I feel like you answered your own question. You have a cat with claws that likes to knead your bedding. Will he ruin your new duvet? Hmmm....

why don't you keep his claws clipped?

I have the same issue and user reviews about this product when I was looking for bedding suggetions were:

1) the fabric is rough (not really cat related) and
2) the smocking is poorly done, so it comes apart easily (more cat-related) which means that if wash it frequently to remove cat hair, it's likely to not last very long.

You could reinforce the smocking yourself.

As for kneeding and pin-holes from claws.... I've found that cotton voile, silk, and velvet are the fabrics that don't stand up to that fact-of-life-with-cats.

Stick with cottons, cotton blends, and wools. Those fabrics "heal" better from pin-holes.

I purchased this duvet cover, and regretted it right away. After the first wash (delicate setting) some of the stitching came apart. It was impossible to iron, and the fabric softeners didn't do the trick. Even if you didn't have a cat, I would say not to buy it... Most of the West Elm's products are of really great quality, but this one is just not that good.

PS -- rather, stick with heavier weight woven cottons, as opposed to finely woven voile, etc.

I like the look of this, but with two cats who sleep with me, I'm afraid that it would get cat fur stuck in the pleats and look shabby quickly. I prefer something that I can easily shake off or lint roll between (probably more frequent than non-cat owners) washings.

I agree with katedat, the toughest thing about this duvet will be the hair stuck in the pleats. My cat beds get fur caught in the pleats and i have to pull it out because the dryer and roller won't work.

I have a duvet cover on my bed and cats that sleep on it all of the time, but when I am not i bed i cover the duvet with a big thick blanket. It protects it from claws and the occasional puking incident.

You can also learn to clip you cats nails, its difficult at first but after a while he/she will think nothing of it. There was a discussion about it here earlier this month (and I almost feel like making an instructional video for people). Remember lots of treats after nail clipping! One of my cats is so good with it now I just pick up each foot while shes sitting staring at me and clip them

I would go for it, but I have 4 cats and have resigned myself to a house full of clawed up, furry stuff.

Try SoftPaws - vinyl nail caps that glue onto the nails. They don't hurt the cat, last for 6 weeks, and protect things from getting clawed. I use them on my cats. Plus, they come in pretty colors too!

I wanted a very similar duvet from Pottery Barn but with 2 cats I knew it would never work. I now have a linen duvet (they don't get their claws in it) and a shamois duvet (they LOVE to sleep on it and haven't wrecked it thus far). Go with heavy fabrics and you should be fine. But definitely skip this one!

The beauty of a duvet is that you can replace it.

I am a gentle human and have pulled some of the stitching out of this duvet. And ironing was quite an ordeal.

I have this bedding and I love it! I completely disagree with olya. Yes it is impossible to iron, but I don't iron bedding anyway. And I haven't experienced any of the stitching coming apart. I've mine since March and washed it several times. I also have cats, and they haven't ruined it yet. I have the Euro shams too. Absolutely no problems :-) I say go for it.

I have this duvet in white and also love it. I don't have cats (yet) but am a bad human and lie on top of my duvet all the time and I haven't yet pulled out any of the pleats. I have washed it twice with no incident and NO, I do not iron my duvet cover. Hasn't needed it yet.
~k

If you own a cat, as I do, you simply have to accept not all design ideas are feasible. If they have claws, you may get pinprick holes in your leather sofa and knitted throws and bedding WILL get plucked apart.

Just look for an alternative. It's what I do and usually I find something else that's just as great and is cat friendly.

My significant other and I looked at this very duvet and had the very same concerns. Given that our cat is most comfortable sprawled across the end of the bed at pretty much any time of the day or night, we opted against it. And if the cat wasn't the first to ruin it, how long would it be before we snagged it on something else? Eventually we decided to forget the duvet & keep the cat (really a very easy and obvious decision.)

I have the uneven squares quilt from West Elm and after ONE wash, it ripped and came apart. I'm not thrilled with the quality of their bedding. I think it's safe to say that this duvet will not hold up to the cat's abuse and frequent washing.

"I am a gentle human..." I love that phrasing, clh. What's the word to describe the way a beachball bounces around the top of those huge rainbow tarps that kids shake and throw in the air at daycamp? I'm that adjective.

I have this duvet, as well as cat with claws.

I would agree with kim that the smocking is poorly done and comes apart easily. All it takes is a good tug and you hear the pleats begin to pull apart. As for my cat, I can't say she's to blame. Unless you have one really large/ tough cat, you shouldn't have a problem.

As for sheading, my cat is white and my bed is natural/ off-white. I clean it once every-other week, and it still looks great. I bought it back and march and, beyond the poor smocking, as well as a few buttons missing/ broken, I like it -and so does my cat:)

As a cat lover and also a lover of fine furnishings, I've learned to adapt creatively when needed...

