative that is acceptable to us and our furniture. Cats are born with the instinct to scratch objects for a variety of reasons.

(Sources: Purrfect post and Iheartcats)