Cat resistant funiture

[paulsiu]

So my mom and my cat have both managed to move successfully, and now she wants to buy some new furniture. The issue is that the cat has claws and my mom don't want to declaw him. I can related, I owned tons of cats over the years and have never declaw them, but they were during the years when I was a young bachelor and had hand me down furnitures.

Tables are usually safe, but the old couch had severe claw marks. It was tweed, so I can see the appeal from the cat's point of view. Now my mom wants to get a leather couch. I never had a leather couch, so is this a bad idea? What are your suggestions.

Paul

[reggiesimpson]

Cat gloves.
Sorry, couldnt resist.

[JMacDonald]

Hi,
I have cats and do not have problems with my cats clawing the furniture. The only time they did that was when they were kittens and didn't know the rules.

What you need to get is a cat tree and a scratching post. Cats needs to stretch using their claws. Once the cat learns it is OK to claw the cat tree or post, then the problem should be solved.
At least it was for me.

[jsl11]

Hi,
I have cats and do not have problems with my cats clawing the furniture. The only time they did that was when they were kittens and didn't know the rules.

What you need to get is a cat tree and a scratching post. Cats needs to stretch using their claws. Once the cat learns it is OK to claw the cat tree or post, then the problem should be solved.
At least it was for me.

I would make sure the cat was well trained before buying the leather furniture. Once it is scratched or torn, it probably cannot be repaired.

[englishgirl]

I have a chair that I seem unable to enforce the "no clawing" rules on. Not that I haven't given up trying, but still.

I basically decided to view it as semi-disposable. It was not an expensive chair, and I figure I'll just have to recover it or replace it in a few years.

As for suggestions - a squirty water bottle helps enforce rules. Actually, come to think of it, I've only used the squirt bottle in connection with the kitchen counter. Maybe I need to drag it out for use with the chair.

Get a few scratching options. I have a sisal twine covered post with a kitty seat on top that is pretty popular. And the horizontal corrugated cardboard scratch pads or beds are also popular. If you give them something else to scratch, they don't need to scratch the furniture as much.

[climber2020]

This used to be a huge problem for me and my kitty. I tried every scratching post imaginable and she still preferred the edge of the couch, which she clawed down to the wood over 2 years. I ended up having to toss that couch before moving to my current apartment. The main problem was that she would only scratch the furniture when I wasn't present; when I was around, the cat never scratched because she knew it irritated me.

This solved my problem: during the day when I am at work, I keep my cat confined to a bedroom. My place has a spare bedroom/bathroom that I primarily use as a weight room and storage, and the cat stays in there when I'm not around. The only thing in there she can scratch is her scratching post. My latest couch still looks brand new with nary a claw mark

[leonard]

Buy a cheap couch and use http://www.surefit.com covers. Our 2 cats have never shown any interest in scratching on this material.

Cats will get hair all over the couch too - so covers are a good alternative for many reasons.

Finally, these cover look good and wear like iron. I think a set of couch and chair covers has lasted about 6 or 7 years of daily use and still look great.

No commercial interest in Sure Fit - other than being a very impressed customer.

[Mudpuppy]

This is really a training issue. Start now by getting Sticky Paws or a similar product and applying it to the scratch-able surfaces of the existing furniture. Then buy several scratching posts and place them right in front of the furniture the cat currently likes to claw. The Sticky Paws will make the existing furniture feel funny and the scratching post right there will feel nice. As the cat uses the scratching post more consistently, slowly move the scratching post away from the furniture and to its final location in the room.

[travelerfromsj]

We've had both leather couches and fabric couches, and our cats will use either as scratching posts. BUT, there's a big difference in the results: the fabric couch ended up shredded, with stuffing literally hanging out of the arms, and the leather couches have rows of little claw holes that are not nearly as easy to see. We eventually got rid of the fabric couches, but we still have the leather couches; the holes just don't bother us that much. If you own a cat, certain compromises just have to be made.

[linuxuser]

Buy a cheap couch and use http://www.surefit.com covers. Our 2 cats have never shown any interest in scratching on this material.

Cats will get hair all over the couch too - so covers are a good alternative for many reasons.

Finally, these cover look good and wear like iron. I think a set of couch and chair covers has lasted about 6 or 7 years of daily use and still look great.

No commercial interest in Sure Fit - other than being a very impressed customer.

I am definitely filing this information.

I have been considering adopting a cat, and it scratching up the furniture has been a concern.

[birdy]

I adoped a cat from cat rescue about 8 months ago. She is around 5 years old and is not declawed. I am fortunate that she allows me to cut her toe nails. Also, as soon as I brought her home I would not allow her on my Leather couch. I have a scratching post for her and she uses it all the time. But she also likes to use my expensive living room rug to scratch as well as my cloth footstools. She is smart and has now decided to open up the cabinet of her choice (especially the cat treat one!) and explore. I am thinking of child proof locks! Pets bring so much joy to my life that I will put up with a few things in order to have their company! I wish she wouldn't claw but I can't always be around to catch her at it. Good luck. Pick your battles!!!!

birdy

[morrimorri]

I'd make sure that your scratching post is tall enough and in a convenient location for the cat. Standard scratching posts are too short for a cat to easily stretch to their full length, so try to find one that is at least as tall as where it likes to scratch your couch.

Cat gloves.
Sorry, couldnt resist.

This actually isn't a bad idea, if your cat will let you handle its paws. You might want to try nail caps, like http://www.softpaws.com, while you get it used to not scratching your sofa. They saved the carpet in my last apartment from a cat who couldn't resist scratching it.

