Does anyone know how to remove deep scratches from leather boots?

[jnelsoninjax]

I have a nice pair of $100 boots that are black, and my cats have decided to use it as a scratching post, so the surface area around the toes is really pockmarked with claw holes. I bought some black polish and a brush, but that did not cover the pockmarks up, it more or less highlighted them. My BIL says that there is not much that can be done to the leather because it is not living any longer, and that anything done to the boots would remain permanent (he has worked with leather before, so I consider him to have a degree of knowledge). Does anyone know of a way to remove/cover up the marks? They are fairly deep.