You might want to try claw caps for your cats: http://www.softclaws.com.
Yes, avoid microfiber. I learned that lesson too, that's it's a giant lint brush. In future, I will probably get (another) Ikea sofa, but I'll get replacement covers from Bemz, which is one of the several places you can get nice new covers from, so even if you do make a fabric mistake, you're not stuck to it. Happy hunting :-)

I'm not sure what kind of felt you are getting, but try to see if it pills. I have some rather high-end felt pillows that began pilling pretty much as soon as I started using them and they pick up lint from everything. Hope it goes well!

I know there's been a lot of debate on here about re-upholstering and its cost, but I decided to get my couch re-upholstered when I found that the people who did it really knew their stuff about what type of fabric would work with pets or not. They steered me away from a fabric that would shred easily and helped me find something similar that was a lot more durable. My guess is that they deal with that quite a bit. The people at the furniture stores seemed nowhere near as knowledgable. Just my experience.

Good gosh, I thought I was the only couch-buying-impaired person out there.

After the failure (compression etc.) of a cheap couch, we "invested" in a >$2000 Cisco Brothers sofa 8 years ago, planning on replacing the slipcover as needed. Bottom line was our (turns out to be) too thin cover lasted just 3 years before developing holes in the arms. Replacement slipcovers started at (full price) $1500. Screwed.

To keep it out of the landfill, and because we liked the basic couch, after a few years with throws over the arms we finally bought a $1200 bottom-of-the-line cream linen slipcover. It is fine, and it is easy to change up the look by changing the accent pillows.

No pets, but we do have kids. No eating is allowed on the couch (except for during the Superbowl), and the slipcover washes well.

What I learned:
1. Patterns hide stains, but you get sick of the pattern pretty fast.
2. Slipcovers are great, but make sure they are thick enough to wash/wear well.
3. Do *not* buy from Cisco Brothers as they do not have sales and the slipcovers take forever (>3 months) to come.

Cisco brothers Raggady couch with denim slipcovers, bought in 1999, used almost every day & it's still in fabulous condition. Cushions are down-wrapped and have maintained shape extremely well. Covers get washed a couple times a year. Had 2 cats for the first 10 years or so. The couch is long enough (8 feet) and comfortable enough for even my large male friends to sleep on. Highly recommended. I will definitely buy another if this one ever croaks.

Solution: no cats.

More realistically, go for a dense fabric with a finish between plush and flat. I have a DWR sofa (Neo) covered in a kind of flat-corduroy-twill fabric that has held up to sharp-clawed dogs for about six years now and still looks great. It's a bluish slate gray, so soil doesn't show, and it's tough as nails so any dirt that gets on it cleans up easily.

But then, I am cat free.

It's funny you bought two green sofas. I've had four greenies through the years (still have one) and have always sworn I wouldn't get another green sofa, but then I do it again.

This has been a surprisingly good sofa to me. It pulls out into a bed and after crashing at my nieces in Sweden on it, I was convinced I would like the same one. It's modern no frills and the cat hair is manageable. (I have 2 white cats) So far it has lasted about 5 years until I realized that I am messy and stained it up quite a bit. My solution was to re-upholster it and it was surprisingly easy to upholster under $100! The pillows are not so comfortable so I replaced with down inserts. I like to customize everything! The price is also SUPER low @ $799!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80198974/#/90198978

Another tip for cat scratching problems is to always have a new enticing cat-scratcher laying around for your cats. I get a new one about every 2 months or so. Cats have a primal need to scratch and sharpen their claws and if their trusty surface dulls out, they will find something new (like a lovely sofa) to claw on. Try it, it have saved me many furniture pieces. The soft paws are a good suggestion too but my cats hate them.

Any ideas on the maker of the couch in the picture?!

Does anyone know a source for that rug?

I got my couch from Viesso. They made a custom size for me, I got to choose the fabric, and the (fixed) cushion is natural latex foam so it won't lose its shape and get wonky. I've had it 2 years now and it looks brand new, even with 2 cats and a handyman husband who gets FILTHY at work and sits right down.

I see your problem.
Get rid of the cats.
"No, Noooooo!", you will protest, "I *can't* get rid of the cats. They're like my babies. And what are you, anyway? Some kind of heartless cat hater?"
Don't be silly. I'm not heartless. Just practical. If your cats are destroying your furniture, over and over again, and you actually *want* furniture, then you need to find a piece that is indestructible, or get rid of the cats. May I suggest some big honkin', tufted leather Chesterfield that is supposed to look aged. Either that or get rid of the cats. You're beautiful new gray couch with the felt fabric won't last very long with the feral cats around. I suppose you could tame them but I'm guessing they know you by now and wouldn't take you seriously.
This is an easy call for me.

@ECandle96. Do you know what fabric they used?

These are fantastic comments. Thanks everyone!

In response to Alysha's quest for a couch, is leather totally out? That might solve the cat scratching problem and they often have very structured cushions that keep their shape well.

I have the same couch in the photo. The cushions started losing shape and deteriorating after year 1. 4 years later it has continued to be a disappointment, falling farther into it's tired, uncomfortable pit of despair.

By the way, I've spent lots of money on sofas that I thought would be perfect and turned out to be quite a bit less so after a few months of like, actually *sitting* on them. I have found my bliss with a dirt cheap Hovas sofa from Ikea with a washable slipcover. Replacement slipcovers are just $49. If I wanted to, I could dye a set or two any color I like. Gray, for instance, might me a nice change. The seats are holding up as well as or better than the Pottery Barn sofa I bought 10 years ago. So, there ya' go. For about $500 you could have a perfectly decent sofa with multiple options and won't regret it when your wild cats rip it to shreds.

Cost doesn’t correlate with quality. Shop around for mid-range couches and I’m sure you’ll luck out. No sense in buying an expensive couch just to shroud it with a slip cover.

There is no such thing as the perfect couch, there is only the couch for right now. I got so sick of the couch merry-go-round that I didn't replace my last (green velvet) couch after I sold it. I now have two arm chairs in the living room and that's it for seating arrangements. I go out with friends instead of having people over. I am so done with couches.

Don't you think the felt will be a problem with attracting the cat fur? I have cats also and I know how their fur gets into everything.
My cats do not claw the sofa or walls or floors or me when I make sure they have a fresh corrugated cardboard scratch pad laced with catnip out for them. They scratch away on those things and never are tempted to scratch elsewhere. Why should they when they have their precious cardboard scratch pad. They are quite possessive of these gadgets so I make sure each cat has her own pad.
We recently settled on our comfy durable sofas and wound up with a set in leather. They're great! Very sturdy and massively comfy. And the best ever is how easily the cat hair just dusts right off. Yay!

I know this sounds counterintuitive, but would you consider a white slipcoverd couch? Being a neutral, you can change the look with pillows and you can also bleach the heck out of the slipcovers. I have had mine from Rowe for almost 10 years and the slipcovers are finally showing their wear so I will get some new ones. But that sucker has survived 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 toddler, countless chocolate/red wine/blood/dear god what is that? stains. Fabric is white denim so durable.

Here's one vote for purchasing something from thesofaco.com. We were able to get a customized sofa for around $1100. So far it's held up great with our kids, though it's only been about a year so take that into considertion. We were treated nicely by the sales team. We didn't feel pressured to buy. Plus we bought it on Labor Day Weekend so we got it with no sales tax. Hey, it's almost LDW again. Maybe they're running that promotion again.

This is a great topic. I have a bulldog, and I want him on my couch, so I let him up as a puppy. Well, little did I know that A) Bulldogs Shed B) Bulldogs like to rearrange pillows to fit under them and C) No matter how clean they are, their smell eventually seeps into fabric.