[TSR]

My girlfriend "encouraged" me to adopt a stray that was hanging around her house. I have found that my microfiber couch is surprisingly good at both not attracting her attention and hiding the scratch marks when she does scratch. You might look into this.

[Stuart01]

One thing we and our friends have used with some success...place clear shelf liner (mildly adhesive) over the areas of the couch or chair you want to protect. It does not look that bad and, since this surface is smooth, the cat moves onto other targets.

[Skiffy]

Our cat is very playful and has scratched the heck out of the leather couch--he is declawed in the front but those back claws have put some serious scratches on the cushions. I feel like Grandma, but have put blankets down-- the couch belongs to to cat and dog, they each get one side.

[SSSS]

Buy furniture designed specifically for cats to use -- I guarantee they won't even go near it.

[Animal House]

I have 4 cats. They behave most of the time, but they do seem each to go a bit nuts from time to time. I had a fabric sofa that held up well for 6-7 years. I had a leather sofa that became an embarrassment after 2 years. but I kept it for 7 years anyways Currently I have a micro-suede sectional and it holding up very well. It is only a year old, but looks new.

[tetractys]

Set cats free. -- Tet

[555]

Choose one.
[ ] Pets.
[ ] Furniture.

[leonard]

Buy a cheap couch and use http://www.surefit.com covers. Our 2 cats have never shown any interest in scratching on this material.

Cats will get hair all over the couch too - so covers are a good alternative for many reasons.

Finally, these cover look good and wear like iron. I think a set of couch and chair covers has lasted about 6 or 7 years of daily use and still look great.

No commercial interest in Sure Fit - other than being a very impressed customer.

I am definitely filing this information.

I have been considering adopting a cat, and it scratching up the furniture has been a concern.

My guess is that these covers really would work with any cat. Seems like our cats like to scratch on stuff that has a little resistance to it - carpeted cat tree, wood cat tree, cardboard box, etc. These covers of course just stretch if they get hooked, so the don't provide that resistance. That's my theory anyway. Perhaps you will get "lucky" and find the one cat that likes this stuff to scratch on.

One other benefit: in our case when we bought these, we had an older couch that was showing significant wear in the upholstery. But, was structurally sound and still comfortable to sit on. Using these covers, we have essentially doubled (or more) the useful life of this couch.

Surefit is one product with which I am extremely impressed. They really could get away with charging 2 or 3 times the price - given how well they last.

[hicabob]

+1 on microsuede/microfiber - cats will sleep on it etc. but for some reason they don't seem to scratch it.

[paulsiu]

Hmm... My wife did actually give some surefit covers to my mom as a gift to cover up my mom's now junked 30 year old couches. My mom indicated that when she install the cover, the cat stop scratching it, so we'll just reuse the surefit and see if they continue to work.

Paul

[mlebuf]

Buy leather furniture and keep plenty of scratching posts around the house. Check consignment stores for good prices on used leather furniture if you want to keep the cost down. Leather furniture doesn't collect cat hair as well as being pretty scratchproof. We also have an old cloth couch that they are free to claw at will. It's also a good idea to trim their claws once a month.

[Fallible]

I have a chair that I seem unable to enforce the "no clawing" rules on. Not that I haven't given up trying, but still.

I basically decided to view it as semi-disposable. It was not an expensive chair, and I figure I'll just have to recover it or replace it in a few years.

...

I had such a chair that the cat practically lived on. I finally realized (sometimes humans ARE smarter than animals...) that since it was not a newish chair, not expensive, and that it distracted the cat from the other furniture, I could move it downstairs next to a window and buy a new chair. The cat followed the old chair and that ended the problem. BTW, you might enjoy a comic strip called "Mutts," in which the cat Mooch can claw elaborate artwork in wood tables - when he's not clawing chairs into strips. Fun strip for cat and dog lovers.

To the OP, lots of scratching boxes around the house can help eliminate the scratching problem.

[Imperabo]

We've used Softpaws on our cats for years. They work great as long as you keep up with replacing them as the cats shed their claws. I don't know why people bother with more drastic or troublesome solutions when an easy answer has been invented.

[travellight]

I have decided that I can't buy any new furniture for 15 years. My two cats are about 2 years old.

[Kathleen Ryan]

"Aversion Therapy"

Every time you see the cat start to claw, or come upon it actively clawing furniture, have your squirt gun at the ready. Most of them hate water and this will shock them into not doing that again, lest they be squirted until they learn their lesson.

Good luck.

[ryuns]

On the squirt gun issue, an additional suggestion. Our squirt bottle is always in a fairly handy place, which means it's more than visible to any visitors. It now displays a prominently Sharpie'd "Bad Kitty!" label plus a crude drawing of a frowning cat. It's a quick explanation as to why there's always a bottle around, and gives visitors a quick chuckle.

Our tabby is built like offensive lineman, so we failed on a few budget scratching posts that wouldn't support his shall-we-say ample frame. We ended up spending an uncomfortable amount on a better post: http://www.amazon.com/SmartCat-3832-Ult ... ching+post (Actually the price has gone down substantially). I'd highly recommend this. It's heavy and stout and has a durable scratchable surface. It's still going strong after about 2 years of heavy use by 2 cats.

While the animals are learning the rules, you can always add packaging tape to the corners of furniture (assuming they're only interested in the corners). Rigging it with a sticky side out if you want to be doubly cautious, but even the single sided stuff is unsatisfying enough to keep them away.