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I have couch question

I need to buy a couch for my new apartment that is "cat-friendly." I've heard that micro-fiber is pretty cat resistant. What about leather? Any other suggestions? My cat scratched the arms of my last couch.

Thanks

Just the other day I was thinking about getting some foldable chairs and remembered a conversation here about them, so I went to find it in the archives. Then yesterday, I came across some great looking folding chairs that hadn't been in the archive so I thought I'd share with any who may be looking (see the URL I've listed with my name).

dear new tenant,
we had exactly the same situation and ended up selecting a leather couch, precisely for its cat-proof qualities. we purchased an anodized leather couch from natuzzi. this type of leather is much more durable (and affordable) than a higher quality, more supple and soft leather. the anodized leather resists scratches from claws, fur slides right off, and in general the leather wears so well - like a classic old library arm chair.
as the owner of two kitties who love to snuggle on the couch, i say leather is the way to go!

dear new tenant,
we had exactly the same situation and ended up selecting a leather couch, precisely for its cat-proof qualities. we purchased an anodized leather couch from natuzzi. this type of leather is much more durable (and affordable) than a higher quality, more supple and soft leather. the anodized leather resists scratches from claws, fur slides right off, and in general the leather wears so well - like a classic old library arm chair.
also, because the leather is so tough, the kitties aren't even interested in using the arms as a scratching post. they can't get their claws into it.
as the owner of two kitties who love to snuggle on the couch, i say leather is the way to go!

Wow. That goes contrary to everything I've ever heard about cats, claws, and leather. However, it gives me hope that I can finally get that leather club chair I've been drooling over. :)

In followup.. What I'd really like is one of those soft, supple chairs. My personal preference is the Jules chair from Storehouse. It sounds like you're saying they are more susceptible to damage? I think my preference would be to find a nice used one that has some cosmetic damage to it. That way I won't be heartbroken when my cats put some marks in a $1400 chair. :) We don't seem to have a great resource (that I know of) for quality used furniture in DC, though. (I'm keeping my eyes on craigslist, but that is quite the crapshoot)

doug,
we're in charlottesville va and bought our couch at la difference in richmond. i would highly suggest making the trip - they have an unbelievable selection of furniture (though not used) and carry most of the natuzzi line. you might have a look at the natuzzi chairs. we bought our couch off the floor, so got it at quite a discount. also, you might find a happy medium between the anodized leather and softer, more delicate leather.

Is "anodized" the smooth, shiny stuff? I really don't like the looks of those.

I just read a tip on a website to put packing tape wrong side out on the furniture for a period of time. Apparently it is effective in training cats not to scratch that furniture

I have another question

What do you think about mixing different furniture finishes in one room.

For example, I am thinking of getting this coffee table:
http://a787.g.akamai.net/7/787/2898/v294/www.gaiam.com/retail/images/products/05-0320_large.jpg

But I also kind of like this entertainment unit:
http://www.doorstorefurniture.com/equation_3.html

Have I gone completely insane?

New Tenant--
Can't vouch for you general sanity, but I think you can definitely mix wood finishes. But the two pieces you show are pretty polar (not just wood color, but era, line and style all contrast). Not to say it can't be done... check out the Room & Board catalog, since I think they do a great job of mixing eras and injecting rusticity into otherwise modern environments. I think wood furniture in a room needs to have some connection to the others... but should also pass a "compare and contrast" test. If color is different, maybe line should relate, or vice-versa, for example.

Good luck!

Sounds like two different questions. But yes, I can picture a world where that coffee table might work in the same room with that entertainment center. I would want to consider the other things that were going in the room and figure out how to reconcile them, though. Mixing things is fun, but as I've said before, it's a better party if everyone knows as least 2 other people.

So, I would make sure that the shapes, textures and/or colors cross-polinate with other pieces. Perhaps the stem of a lamp could echo the arch of the trestle of the coffee table, but be featured in a metal finish that appears on the the entertainment center (just off the top of my head).

P2 and I were typing those things at the same time. Spooky.

As an aside, I just want to comment how amazing I think the caliber of ALL entries in the Color contest so far has been, on both coasts and in between!

Hey jamie pup, the guy in the deli was furniture/interior designer/Dune Design Director Nick Dine, RISD grad and son of famed painter (of hammers, hearts and bathrobes) Jim Dine.

Thanks patrick, Curtis and all who have answered my questions so far.

The problem for me is that it feels as though there are too many choices out there. I don't know how I'll ever make any decisions!

Am I the only one who's noticing that the NAMES of the colors of the "Ribbons" in the contest aren't the colors of the little ribbony things next to them? Should I duck as shoes are thrown at me for saying that? Like ... where it says, "Blue Ribbon" the line next to it is yellow, for instance?

Just a funny little thing I noticed.