I have finally learned, that if I want a couch that has great looks and lasts, it has to be leather. Distressed leather is best for me as nail scratches actually improve the look. Cats are another story, but I would still go with leather with a lot of throws on them

Oh, and you can just wipe down the leather to remove the hair and smell isnt an issue

The Henry Couch from West Elm is modern, firm and comfortable. It comes in a herringbone faux suede fabric which gives it a little pattern/detail- they have a great mid- tone gray.

Telling someone to get rid of their pets is like telling them to get rid of their kids. It's not going to happen. Definitely get some cat scratchers and replace them regularly. I get the flat ones from Trader Joes, which our cats love.

I think the sofa in the pic is the Clare sofa from Macys. I have the Zen sofa set from Macys, and loved it in the beginning but the cushions have definitely softened up and aren't as firm as when we bought them, which makes me think it isn't going to last a lot longer.

We have three cats and I keep pillows and pet beds on the sofas to get their fur off when we aren't using them. I also throw the smack down when they so much as place a claw on the furniture.

Quatrine. Period. All of their couches are custom slipcovered - they have great slipcover sales during the year. You completely customize -we use a white brushed denim during the summer and switch it to a very tailored olive-y linen in the winter. They wash, dry beautifully. Daily use - w 2 dogs - for 9 years and still like new. Oh and when I got my first cat I assumed he couldn't be trained until my vet asked me if I'd ever been to the circus and seen trained lions and tigers! He suggested a quick shot of water from a spray bottle every time he scratched - he learned in a week and lived happily w claws for 17 years and never once clawed anything in the house.

The sofa in the photo appears to be the Corona Sofa from Macy's. DON'T BUY IT. It looks good when you bring it home but snags easily and the cushions lose their shape in less than a year. I suppose the cushions would be an easy fix though -- just take them to a custom foam shop and have them recommend the appropriate foam and replace the cushions. Also, with pets, I recommend taking the couch into a custom upholsterer to have a slipcover made from a high-end indoor/outdoor fabric. Then you can buy any couch you want without worry! I love the selection at www.fabric.com and they have great prices!

Hope this helps!

Take the time to find a couch with a strong hardwood frame (screws, not staples) and good springs (8-way hand tied), otherwise even if the upholstery survives, you'll end up sitting on a broken and/or saggy couch.

We had a Klaussner Drew sectional sofa that gave up the ghost just after the first year - one plopdown from our friend's teenage son and not only did the staples pull out of the wood but the wood actually cracked. We finally replaced this summer after ~2 years of dealing with a broken, saggy couch with a much better quality sectional by Emerald Home Furnishings that we found at Costco. Scary thing is that we paid about the same thing for both - and the Klaussner was "50% off" when we bought it.

To deal with your cats, I'd go with a heavy distressed leather - my mom's Thomasville Ashby sofa has put up with over 14 years' worth of cats, birds, and people sleeping on it. All it needs once in a while is a wipe down with leather conditioner to prevent cracking, and any wear on it doesn't detract from its look. Cat hair doesn't stick - bird poop easily wipes off.

I have the Jasper sofa from Room and Board in a charcoal ultra suede. This couch is AWESOME! I've had it for 6 years and it still the looks new. The ultrasuede fabric is amazing - I can spot clean it and it doesn't show any wear or stains. It repels everything. My dog lays on it, but there is no hair - the dark color may not be for you and your cats, but I would highly recommend this couch and/or fabric. It doesn't appear that it comes stocked in the ultra suede anymore, but maybe you can have it custom upholstered.

I have two of the now discontinued Macy's Corona sofas. Lots of the reviews said the fabric was great with cats for claws. My husband started laughing the second they started scratching it and destroying it. How dare the internet lie to me!

Has anyone ever tried to put Soft Paws on their cats? It's ridiculous. My cats fought and struggled and then chewed them off.

I agree... leather! I have a tailored off-white leather couch and two terriers. No problems!

Argh, I have the same problem about water creating a stain on my couch (when the fabric care instructions note that water is the preferred method)--what the heck? Anyone have any solutions to this? I've tried blotting, drying quickly with a hair dryer, using a towel to soak up water, everything Google suggests, and nothing seems to work.

Also, I bought my first non-Ikea sofa after several months of shopping. The Rowe design I liked actually wasn't in the store, so I bought it site-unseen (or at least un-sat-upon, I got to pick the fabric myself). It actually turned out ok, it's a little less deep than I would have liked with the back cushions, but the biggest frustration (which there was no way I could have known) is that the fill of the back cushions squishes weirdly and is actually very hard to refluff into shape. Not sure how to resolve this problem either.

Here is a link to the Jasper sofa I mentioned above. I forgot to say that the cushions are in perfect shape, no issues at all. We have had it professionally cleaned one time, and I have just spot cleaned it and vacuumed it. The fabric I have is the Desmond Charcoal 100% polyester micro suede. - It is heavy duty, plush suede fabric that is absolutely amazing! Some of their other couches may come stocked in this fabric. A great value for the money in my opinion.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=3125&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=201&menuSubcategory=198

I haven't had any of these problems with my Corona couch. We've had it for about 3 years now, and it's fine. The cushions haven't lost shape or anything.

We have the Macy's Corona sofa as well. We bought it from a guy off craigslist about a year ago. Its held up really well for us. We dont own any pets but we have an 18 month old who loves to jump on furniture.

Upstairs we have our 3 year old IKEA leather sofa. The leather looks a little worn but it has always worn pretty well. Both sofas were under $800 each.

With cats you are always going to get claw marks. I recommend that you find a nice place that does upholstery works. See if they make custom covers. Or see if you can make one from say Drop cloth canvas or duck cloth. Both are stain resistant ect and come in all sorts of colors. The good thing about the natural color drop cloth canvas is you can bleach the heck out of it no problems. You just have to wash it in hot water to soften it up. I would also recommend a couch with very not padded arms , where the cats like to scratch. Then go to Joann fabrics and get some upholstery foam! They will keep it in the back of the store. Get a sheet big enough to cover those parts on the couch and sew it or glue it into the couch cover. So you want a cover that doesn't 100% fit like a glove but will fit perfict when you add to it. Then just replace the foam and cover. Or the other option to eliminate where they are scratching is to find a couch with wood trim where they are scratching or metal. I know where you are talking about on the arms that face out. Mine scratch there too. I would also try to find a bottle of Cat Away. Its supposed to repelled them. Works on my older cats but my kitten could careless. Maybe it will work for your cats. My older cats dont scratch were I spray it and just go to sleeping on the back of it.

RE the first poster's suggestion to use claw caps.....a cat cannot retract their claws with these caps in place....i.e., their claws are extended unnaturally during activities when their claws should be retracted completely. Cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. If their claws are always extended, they risk damage to the tendons and muscles that natural extend and retract their claws. Don't use claw caps.

I know they can be ugly, but I suggest getting a cat tree. We got one a year and half a go and it completely stopped all furniture scratching.

I have a very modern leather couch. I bought it six years ago after graduating college and securing a job. My first "big girl purchase." It is beautiful but for the first, say, four years it wasn't comfortable. It was very stiff. Though through the years and trying out different kinds of leather conditioners (btw- Mr. Leather is my current cheap fav) it has worn in well. But with that comes other issues like the fact that I must constantly rotate cushions so they dont flatten out unevenly. Also, the areas thast didnt wear in and become soft, like the arms and edges of cushions, are starting to tear. Yup. Im pretty devastated. Not sure how to fix it. Any suggestions out there?
All in all I would give leather a thumbs up but i might not purchase it as my next couch. I'd like to try out a heavy wool tweed or felt. Im still waiting for my mother to finally give up her MCM couch that i coveted as a child. Sigh. Until then it sit, unused, in her basement.

