"Not pets anymore. I call them "beasts of the field". My cat won't use either of the types of scratch posts and insists on clawing my chair. No more Fancy feast in a crystal dish. This cat is gonna have to be a ratter. ..."
Cameo-D, I love cats, but I understand your problem completely....
Try these tricks...
Use a spray bottle on the cat (squirt it, don't throw the spray bottle at it...) every time it scratches the chair. [By the way, if this is your favorite chair and smells like you, the cat is attempting to 'mark' the chair as "his" turf, and by extension, YOU - because the cat actually likes you!!]
While you are away, you can : put tin foil on the chair [worked for me when the cats were clawing our carpeted stairs down to the wood...]
Spray it with perfume - test to see what repulses your cat...
Rub it lightly with cinnamon oil or clove oil - but ONLY if it appears to repel the cat...
Use citronella oil if the cinnamon or clove oil doesn't repulse the cat. Coffee grounds might also work...
About making the cat seek out its own food - DON'T do that!! It's cruel, and besides, a well-fed cat (with store-bought food) will hunt better than a starving cat...
I can give you more info about cats if you are interested - I love them, and have owned - er, been owned by them - for decades....
Oh, and I also have owned dogs and hamsters - currently have one of each... Love them, too!!
Zid (what?? no hamster smiley???)