I mean… it is removing DRM. It is literally a crack. It is just that people (and outlets) thought they were clever for saying “mod”.
So… the crack is down and now there is even more fuel for the “mods are bad because they are for pirates” stupidity.
Depending on what that couch has been through, it might be about marking/refreshing territory.
But also understand that there are different kinds of scratching materials and structure. My cat only likes the cardboard kind in a small A3-ish box and that is more because she likes to move it around. For actual scratching she very much prefers the ropier material in something sturdy at a 90 or 45 degree angle that she can really push against without it moving.
And I’ve NEVER seen a cat actually like one of those free standing scratching posts after the first time they push it over during a more energetic session.