I have had the EXACT same issue. Three cats and we're on our third sofa try so far. This time we chose a Macy's charcoal gray velvet-microfiber and it is amazing. Comfortable, firm, looks polished, and doesn't show hair. And the cat doesn't like scratching it.

I have had a Jenny Convert (patterned cotton slipcover), an DWR (grey denim), a random $300 overstock.com (charteuse denim), and a [hilarious celebrity endorment!] Cindy Crawford (grey micro/chenilie) sofa. The--best and most resilient--Cindy, with the overstock one right behind. That chenille stuff appears to be pet-invincible...which is a totally unexpected delight. I did get a little extra run out of the Jenny by replacing the foam cushions in year 3--good foam is the bomb. I have always had pets and I am not delicate with my furniture...it is my primary seating. Between the cushions breaking-down, the pets, the wine, the couch-surfing friends, my repainting/redecorating, and frequent moving--they just get beaten to death after a few great years. Honestly, I vote for going mid-to-cheap and planning on replacing every 3-5 years. In that price range you can then spend a little on flair (pillows/throws/slipcovers/matching pets/plastic slipcovers/teddy bears) to hide or accent accordingly...

Let me be a witness! Tightly woven, high quality velvet is the way to go. I have four cats and we've lived happily with a velvet couch from Norwalk for about 12 years now. Not a nick, not a claw mark, no loose threads, shredding, or any problems at all. It's light colored, so cat hair is cleverly disguised. Compare this to an armchair I had upholstered two years ago in a flat woven fabric, which they promptly shredded. Just sayin'.

We have a leather sectional, a vinyl couch (orange, late 60s, totally amazing), and a brown fabric IKEA deal (we don't have chairs, the two couches face each other in a long room). Leather and vinyl are left alone by the cats and they don't collect much hair (the hair kind of tumbleweeds together and I vacuum it up). The brown couch is sad. They like to lay on the floor and haul themselves along the bottom of it. I'd replace it, but it's also a pull out and is really handy for guests.

Get rid of the cats? Bite your tongue. Cats are the soul of the house.

Thrift stores. Best couch I ever owned cost $50 including delivery. The second best is the one I own now, and $800 LazEboy queen size sofabed that was a showroom floor model. My place is tiny so it's definitely worth the double use.

@Meecee - I lol'ed at the cats dragging themselves along your couch. Cats are so weird.

We have the Crate and Barrel "Petrie" (in the Apartment size...small space and tight staircase!)

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/petrie-sofa/s688480

We LOVE it and it doesn't show our dog's hair at all. Very easy to vacuum...however, there are no slipcovers so I can't throw it in the wash. I'm considering having it steam cleaned by a professional.

I learned my lesson and will never buy a sofa with back cushions again. The first "grown-up" sofa I ever bought was a stylish, comfortable one from Wiers, and the cushions literally started losing their shape after about 3 months. I sold it 2 years later on Craigslist to a college student for about 1/6th of what I paid for it because the couch looked so sad. Now, I have a firm-back sofa without cushions and the shape is still terrific. It's also easier to drape a throw blanket over a cushion-less sofa to hide stains or imperfections. I tried to do that on my Wiers sofa, but the blanket just sagged right along with the cushions.

Lesson #1: no cats in the house!

We clip our cats' nails about twice a month and have a cardboard scratcher they use every once in a while. They've never shown interest in the sofa, which is an ikea klippan and has a removable cover that we wash sometimes and vacuum often (on account of the hair). Clipping their nails is not that hard and really saves your furniture (and your skin). I think we might eventually replace this sofa with a similar one in leather.

We used to trim our cat's claws so that the ends were blunter. They did much less damage to the furniture after that. You can buy claw trimmers at the pet store and ask your vet to give you a little tutorial on how to trim their claws without hurting them.

Another vote for leather. I have a very sedate cat who didn't scratch even the nubby fabric couch I used to have, but leather has been a godsend in terms of shedding issues. No more need to lint-brush the sofa every single time I want to sit down in dark clothing! The leather does get little scratches on the seat from when she slips and puts her claws out for grip, but these don't bother me and are easy to smooth over with leather conditioner.

Room & Board sofas in fabric - specifically gunmetal or salt. They are speckled fabrics that completely hide cat hair. We have one very furry cat with no front claws and one kid who treats the sofa as a landing pad (the cat was adopted by us already declawed). Our sofa has held up well for over 2 years. No saggy cushions yet! We have the Maddox sofa, which is no longer stocked at Room & Board. They have plenty others in the $1000-1500 range. Buying a couch/sofa is a hard decision, best of luck.

I have an odd small space for a couch and decided to have plywood platforms with a hardwood veneer built to fit in an L-shape, with 8" arms topped with an exotic hardwood that serve as end/lamp tables, since there was no room for anything else. Looks like a built in, although it's moveable. I used two twin bed mattresses, one extra long and one regular length, for the base and had high density foam bolsters cut for the back support, 7" wide at the top angling down to 12" at the bottom. I had the carpenter put a small "lip: of matching exotic hardwood (I used purple heart) on the top that sticks up slightly to hold the mattresses in place. Then feather pillows in front of the bolsters, all the way around. I put button tufting on the pillows. Covers that velcro on and off for everything else, fold on like envelopes.. I put memory foam mattress toppers from Tar-jay (on sale at back-to-school time) underneath thick fitted mattress pads under the seat covers. This is so comfortable, and makes into perfect beds for overnight guests. Especially comfortable since I threw sheepskins from Costco over the seats and backs last winter....very Claude Lalanne. I suppose cats wouldn't be able to claw up sheepskins. If I move, I think I'll keep it and have attached bookcases built across the back if it needs to move away from the wall. I fall asleep there all the time, kind of a problem ! Heaven.

We would like this to be a design problem, but it's a problem of discipline. Cats can be trained, if given the proper scratching alternatives and consistency. My family has had innumerable cats over three generations, and have yet to experience destruction by claw. They also do not jump up on tables, counters, or other inappropriate surfaces.

That same discipline would be beneficial for the editor of this story, who appears to have missed a number of spelling, word choice, and grammatical errors. Tsk tsk.

couch buying stresses me out. i have a white leather couch that is at my sisters, that has held up well over 3 years of toddler climbing and 2 dogs. not bad for an impluse buy due to the amazing price! but now that i'm 3 states away i've yet to take the plunge. ikea couches seem either cheap and silly or crazy $$$. the living room remains yoga zone until the perfect one comes along.

I had a leather Chesterfield that I sold after 22 years because I wanted a new look. I have/had both dogs and cats (sometimes both together) and the Chesterfield held up beautifully. My new sofa is from Mitchell+Gold. It has a microfiber that looks like velvet and is long low and kind of sexy. This is the first time I have tried mixing modern pieces into an otherwise traditional room and I am having fun with it. We have yet to see how long it will last.

Part of the problem is that new couches aren't made very well - even the expensive ones. I've got a couch and loveseat that are older than I am and incredibly well made. The style is classic so I'm just going to recover the fabric which is a bit faded and I think they'll last much longer, in both construction and style, than the new couches out there. I don't have any pets though so I don't have that worry!

I don't understand the suggestions to buy or make slipcovers. If I just spent a good chunk of change on a nice couch in a style I like, why would I fug it up with a slip cover? Especially a slip cover made out of drop cloth canvas?

