Ugh, I wish we’d never bought leather couches, but my husband had his heart set on it. (The cats were first!) They did a little damage early on, both launching and sharpening. Now the cats are never allowed in the living room without supervision, and never allowed on the couch. If you want to hold a cat on your lap at my house, we’ve got a wooden kitchen chair you can use!
I have two cats and a leather love seat. I haven’t noticed any damage.