New Tenant -
My at ruined my last sofa too. (NEVER buy a looped fabric if you have cats.) I went with leather. Very happy. I also HIGHLY recommend Guardsman leather product available in hardware stores because although cats won't be interested in using leather as a scratching post, there are incidental scratches from them running over it. Guardman's product (it's like a mousse) buffs it right out.
In some cases velvet can be okay because cats are really looking for the fabric to catch their nails on and remove the outer sheaths and velvet is too smooth to do that. However, avoid a design with unnecessary seams and piping in places that might make for good scratching. I had a velvet couch that did great with a cat who wasn't much of a dedicated scratcher anyway, but I wouldn't trust it with a cat that loves to scratch lots and lots. Good luck.

Re cats scratching furniture

I swear by Feliway (feliway.com). It's a pricey spray feline pheremone product but it is the only thing that I've seen deter cats from scratching and rubbing/marking surfaces. I've used it on upholstered furniture and wood. No staining. There is a slight alcohol smell when you first spray it but that's all. This "Feline Behavior Modification Spray" apparently soothes the cat so it doesn't feel the need to mark or attack surfaces. It also works well with a quick spray in the cat carrier before heading to the vet.

My neice suggested the product and I was highly skeptical but, hey, it has been the only thing that works and I can actually see the difference in the cat's behavior right after spraying. Go figure.

Thanks Sharon

I am leaning towards leather, but I did hear that, as you said, it can get scratches on the surface from cats running across it. Since I would like to by a sleeper, I am considering the Valencia
http://www.doorstorefurniture.com/valencia.html

or the Contempo
http://www.doorstorefurniture.com/contempo.html

They are Decoro sofas sold at the door store.

Anyone have any experience/familiarity with them?

Unfortunately, most leather sofabeds are out of my price range ($1500-2000)

Thanks Libby

I've heard of that too. My bf was going to get some to soothe his cats when he introduced a new kitten into the home.

I've actually heard Feliway works well. My cat doesn't scratch much at all (except on her scratch post) but when we finally get our new leather sofa in a few months, I might try that and the Guardsman mentioned above. Can't hurt, right?

While we are waiting on the new couch, we covered our old couch with a Pottery Barn canvas slipcover. For some reason, this is the only thing besides the scratch post that my cat DOES want to scratch--and quite desperately, too. I have caught her hanging from it by her front paws.

I have caught my cat precariously hanging from the bottom piece of my roughly 6 ft tall front window. It is quite a site to see. (not the drapes, not the shutters, the actual window frame thing that contains the glass)

Libby - great link to the Feliway products. I volunteer at an animal shelter and am always asked about scratching and spraying. This is a product I'll tell adopters about. Clicking on 'spraying and marking' took me to another great site - Cat Focused. Good for anyone with a cat or 3. Thanks

Doug, wait until the cat runs up the window frame. Our cat -- known to her fans as Little Entropy -- actually ran up the center frame of a sliding glass door, all the way to the top.

The cat that adopted me (I swear I'm still not sure how I ended up with him) is named Murphy's Law - very appropriate. He took a leap off the balcony in an attempt to snare a squirrel in a tree (luckily he landed rather well on the bark ground cover below). Now he's figured out how to shinny down the rain gutter-spout thing. It's weird to see and his claws on the metal sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I should probably just coat the whole damn place in Feliway - especially the stove top (I don't even want to share that adventure!).

We had a leather couch that was ruined by our cat. It loved the leather. Just a thought. The good point is that there is a tecnique that can be done and sprayed on the couch and fix it. It's a bit pricey but it can be done. We have microfiber and it's been great. Not a scratch. If worse comes to worse train the cat not to scratch. Yeah, I know that's hard, but we use a squirt gun. Sorry if it's inhumane, but it works.

~Bethany

It can only top my story if you have a gas stove. So I have a (what I call) passthrough between my kitchen and living room. In there I had three teelights lit. My cat stepped on to the small ledge and I got worried, so I told him to get down. As he turned to do so his entire side burst into flames. As he freaked out and ran through to the kitchen he managed to rub his side against the microwave and extinguish the flames.

Incidentally, he is named O'Leary Jr and the original O'Leary was named for the fabled story of the Chicago fire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire

Whoa, Doug, that's quite a story--especially the name part. I would like to think I'd keep my head under those circumstances, but am not sure.

I also wanted to mention Soft Paws (www.softpaws.com). If we need to use this as a last resort, we will--although they aren't cruel at all. I have heard some determined cats will chew them off, though.

My vet told me that sometimes the soft paws get embedded around the nail and require surgery to remove them.

Those softpaws don't look good to me at all.