We have had our share of sofa issues as well. We've moved to several different style homes: small suburban house, large country house, city house and now farmhouse. Everytime we move I have updated our look and coordinated it with our new home- and have always been left staring at my unwanted sofa. First a wine colored leather, then a yellow chippendale, recovered that with b&w slipcover, then an uncomfortable red velvet.

Well- our latest purchase was a white ikea slipcoverd sofa- I am in love. It is stylish and comfy. It was around $400. The replacement slipcovers are $50. We have two kids and a dog and with washing the cover once per month it stays looking great! I don't feel so invested in the sofa- compared to buying one for $2k (which as you all know is still on the lower end of the price scale). I don't think I will "invest" in a sofa again!

Cant speak for cats, but I have dogs and they are a challenge with furniture. We had an overstuffed rolled arm cushy squishy couch with loose back pillow cushions my husband brought from his previous home and I made slip covers for that in a patterned fabric that worked well to hide hair and small damage, but werent all that attractive. Since our main livingroom is for entertaining and not lounging, we have a den (that is closed to dogs when we are not in there) with a very cozy chaise for movie watching and lazing about, we purchased an IKEA Sater

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80119463/

about 3 years ago. It has held up well overall, virtually indestructable, doesnt even show nail scratches, easy to wipe clean and can be made cozy with down pillows and blankets when we decide to lounge on it. I have a trunk these soft items reside in when not in use to save them from the dogs.

It's comforting to know I wasn't the only failure at buying couches. Each couch was "the one", or so I thought, and spent too much money because it's one of the few items I would pay full price. Wouldn't you know it, my third and current couch (love of my life bordering on inappropriateness) came from Craigslist and then I spent full price to have it masterfully reupholstered. Because I adopted a 11 years old cat who is on must-destroy-furniture mode 24/7, I sewed a slipcover made from dropcloth, fem it up with ribbons, and add paddings under the slipcover to areas where the cat favors scratching. The couch is protected from claws and stains while still looking pretty, so I'm happy and relaxed and the cat is probably happy too.

Noooooooo! Don't do felt!

That was my mistake. I got a gus modern in dark grey wool blend felt and it looks terrible after only 3 years. Within a couple of months, the felt looked pilly and matted (not in a good felted way) and all the buttons on the seat had popped off. I had them professionally sewn back on and they popped off again. Now the sad thing looks kind of greasy ... regardless of regular vacuuming and steam cleaning. sad.

My cat does like to do that kneading thing whenever he gets situated somewhere, so we have a microfiber throw for his place on the couch. Bought those for cheap at Target, I think. He seems to prefer being on those throws vs. sofa fabric or bedcovers (lucky for us). So far, no issues with the couch. The house rugs....different story.

Ha, we JUST bought the couch in the photo above. At least I'm pretty sure it is the same one. It is from Macy's. I think it is called the Claire Sofa. Material isn't the softest but so far we are happy with it. I think it will be even more comfortable once I add a bunch more throw pillows. I was excited to get a mid-century modern sofa for such a great deal.

@Leah Michelle - The rug is from West Elm, but I'm not sure if it's still being sold. I also like it and was checking it out in a photo of their Arc chair. Even though it's not listed online, there may still be a few hanging around in the stores.

http://www.westelm.com/products/arc-chair-g428/?pkey=e|arc%2Bchair|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

Rowe makes excellent sofas and they are well priced. I've had the Martin sofa for 4 years now and it gets daily use. It is the only piece of furniture in our small living room. Someone is parked on that thing constantly and it has held up extremely well. If you can find a retailer, they have hundreds of fabrics to choose from. I'm sure you could find the perfect fabric for your needs. We currently have a woven, almost basket weave type fabric in a neutral color (ours is called Nugget) and it hides everything from cat hair to baby spit-up and cleans up with just water. The fabric has held up to our cat's claws as well!

http://www.rowefurniture.com/collections/sofas.html

The couch debate is an endless one in our household. We recently sold all of our belongings in SF when we relocated to Chicago and we were so excited to buy all new stuff but most excited about Sofa shopping. Until, that is, we realized how impossible the search is. After spending roughly 2K on the Crate and Barrel Klyne Sectional, we thought we'd found the one. Then it was delivered and arrived damaged with rock hard cushions so it got returned. Back to the drawing board and with a possible overseas move in the near future we decided to buy something neutral, easy to resell, cheap but higher quality than Ikea, and still sleek and modern. We wandered in Chiasso and bought this:

http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?DepartmentId=36&ItemId=56800

It's modern, firm but comfy, and VERY easy to clean (they call it soft faux flannel but feels felt-like). Maybe its perfect for you too? We LOVE it.

Microfiber. Microfiber. Microfiber. I bought a sage green microfiber sofa and loveseat almost 8 years ago and they look almost new still. Super stain resistant, not showing wear in the fabric at all. I have a cat with no front claws* so I don't know if it stands up to active clawing, but no visible snags from back claws or anything else life threw at it.

My best friend has a medium grey microfiber couch from Dania and she has two small dogs and a huge dog and her couch withstood almost 9 years of very active use. Fur vacuums up easily as well.

* before any cat lovers freak out, I did not de-claw the cat! He came to me that way.

@mywalton - It looks like Macy's discontinued the Corona only to repackage it as the Claire. They look almost exactly the same!

i would clip my cats nails very frequently, but she still liked to dig her nails in the side of couches, even with her scratchboards and whatnot around. i put nail caps on her for a few days until i noticed she no longer tried to even bother with a sofa then took them off. she gets into the habit of not scratching. if i noticed she started up again, i would just repeat.

i did this 2-3 times? and the caps were left on for maybe 2-3 days each time? and now she doesn't even bother. she doesn't care about scratching the couches anymore.

but definitely clipping their nails frequently is enough on its own to break a cat's habit of digging their claws in the furniture.

A timely post for me. I really love the shape of my couch after 16 years, I am going to have it re-upholstered and am leaning toward some kind of velvet.
One of my current questions is color: do I play it safe with a deep, warm grey or go with my heart and do bottle green. I have found amazing fabrics in both colors.

Green is my favorite color. I loved the range of greens in the recent House Beautiful color issue on Green.

As odd as it may sound, clear packing tape is your friend. I bought a loveseat used from a friend of a friend and it only took a few days for my Siamese to go to town on it. So I put the clear packing tape over the spots where he liked to scratch. Stopped it right away because he didn't like the "slick" feeling. Now he has started on the top back of the sofa (behind the cushions) and I keep meaning to put tape over that as well. But for the most part, he's starting focusing on my burlap covered dining room chairs, which oddly enough, are holding up great!

Overwise my MO is cats = cheap sofas. Sad but true. I really want a Chesterfield style sofa or something great and vintage looking from PB or Ballard Designs, but it's not worth paying the money for it with the cats. Right now, I'm looking at a sofa at World Market because it's the style I want and a price that won't make me want to scream bloody murder if/when the cat decides to christen it.

As a first-time couch buyer, these comments are kind of depressing. Do any couches last over 5 years? The upside of knowing this is that if I find a nice couch, I'll know there is no point in putting a slipcover on it. It'll be destroyed in 5 years anyways.

I liked someone's suggestion of reupholstering a couch. They said the people who do reupholstering know more about fabrics et. Maybe just buy an old mangled couch and redo it?

Also, as to leather couches for cats- growing up we had a leather couch (for about 20 years) and we also had a cat who was declawed in the front. The leather couch did end up looking a little scratched- a little on the arms when she jumped off the couch, and a little on the back of the couch where she would sort of stretch/scratch. But overall, not too bad for a cat that lived 14 years.