Why not use some throw pillows on the bed that have that pintucked look that you like and go with some more durable and kitty friendly bedding?

These pillows are a good option and are also available in a sand/natural colorway:

http://pillowsandthrows.com/bl56279.html

I have a nice Indian blanket/cover with elaborate stitching all over it. My lovely furry feline loves to be on top of it with me so much that she claws and claws and claws in pure joy. Which is slowly destroying it, but it's cotton and thus very resilient (through the washings). My solution: I keep only the one side exposed. So that at some point in the distant future, I will flip it over to the other side and have a brand new cover!

I have three cats and a penchant for nice bedding, so what I have done is to get a blanket so lovely and soft my cats insist on sleeping on it, rather than my blanket. It took a while, but a few bags of catnip, and ta da. We are all happy.

I have this duvet, and my pintucks are standing the test of time-- but my apartment is petless and I always wash on delicate cycle. Your cat would definitely destroy this.

Neither one of my cats has every damaged a duvet or a quilt. If the duvet is sturdy it should withstand any kneading. It looks like the problem in the picture is the quality of the duvet and not the cats.

This product looks better in the catalog than in person. Thin, coarse and not well-made.

and not related to the duvet . . . I recently saw this item at the store but had to leave the West Elm Store within minutes as the entire place had a horrible off-gassing smell, which gave me a terrible headache. I actually held my breadth the last few steps till I got outside.

thrill- I have the same solution....

My youngest cat is a "kneader" with claws...and I have a beautiful Donna Karen blanket in a rich chocolatey brown color and a satin finish that I was terrified that she would ruin. But, as luck has it, she is OBSESSED with a small throw blanket that I keep folded on the end of the bed. It is a soft, fluffy faux fur one that she goes crazy over... and it only cost me a tenth of the other. So maybe try keeping a blanket on hand that she CAN knead and partially cover your west elm one to preserve it.

I have this duvet in off white and it is super durable (can't speak to cat claws but I haven't experienced any seams coming loose.) I have a 40 LB dog that likes to launch herself on and off of it- and still, it holds up to that and the weekly washings.
I say go for it and use the advice of others for dealing with Kitty's claws.

Based on the mixed reviews, I would say skip it. I have two clawed cats who insist on sleeping on my bed for most of every day. They are rough on duvets. I decided to try a pretty blue duvet in similar fabric about 6 months ago, and they have pulled more threads loose than I can let myself think about.

Since it will be getting cooler shortly, I think I am going to go back to my old standby duvet that has stood the test of 2 cats for about 5 years with barely a scratch! The magic duvet is a wide corduroy-like material. It seems to be virtually indestructible! I would highly recommend that type of fabric. Microfiber also seems to be highly cat resistant. They aren't as sexy as silks, but only getting 6 months out of a duvet makes me SAD!

Good luck!

I have been looking at the same duvet set, but also have a cat who has ruined my bedding. What I have now is a cotton hotel type coverlet and it is snagged from cat claws. Not only that, but she sleeps on the bed and it is always covered with fur. The folds in the West Elm set will only hold more fur. I've decided to look for something affordable and less "special".

I haven't seen the duvet first hand so I have nothing to add with regard to it's durability but reading "cat" and "duvet" in the same sentence made me want to share a little funny tidbit. I have a duvet that buttons closed about 4/5ths of the way up on the underside of the duvet. When I was in college my roommate of many years had a cat (a very old cat) who would constantly hang out in my room. Sometimes upon returning from being at class all day I'd find Tommy meow-ing pitifully because he'd managed to get stuck inside a distant corner the duvet cover and needed rescuing.

I'd need more than two hands to count the number of times this happened. Even though I dislike the thought of him being stuck in there for hours it was really cute every time. [the long white hair on everything was less cute]

I have 3 cats with claws... I have concluded that it is my purpose to make their lives comfortable.

I do not purchase items I would be upset about if my cats ruined it.

My cats are WAY more important than my "stuff"... If I'm too worried about my pets ruining something, I simple don't purchase it.

My cats are not allowed in my bedroom for this reason. They have free reign over the rest of the house including the office/guest bedroom

Okay laura! are you ready to hear this? YOUR CAT WILL SNAG THIS BEDDING. but if you really want it trim his claws (it will make him have less of an urge to kned on your bed) and get a matching blanket to put at the bottom of the bed. sprinkle light (and i mean a little if theres too much he'll go crazy) inbetween it when its folded in half. This will work with any bedding. You can also use a super plush cat pillow that he'll love if he sleeps more close to the head of the bed. I hope this helps!