Cats suddenly scratching sofa

[Polkadot1974]

Help! Have 2 cats 17 and 16 and they've both just started scratching and plucking my sofas
Is it a cry for attention? They're not getting much these days as they don't sit on us anymore since babies - either way they haven't done it since kittens so not sure what to do except keep turfing them off into another chair
I feel so bad as the younger one looked really confused when I loved her after she stretched dull length and had a good scratch to have me shrieking at her - guilt and anger combined.

They're quite elderly - do they go outside? Could it be that scratching your sofa is just easier for them to do now they're older than scratching a fence or whatever outside? The vet would clip their claws for you if that's the problem.
I think I read somewhere that putting ground pepper on a chair/sofa will put them off scratching it - although then of course you'll have a sofa that smells of pepper.

They go outside. The older one scratches the hell out of the front of the shed- so much that it has a piece of wood screwed to it for that reason. The younger one is quite fat and not so sprightly and is sleeping an awful lot I just noticed. She is flattening the bag of the sofa as well as scratching it - I feel awful being so annoyed. They were my babies once and I haven't as much energy to keep totally on top of their moods like I used to. Sorry. Feeling sorry for myself there when it is the poor mogs who need love.

Has anything else about their routine changed? Cats scratch after sleep-poo-eating. It's instinctive.

I have had some success making custom scratch beds for my chronic worst offender.

Nothing changed. Maybe they're getting a bit stroppy in their old age?

Scratching can also be a show of power - like that place in LA, (Muscle Beach?) So there may be a power-play thing going on.

Alternatively, has a new cat moved onto their turf - taking into account their age. A non-spayed queen could make them feel insecure, as could an un-neutered tom-cat.

Do they have tall scratching posts indoors, ones they can stretch to their full height on, (I made my own).

Yes- they have two matching Next sofas...😂
But seriously no, nothing official. How does one fashion such a thing please?