Well, our sofa is 40 years old this year. Never reupholstered--and it looks shockingly good. My brother has its twin, also never reupholstered.

I'm sure it was expensive -- my parents bought the two matching 72" sofas from an interior designer, who had them made by Kisabeth of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

I wish I knew what the fabric was. I think my mother told me at the time of purchase that it had some wool fiber, but she doesn't remember now.

The frame is in perfect shape, but just this year the cushions have started sagging and the down and/or feathers are starting to come out, so I am stressing over finding a good reupholstery place .... because obviously I could *NEVER* purchase a sofa made this well!

to me, the upside of crap sofas that don't last is that I get to buy new ones every so often to change things up a bit :)

my current problem is that my apartment is TEENY and most sofas seem so out if scale. I have no problem finding a two seater, but they all seem to be disproportionately deep. They look bulky and are not comfy to sit in, as (being a shorter person) I'm basically forced to slouch if I want to lean back, or perch on the edge if I want to have my legs at around 90 degrees. Not good.

I've got two cats as well, and clipping the claws along with having good scratching boxes is key. I thought white slipcovers were a good idea, and they are....sort of. Yes they can be washed/bleached and they come out great, but I'd basically have to do it once a month or so to keep them fully spotless.

next stop: leather. Maybe white. Not sure yet. The proportions of the sofa matter more than the color at this point. I'm looking hard.

We have a Hovas from Ikea and after many couch failures this one seems to be a win. It was inexpensive (yay!) and it's comfortable. The cushions seem to be holding their shape (after a year of use) and the white slipcovers bleach out like nobody's business. Also I have a 2nd set of slipcovers ($50, again, yay!) that we can rotate in when the others are drying. And, if I get really tired of the white, I can always buy a set of navy blue slipcovers. I do wish there were more color options, like say, a charcoal grey slipcover, and now regret not buying a sectional, but it works for us. I can see us using this couch for a long time.

man, kivik loveseat and chaise lounge. its been a year with two huge dogs, and its amazing. clean/square lines, washable duvet cover, 10 year warranty. We even switched out the low block feet for a more MCM tapered leg. The matching ottoman stores blankets too. Oh, and you can actually change the whole color of the couch one day by purchasing other covers.

I have a vintage hancock and moore loveseat as my main couch, it's tufted vinyl/fake leather. I have a dog and her fur wipes right off.

I doubt vinyl makes an enticing scratching post! I vote go the fake leather route!

Sofa #1 - an Ikea Klippan with a navy blue slipcover. Comfy, but the slipcover wouldn't stay in place so I seemed to be constantly rearranging it every time we sat down, and the navy blue was such a cat hair magnet, it was impossible to keep clean. I painstakingly sewed a denim slipcover for it that showed up much less hair and looked great, but as the sofa belonged to the landlord I left the cover for the next tenant when we moved away.

Sofa #2 - a horrible, 1980s cream and red striped thing that we bought second hand for very cheap, when we moved several hundred miles and needed a sofa in a hurry. It was meant to be only temporary but we ended up having it for 2 1/2 years. When you sat down, the cushions slid forward so you ended up with a huge gap between the cushion and the back of the sofa, if you see what I mean. I despised it. We gave it away for free when we moved, and I was so happy to see it go.

Sofa #3 - actually sofas plural. Orange leather with chrome feet, a big 3 seater and a big 2 seater. Bought second hand, they weigh a ton and we almost couldn't fit them in our house - we got them both stuck up an alley trying to get them here, and then couldn't fit them through the door so we ended up going through a large window. Oh and the large one wouldn't fit in the van I borrowed so we had to die the rear doors shut with ratchet straps. It was worth it though. I love them, and they were such a bargain that it doesn't even matter that I'll probably be bored with orange leather in a year.

Since this is a design based site, can we please use the word SOFA? "Couch" is cringe-worthy in the design community.

I recommend a claw trimmer shaped like a scissors, much easier to use than the guillotine kind.

Also, if your cats don't like the cardboard scratchers, and you want something a little more stylish than your average carpeted cat tree, I highly recommend checking out some of the products featured on moderncat.net. Some things there are *very* expensive, some less so, but the ~$80 I spent on a fancier stand-up scratcher that looks like an attractive art piece has been SO worth it. Kitty no longer digs at the edge of the carpet or the couch, and the scratcher is much easier to replace!

Good luck with your couch search!

I can help! I have designed custom sofas for over 15 years and still love the white boucle covered sofa I've had for over 10 years. I can work with you to determine your favorite style, what works best with your lifestyle and space. My manufacturer is Steven Anthony and you can see his work and read about the product at www.stevenanthonyinc.com. A quality sofa and its cushions are determined by the materials selected and how they are used- most are made of particle board and cardboard.. contact me for more info Tracy Steele Designs tsteeledesigns@gmail.com 646.337.3341

I am jonesing for the Haverty's Metropolis sofa... have cats, though they aren't terrible scratchers (prefer the wool rugs). But I think leather is a good choice, especially for those with allergies. No cat dander or hair that collects.

http://reviews.havertys.com/2351/10412-280/metropolis-sofa-reviews/reviews.htm

Wow, if you change cats to poodles, and shorten the lifespan of the sofas to about 3 years, you have written my story!
And my solution was to finally go for broke ( with the help of a 0% for 18 month new credit card), and get a custom made set from Carlyle - I went with the distressed leather in a a sort of burnt cherry that has an slight metallic overcoat which gives a bit more of a modern flair for the modern style that I picked . It is custom sized down to the inch that is perfect for my space, and I got storage in all 3 pieces, which was one of my dreams.
One of the BIG issues that I noticed when I was reading reviews/complaints about sofas (and of course had for myself) was uncomfortable cushions that slip//slide, and flatten out, so I absolutely LOVE the fact that not only could I order my cushions stuffed the way I think that I'll like them, but Carlyle gives you 30 days to use it and will make free adjustments if it's not right! Plus, for down the road, they offer pretty reasonably priced re-filling service, so I think that this will be the one that will make me happy for decades and despite the huge," never in a million years thought that I would have spent so much on a sofa price" , it will ultimately save me money as I get to skip the miserable replacements every couple of years!
Anyhow, that's the dream - and I will find out in about 8 weeks if my dream will come true!

I think it will be leather forever for me, or at least for as long as I have dogs. My white greyhound sheds like crazeeeee and her white hair is absolutely everywhere. It weaves into pretty much any fabric except for denim.

I bought a leather and loveseat about 8 or 9 years ago (I think it was over $3000 for the set) and while it held up ok, I am not happy with the cushions and seats because I think they need more filling. Otherwise, the leather is perfect because I can wipe it off and it does not have any scratches (although the seat areas are covered with faux furs because both dogs don't like the feel of leather and if the faux fur is all scrunched up into a ball they will wait till I rearrange it). Spoilt? Oh, not at all!

My cat clawed my wing chair to death. I reupholstered ita couple years ago in marine grade vinyl and it still looks fabulous. My loveseat is vinyl (I was too cheap for leather), and it's done wonderful too - the cat hair wipes off and he doesn't want to claw it. If leather is out of the question, I'd advise you to use a good quality vinyl.

I have a Lazy-Boy clearance floor model. It's held up great for three years. I think I paid around $400 for it. I didn't add scotch guard because I was being cheap and I'm glad I saved that money. I wish I had a sofa bed and in a different color but it's a good sofa. I make sure to rotate my cushions and do not allow pets on it.