Dear new tenant: I have 3 myself and it is always a challenge. I have a Mitchell Gold couch that is upholstered in velvet that has held up beautifully (going on 1 year now) and show no signs of pulls. I just bought a new chair in ultrasuede because I was assured it is the most durable fabric out there, only to find that although there are no pulls, my cats have actually managed to make some small tears in the upholstery since the fabric doesn't have any give to it. I will have to look into Feliway to protect my beloved chair.

And Bethany, squirt bottles are inhumane, declawing is inhumane. (sorry to all for the lecture).

This makes me feel very, very lucky to have a cat who, in 10 years, has scratched nothing other than his Alpine Climber cardboard scratcher. So yes, this is a plug for one of those.

A few years ago it was my dog who was the one who scratched up the seat of a leather chair with her claws because she kept climbing into it to curl up when I was gone. (I no longer have the chair -- and she has shown no interest in the knock-off Eames recliner. Whew.)

Loving the color contest, by the way. It's really making me crave color in my black-and-white abode . . .

Oh, really, Doug? That's good to know. On another message board I frequent, I know dozens of people have used Softpaws with no problems (except for the chewing off) but I suppose there's always a risk. Maybe you have to make sure it doesn't actually go up to the skin (although that might make it easier to chew off)?

Pixie, as far as I know, they are totally humane, although this is the first I am hearing about the issue Doug raised. It's certainly a better alternative to declawing, which I would never do, but some people would without alternatives.

My vet may also be a loony that hates SoftPaws, I don't know. :)

I have to say I was kind of skeeved out by the softpaws, but then again, I don't even like the idea of contact lenses, so who am I to judge.

thanks for all the help. I have decided to go with leather. I will also be more diligent about claw clipping and will try the packing tape idea to see if that works.

Hi New Tenant:
My 2 cents on the cat and furniture dilemma. I have two cats and am very, very careful about fabrics now, not only because of the scratching, but because of the tendency of fabrics to become full of cat hair.

My first rule: The fabric must be very tightly woven and should not have a nap. Someone wrote that they had success with velvet; my own experience with velvet was that it seemed always to be full of cat hair.

My second rule: (You probably won't like this one.) NO leather. I've seen cats destroy leather furniture. My best success has been with ultrasuede. The hair flies off; the cats don't seem to like to scratch it, but they do like to lie on it.

(I now have an armless futon that looks a bit like a settee covered in ultrasuede. Cat vomit wipes right off; should anything awful happen, I can always replace the futon cover.)

You seem to want a more finished, sleek style for your place. I love the furniture you've been looking at and congratulate you on your choices. I think you're going to have a gorgeous place.

I hope my tips help--perhaps if only in choosing fabrics for the bed and curtains and so on. To reiterate, avoid anything that isn't tightly woven like the plague.

I would never advocate that anyone buy leather. My cats and dogs destroyed all my leather within a year of purchase. Went I went back to the store, I found out that the tannins used to make the leather extremely toxic to the environment, especially the groundwater around the leather factory. Not to mention that the leather trade is extremely unpeople friendly (the workers get low pay and no benefits) and unanimal friendly (cows are slaughtered, boiled alive and gutted, while they are alive)

After learning this, my family and I do not want to contribute to the suffering of anything- people, environmental or animal- and we always buy sythetic or organic cotton furniture and clothes.

My 6 month old cat ruint my letter couch with her back claws. But she used it for a race track. My sister has 2 cats and a couch made from what they call micro fiber. Its still looks brand new.

I found this posting trying to find out how if it is possible to repair a leather chair that the cat ruined. I would be cautious about leather around a cat.

Meva,

Squirting a cat with water is not "inhumane," so you better think of a better word. Truly, it's not even mean. Get a life.

I am considering leather furniture because of allergies, since I could simply wipe away any cat hair from the surface of the piece(s). I have 4 cats and (yes, Meva, I have used a water pistol as a disapline tool and it's not inhumane at all!) they seem to like to scratch my wood table legs in the dining room. I know that once they begin, it's hard to break them away from a place they've used before. I work nights and have no idea what they're up to in my absense. I will be having my carpeting removed and replaced with laminate flooring. Some of my allergies are to my cats but they can stay since dust is also a problem. I think if I can get rid of the dust collectors, I should be okay. I'm here because I needed some suggestions for a cat-proof furniture covering, either leather or synthetic. You folks are helping alot! Thanks, Terri

I had a cool pair of modern chairs upholstered in ultra suede (key word HAD) that my cats chewed up. I replaced them and left them covered in the shipping plastic wrap for a little over 7 months. I recently removed the plastic wrap and after two weeks have noticed one or both of them is chewing in the same areas on the newly replaced ultra suede modern chairs as was seen on the previous pair. So, now I have spent way too much money on chairs (two pairs) that seem to be attracting bad behavior from my cats.... they do not chew on any other furniture pieces. I don't know what to do.