MaxHome made the couch that I love. 7years, 3 moves, including a balcony rope heist to the 4th floor and 4 cats. Removeable chaise, american bench made, eco friendly. Microfiber is the key. After adopting a new cat who peed all over it we thought we would have to buy a new couch. Not so, unzipped the cushions and put the covers in the washing machine with Pet Force enzyme cleaner. Came out like new. Unbelievable. Also you can get a little thing called Ssscat from Amazon- motion detecting canned air spray - quickly trains cats to avoid furniture or areas you want them to steer clear of.

Bought our first sofa in 1986 from Ethan Allen - with very good advice from their sales staff on which fabric to have it upholstered in. Still using it though it could use new upholstery. Not ripping or anything, just starting to look a little worn out Not bad for over 25 years of cats and kids - and it's off-white. We will definitely re-upholster this baby as it has great bones. With frame and spring restoration (if needed), new foam, and new fabric, it should last another 20+ years. Reupholstery is expensive, but from the sounds of it, it should be cheaper than buying a new sofa every few years.

Couch. Couch, couch, couch, couch, couch.

Anyone cringing?

My grandmother always called it a davenport. Would this pass muster with the "design community?" ~eyeroll~

The fabric is the most important part with regard to the cats.
NO leather. You'll lose that battle.
Felt seems a bad choice.
Velvet would be hard to keep clean.

The best I have found, and I have three cats, is a tight woven flat fabric. My couches are an ivory white and stay lovely. They are treated with stain resistance and cleaning them does require doing it properly. However, I've done just fine on my own by being sure to do a complete surface with every clean (or the whole couch). You definitely can't spot clean. But doing just a whole arm or the seat surface, etc. works fine.

As for style - it's so personal. I think that it absolutely has to be something you both like the look of and that will not attract cat hair like a magnet...

To stop the scratching you need to train your cats. It's ridiculous to put up with that behavior. You can get claw caps. You can also try various repellant devices; sprays with odor they dislike, noise / shock collar. etc. I know shock collar sounds drastic, but they make them specifically for cats now to train them to stay away from certain areas. You can set the area of activation to be pretty small.

Anywho. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Our couch is microfiber but was made in a modern way so it doesn't look like a cheese microfiber sofa. Good for cats, and everything is removable so it can be washed.

The big mistake I made is buying a ginormous $300 ottoman that fit into our sectional as a puzzle piece. We never really used it as an ottoman. We actually used it as kind of a daybed for a while, then a cat hangout spot, and when we moved we got rid of it.

Seconding Henry Sofa from West Elm. Your story mirrors mine exactly. I did a lot of research and wound up with one in Performance Velvet, Gray. I was able to buy a discontinued slipcover on Ebay in flax linen... I doubt it will hold up over many washings but it's not bad. I have 4 cats. Tried the tinfoil and sticky tape too... kinda worked a little... *but* also agreeing with the "give them something better" idea - I just started getting one of those corrugated box scratching things every couple of months (add catnip, cheaper ones on amazon.com) and they LOVE it - so far I think the problem might be solved (?) In my attempt to keep them off the sofa generally I got a can of compressed air you use to clean keyboards. They hate the sound... so I say "get down" and then spray the air near them (not on them.) Now all I have to say is "get..." and they won't go near Henry. :-)

"Cats are the soul of the house."

I love that!

I have a futon couch - love it - cats can't lose their toys in it and it's easy to change the look with a cover. I use a quilt as a top cover and wash that as needed.

I don't know if anyone suggested this so here goes; upcycle. Look at craiglist, I am near NYC and have gotten two couches. The first one I loved, velvet and down, it was too large. Now I have a custom made loveseat that I love. Neither was expensive so not liking it after leaving with it did not bother me and I can check dog proofability My current loveseat and old crate and barrel chairs will be reupholstered rather than going through the nightmare and cost of looking for that perfect new piece. Try it, the worse part was the transportation and that was workable in the end.

I have a couch I got at St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store for $150, I've had it now for 8 years. I have a small, very hairy and shedding dog who leaves hair everywhere..but surprisingly my couch still looks and feels great. I can vaccum the hair off the couch, there are no problems with it whatsoever. It's also very comfortable and stylish. I love it! So, maybe you should look outside of the box...you never know what you are going to get.

Gotta be rational here- three cats and nice furniture don't mix. You can't really complain about the damage on a couch when cats view virtually any soft vertical surface as a scratching post (legs, chairs, couches...) I recently moved to a 2 story home and have resorted to keeping our two cats in the finished basement. It has a den, and we usually hang out there so it's been fantastic so I don't feel like we're "segregating" my cats other than not being able to sleep with my cats. My nicer dark blue MCM sofa is upstairs- cat hair and scratch free and completely marvelous. We have a cheaper green karlstad sectional in the den and I'm really surprised my cat hasn't resorted to ripping this couch to shreds. Cat hair everywhere but the medium color actually don't make the hair noticeable. Water stains do show, but the covers and removable. I got a little primer on the couch and immediately hand washed it- good as new!

11 years of marriage and 5 couches. that is the current count.
couch #1 - horrible 1980's brown velveteen floral monstrosity that my parents kindly bequeathed me. it had ridiculously high arms with carved wood insets. it also had one long cushion on the seat, with a queen sleeper tucked underneath. one of the real bonuses was that the cushion sagged. horribly. to the point that my Dad had to cut a piece of plywood for the seat cushion to sit on so the couch wouldn't swallow you.
fate - my girl Boston terrier got into a digging phase and dug a huge hole in it. i ended up writing a most humorous Craigslist post and actually got some poor guy to come over and haul it out of my basement and into his house. FOR FREE.
couch #2 - a futon with wooden arms. from Walmart. enough said.
fate - we gave it to a family in need. now not so sure that was nice.
couch #3 - beige tuxedo style Ashley couch. worst purchase ever. so uncomfortable. i ended up opening up the back cushions and taking out 2 trash bags full of stuffing. still couldn't sit on it comfortably.
fate - i still own it. and an identical one i bought of Craigslist. i'm apparently a glutton for bad furniture?? oh well, they are the family room couches now. home to cartoon watching kiddos and badly shedding Bostons.
couch #4 - 1955 brown low to the ground sort of couch. purchased from a neighbor lady's estate sale for $5. LOVED this couch. however, the fabric was quite abrasive. and the whole thing was slowly coming apart. i stitched the fabric on the arms back together several times and finally couldn't take it.
fate - i still own it. it's in my lower level basement and has already served us well during a tornado scare.
couch #5 - the love of my life. i bought it off of Craigslist. it was listed at $350, but i talked her down to $250. when my husband brought it home, i immediately Googled the label to see what we were dealing with. it's a Joe Ruggiero and as far as i can tell, it was probably a $2500 couch. the single, non-smoking, childless/petless young lady that we bought it from was replacing everything in her upscale apartment. it's a velvet-y brown beauty that i had been dreaming about. i just had to wait a decade to find it.

Two words for you: BLACK LEATHER. Cats galore, no damage.

i recently got this mid century modern style couch from Urban Outfitters. took forever for it to get here(LONG, frustrating story). but once it was here i loved it. only thing is, because the fabric is tweed, it's turned out to be one giant scratch post for my cats :(

Wow, I feel really lucky after reading all of these comments. I got my couch ten years ago from a small furniture boutique in SF (now closed), and it's held up really well. I think the fabric is chenille; it's dark colored, and so far no fading or worn spots. I regularly rotate the seat cushions and haven't had an issue with sagging. My only complaint is that I got a style with four back cushions that go askew easily, but that's a minor annoyance. I think I paid a little more than $800 during a sale. Thank goodness it's held up so well because I couldn't afford a new couch every couple of years!

Our chocolate brown leather couch is still going strong after ten years. Our two kids lounge all over it, eat snacks whilst sitting on it, I put hot cups of tea on its armrests, the dog (a big old golden retriever) often hops up on it at night when she thinks we are all asleep (cheeky!). Yes, we use and abuse our faithful couch, All it takes is a wipe down with a damp cloth and it looks great. We are a fairly relaxed lot in our home and I fear if we had the couch of my dreams in our lounge room, it wouldnt last very long. The couch itself has good clean modern lines and cost us less than $1500. Incidentally, our dear old cat (since departed) never ever scratched it. She preferred the floor rug. Maybe cats dont like leather??

PHOEBEK--

My grandmother always called it a divan. :)

I bought a sofa from a hotel sale in the mid 90's- it was a mauve color that reminded me of Miami Vice. It was less than 100 bucks though, and that's all I had at the time- and it was long and sturdy with pretty modern lines...... I had no idea what kind of fabric it was- tightly woven with a low pile. It died in 2010 after a flood. When I put down on the insurance form what kind it was (and sorry I can't remember right now) and how old it was (I guessed at 25 years old) they STILL gave me 800 dollars in value for it. Apparently, hotel sofas are EXPENSIVE and I can tell you- tough.
My Aunt gave me an Ethan Allen sofa last year when she re did her house- it's over 10 years old and it's great. It's sadly a pillow back- but it was free. I am not complaining. I also have a vintage Dunbar sofa from the 1970's with original fabric that is in near perfect condition. Older sofas are the way to go...
And yes, I have always had dogs and cats in the house..... and we eat on the sofa, and sleep and recline on them....

i have a cat and two dogs one of which is able to be on the furniture. i bought a microfiber type sofa, feels like velvet. the color is a deep mushroom,like a greige but a bit darker with a tint of green in certain light. anyway, i had it treated and so far so good. my cat likes to lay on it, she has black hair, the hair comes right up with the vacuum. i flip the cushions everyweek to keep the wear even. i wish you luck. i will say, i know decorators like to tell you to invest in a great sofa but getting a new one every five years is more fun!

I have the sofa pictured above (Macy's Carona, now called "Claire"). I've had it for 1 1/2 years and really like it! It has shown a little wear, but only because I'm constantly sitting on the same cushion. Sometimes my cat's claws get snagged in the fabric, but since the couch has a lot of texture the snags aren't obvious.

It seems to be really good quality for the price- $700. That was a splurge for me! On the couch price spectrum, $700 seems reasonable though. If the floor models at IKEA are any indication, I think the Corona is a much higher quality sofa for just a couple hundred dollars more.

for those asking about the sofa in the initial pic, it does look like the corona (which i have had for 3 years and LOVE for the pricepoint). it is discontinued but the clare looks exactly the same with what looks like a slightly different fabric texture. its on sale now for under $800, and under $600 for select colors:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/clare-fabric-sofa-82w-x-37d-x-37h-custom-colors?ID=702669&CategoryID=29391&LinkType=PDPZ1

A leather couch would work but your cats sound like a major problem.

Leather is good if your cats claws are clipped often. If not, you'll have claw holes from them jumping on and off. Leather is too slippery and cold for me. However, the faux chenille is wonderful for pets and looks like suede. I used to take my Rooms to Go sofa cushions off and wash them in the washing machine. Plus, stains were easy to clean with a soft cloth and gentle cleaner or just water. Its been quite awhile since I purchased the sofa and I can't find the sofa on their website anymore but they have many styles and fabrics. The other recommendation is making sure your back cushions are sewn in and that you rotate your seat cushions often. Happy sofa hunting!

The sofa in the photo is the CORONA from Macy's. It is no longer available. I paid $630 for it. I've had it for a year, and it is resilient to cat scratching but the cushions became smooshed very quickly. If I could do things over, I would probably still buy it again.

I also made several expensive sofa selections over the years so instead I bought a daybed to use as a sofa. It has a back so it looks sofa-like. It is made of wood so my cats ignore it. I can change the cover as often as I want and it is washable. Bonus--extra place for overnight guests.

My first sofa was the Ikea precursor to the Karlanda. It was a dense black twill and the fabric held up very well to the cats although hair showed and the black started to look icky and faded after a few years.
I replaced that sofa with a Karlanda in the nubby green tweed and the fabric is irresistible to cats; the arms are totally shredded. Otherwise, I do like it, it's very comfortable and the foam has held up well. I've since gotten <a ref="http://www.amazon.com/SmartCat-3832-Ultimate-Scratching-Post/dp/B000634MH8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1">Smart Cat Ultimate Scratching Post&lt;/a ref&gt; and this thing is amazing. The cats love it and totally ignore the sofa arms. I think it's the height that works, the scratching post is so tall they can really stretch out.<br></a>

This is the couch I want: http://www.smartfurniture.com/products/Helen-Sofa.html?att=86&cid=1097 tight button back, single seat cushion, and beautiful, unfortunately $1500 is out of my price range. I've had very similar experiences with couches and currently have a leather one that the seat cushions slide out from under you when you're sitting on it. I will be researching all of these recommendations as well!

So, I've never bought a felt couch but felt is animal hair that has been abraded until it forms a fabric. If animal hair is a problem and the couch isn't an exact match of all your animals' hair, then what you are likely to find is that over time, bits of new animal hair work into the goat or sheep hair and it will always look like it needs to be vacuumed but the hairs are never going to budge because they will become part of the fabric.

Also, some people have wool allergies. If you have a lot of guests, you may find that some cannot even sit on your cough if any of their skin touches it. If you don't tend to entertain much, that may not be an issue, but it's something to consider.

It's funny, now that I am ancient I sometimes find myself doing these little exercises in nostalgia where I look back at a sequence of given elements in my life (My Life in Cars, My Life in Cats, My Life in Jobs, or whatever), but I have never tried My Life in Couches (or My Life in "Furniture-for-Sitting/Reclining-Large-Enough-For-More-Than-a-Single-Occupant" to those who find "couch" too low-brow to countenance), so here goes:

1. A pale gray cotton folding thing based on the futon concept but possessing its own padded and upholstered back and arms. It was great when we lived in a warehouse space (my ex is an artist) because it could accommodate our various friends crashing for the night but not so great once we moved and had a kid. It eventually got so stained and hideous (and there was somehow a fish-hook embedded in the back that we never could remove) that we sneaked it out to the curb around the corner from us under cover of darkness so as not to be seen and associated with such a monstrosity.
2. The "Moo-Couch," which was this 30's-era very deco chrome-framed settee that we had upholstered in black-and-white calfskin. It was chic but terribly uncomfortable, though we used it enough to pretty much beat it to death. Never could bring myself to get rid of it, though, until I had the basement finished and lost a lot of storage space so hauled it out to the curb only to encounter my next-door neighbor who claimed it for his roof-top look-out structure. I was very happy that it got a second life close to home.
3. A modern Itallian deep-red leather beauty -- down-filled cushions that sat on a black frame with chrome legs. I helped a friend choose it for his first house and he spent a mint on it plus had to wait for months and months for it to be shipped from Italy. I never would have been able to afford it, but it turned out to be his penultimate resting place, and he left it to me in his will. It creeped my son out when he was little, and he wouldn't sit on it for months, but I didn't mind from the outset; I found it strangely comforting, as it made me feel close to my friend (actually still does, even though it is no longer my primary area of repose.)
4. French walnut daybed I got at a flea market for $250 last year. It took the place of no.3., which now sits across the room facing it. I covered a twin mattress, which fits it perfectly, with a wild paisley crewel rug from Anthropologie and heaped it with pillows and bolsters in all kinds of fabrics and patterns. It's still a work in progress, though. I really need an excellent reading lamp to complete my gypsy caravan reading corner.
5. ?? Is there another one in my future? Remains to be seen, but I know that if there is, it will need to come to me serendipitously, as I could never choose a serious grown-up piece from a catalog or a department store -- the cost/commitment factor is just too overwhelming for me personally.

I have the same comment as panda75, I bought a brown leather couch over 20 (!) years ago.
My departed dog was on it for 14 years and my new rescued dog for 2 years.
It is lived in and comfortable and wipes clean.

Hard to find nowadays (unless you order your sofa at a fabric store), but one word: chintz. I bought a wonderful sofa in a brilliant coral chintz, replica of a pattern at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in 1986. The tightly-woven fabric was easy to spot clean. The pattern hid any tiny stains. The polished surface made it a cinch to brush off the cat hair. It was still in terrific shape, maybe with a little sun-fading, when I made the mistake of giving it away in 2008 as I was downsizing for a cross-country move. I'm still mourning that sofa.

@Leah Michelle The rug looks like one found at west elm. I believe it is a jute rug.

Bought a wool felt couch from DWR 8 years ago. We still use the couch, but I have to keep it covered with blankets because it's stained and threadbare. The felt wore down where people's rumps and legs rubbed, and it held onto stains like nobody's business. One of these days, I am going to have it recovered or make my own slip cover. I'd replace it, but the scale is perfect for my small apartment.

My cat destroyed my leather sofa in about 8 years, not from scratching but from running over it. He pushes off like a speed skater. I enjoy his youthful exuberance but he really is destructive. I just moved and am awaiting the delivery of a velvet sofa. I'm sure he'll find a way to destroy that one too.

At 51, I've been through my fair share of sofas, and so far the best one has been the Karlstad from IKEA. I can afford something more high-end, but the obsession that goes with keeping a better sofa pristine, or at least somewhat presentable, wore me down. We have cats, I have a husband who likes lay on the sofa to read, we have friends who show up with bottles of red wine, etc.

The Karlstad has a number of options for covers from both IKEA and Bemz. The clutzy legs that come with the sofa are easily switched out (We opted for the nice Mid Century Modern Turned Dowel Legs by Uncle Bob's Workshop--35.00 for a set). It's been nearly 5 years, and so far, no problems at all.

I also say leather (or vinyl). My first cat wasn't interested in furniture (I got amazingly lucky with that one), but our new kitty thinks my vintage couch and its original upholstery are like catnip. I love her, and she's way more irreplaceable than any sofa, and people who "rehome" their pets because of something like this are assholes.

We also have the sofa in the first photo - Corona from Macys. I really really love the look of it, but after 4 years it is so uncomfortable I can hardly stand sitting on it for more than an hour. The cushions are so smooshed, your tush is basically on the frame with you sit on it. I thought about having it re-upholstered, but I think based at the price point it isn't a "high quality" sofa, so it is probably not worth the expense.... thoughts?
Now we are looking at the Taylor sofa from Thrive Furniture. Anyone have experience with this company?

id like to suggest going with the karlstad sofa from ikea, its midcentury-ish, and if your get the sivik covers, they will work great against cat claws

ive had my karlstad couch now for 3 years and the sivik dark gray cover works like a charm, their little nails go in come out and dont snag at all.... it kind of looks like demin, but overall has a nice modern look.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S09840535/#/S29840520

dont get anything woven, i went through two sets of chairs before i figure out that.

I have a cat with medium length fluffy fur, and his fur floats everywhere! I simply use a sticky roll brush on my Microfiber couch and I keep it near. My second couch will be pill free, smooth, washable Linen and I think I'll cover my present one with a fur free slipcover.
As far as the cats scratching the couches . . . direct them to a comfortable scratching post every time you catch them, and keep a water spray bottle next to the couch. If you spray only once, its not mean.

A cat is a cuddle buddy with a built-in 6am alarm clock, who provides hours of free entertainment just by existing.
A sofa merely holds your bum off the floor while you watch television.

Hence, Lesson #1: No Couches.

(Or you could try the slipcover option. Or just get a cheap one you don't mind replacing soon. Or reupholster.)

The Case Study daybed/sofa (w/ arms) from Modernica (available from either the maker, Hive or DWR) is awesome. We're actually buying two of them (den and living room) because they were one of the only mid-century style sofas we could find available in leather (we actually ordered it a matte, pebbled, light gray, faux leather that looks awesome) with removable covers. Foam gets flat? Foam gets replaced. I honestly think I might have these forever. We'll see. Yep, we use soft claws as well and Boo just chews the tips off to expose her furniture destroying tools. I've thought about having those claws removed surgically. Yes, yes, I know it's inhumane. That's why I haven't done it...yet.

RE: Rainywoods: Hopefully I'm not mistaken, but my cat's claws retract just fine with claw caps. After several weeks, when the claws have started to grow out and are about to fall off they do click a bit on the wood floors. We actually haven't been using them unless we know a small child will be coming to the house, and I think that since she didn't have sharp claws to use from 4 months+ she doesn't destroy things. She does love her scratchers still, which is great. The thing with claw caps, though, is that you really have to keep on top of them. When they come off, there's a very very sharp, brand new nail exposed. Just keeping on top of the trimming has been enough for us, fortunately.

Tesstify: Wow at the claw-cap chewing!!

Anyway -- off the subject of cats: We got a nice micro-suede couch from Bo Concept. My husband reaaally wanted white, and the lady in the store promised it was easy to clean. Ugh. It's easy, but you have to do it a LOT or it does look dingy. I obsess over our couch and can't look when we have people over who plop down with plates of food and glasses of red wine. It's a nightmare. Our next ouch will be grey.

Also, the cushion fabric has slightly stretched, so that the 2-piece L-shape no longer fits squarely together, and the cushions show wrinkles in what should be a tight, quarter-bouncing look. I'm constantly rotating the back cushions so that they keep their square shape. It's so high-maintenance.

If anyone has a recommendation for professional couch cleaning, please post! I've heard of it, but don't know where to start.

The sofa pictured at the beginning of your post is from Macy's and retails for $699 (was $899 and is always on sale.) The tag says, Better By Design. It is from www.maxhome.us They have nice modern furniture. I know the sofa is from Macy's because I have the love seat. We bought it 5 or 6 years ago for our living room. We have no sofa. It is comfortable and takes a beating. We have the fabric that is slightly nubby, I think the one shown in the picture is the same. And ours is a light sage or olive green. The seat cushion covers come off and are machine washable. I have washed them many times. And I have removed stains from the rest of it with dish soap and water and even, for a quick clean, I used a clorox or lysol wipe! We would buy it again and again! Comfy, durable and easy to clean. (When we were buying it he salesman tld us it is known to be easy to clean. He was right!) If you like one on the picture, buy it from Macy's. Mine was, I believe the Corona collection. The closest I see on the site now is the Clare, different fabric but same style. And it is more expensive. http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/clare-fabric-sofa-82w-x-37d-x-37h-custom-colors?ID=702669&CategoryID=29391&RVI=Browse_1
But, look for the one I have. Maybe check out the store and ask an associate.

I think we bought this exact same sofa from macy's, it's called "Clare" and in fact it's on sale right now for black friday! hope this helps if you are still wondering about it
we hav only had it for a couple of weeks but really like it so far

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/clare-fabric-sofa-82w-x-37d-x-37h?ID=672571&CategoryID=35419#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D264%26ruleId%3D54%26slotId%3Drec%281%29

I also have the Corona sofa shown here. It's held up great over 4+ years that we've had it. =)