Best Fabric For Cats Sofa

Another Expert Advocates For Leather Thin Rugs And Cat Furniture

Donna Arbietman of Magnolia Brook said she gets many questions about cats and furniture, and that while each cat is different, she offers these guidelines:

Microfiber Fabrics The Best Choice

Microfibers are made from various materials. They are typically soft, durable, and a comfortable material to sit or lay on so they are commonly used on couches.

Microfibers also happen to be the best couch material if you have cats. In my experience cats are very unlikely to scratch or try to sharpen their nails on microfibers as its too soft.

You can also get some good stain-resistant microfiber. Either that has been treated with a stain guard, or designed to be naturally stain-resistant. These will help you keep on top of fur and stains your kitty might leave behind.

Best Furniture For Pets: Leather Or Fabric

La-Z-Boy Southeast | January 5, 2021

A common question we receive is, What is the best furniture for pets? Leather or fabric?

When it comes to our pets, we want them to be as comfortable as we are. But we dont want them tearing up our new furniture.

In this article, well take a look at the unique pros and cons of the best furniture for pets.

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Lose The Loose Weaves And Anything High Maintenance

The trouble with fabrics like tweed, Denise says, is hairs and dirt can get trapped in the weave not to mention claws can snag and tear it. And forget something high maintenance like velvet. Its a magnet for hair, she says.

Sondra, who lives with Buddy and Jelly Bean, doesnt dig her nubby fabric sofa. It traps dirt and pieces of random sticks I dont see them bring in until its too late, she says.

Best Couch Materials & Fabrics For Dogs

Nicole Cosgrove

Owning a dog can be an absolute blessing for you and your family. However, those sentiments might not be shared by your furniture.

Dogs are notorious for ruining furniturewhether its intentional or not. However, that doesnt mean your pup has to stay outside. But you might want to consider investing in some furniture made out of a dog-friendly fabric.

Not all furniture fabric can hold up to the rigors of owning a pet, but there are plenty of great options available. But before we get into them, lets take a look at some of the ways your pooch might tear up your couch.

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Bad: Loose Weave Fabrics

Tweed, corduroy, and anything with an open weave can easily snag on claws and unravel over time. Plus, open weave couch fabrics can trap hair and dust, which is next to impossible to clean if the cushions arent removable. Trapped debris embedded in the fibers can even make your couch smell stinky.

Next: Skip the silk couch.

Color Fastness To Light

You may have heard the term color fastness to light, which determines the effect of natural sunlight on textile colors. All textile colorants are susceptible to some fading in sunlight, as colorants by nature absorb certain wavelengths. But you dont want your colored fabric to fade too quickly over the course of its life. If you know your furniture will be consistently exposed to direct artificial or natural light, we recommend selecting a lighter color fabric to minimize its fastness.

With each fabric group available in the Eilersen collection you can review the ratings for color fastness to help reduce fading. This is especially important if the sofa will be placed near a window with direct sunlight. Here is an example from the promotional fabric groups in the Eilersen collection called Bubble II:

Keep in mind some fabrics change appearance depending on the angle from which the sofa is viewed. The change can range from a more matte and darker surface to a shinier and lighter colored one. The change is also noticeable in those areas where the fabric is exposed to wear and tear. This change is typical of velour fabrics and is an expected and intrinsic feature of the material.

We typically do not recommend pretreating or scotchgarding your fabric, as this will void the manufacturers warranty. Instead, we suggest spot cleaning as needed, and knowing how to properly care for your upholstery. Here are some tips to take the best care of your upholstery, as needed:

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Leather Furniture For Pets: Pros & Cons

Heres a list of the pros and cons that come with selecting leather furniture for pet-friendly homes.

Leather Furniture Pros:

• Typically costs more than fabric.
• Limited color and pattern options.
• Has a different feel than fabric.

These are just a few of the reasons to buy leather furniture instead of fabric upholstery.

When you purchase leather furniture, youre investing in a piece you and your pets will enjoy for a long time.

Is Tweed A Good Fabric For A Couch

Well, it is a good fabric for a couch if you do not have pets or kids that like to rough house inside your home. But if you have pets then look for another fabric to cover your couch.

The reasons for this are the opposite of the reasons for avoiding velvet in a home with pets. The tweed material is a loose weave that can easily be snagged by your pets claws.

Then if the tweed material has raised ridges, that is a toy temptation cats do not resist. It seems that cats love to play with those raised ridges and keeps them occupied for a long time. If their claws catch a loose thread, say goodbye to your nice looking couch.

Also, tweed being a loose weave will trap hair and dirt inside those vacant areas of the weave. This makes getting the fabric nice and clean next to impossible. The couch will look dirty even if you spent hours cleaning it before your mother in law arrives.

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What Is The Best Furniture Material For Cats

If you’re looking for non-fabric furniture, such as a dining table and chairs or a coffee table, consider investing in synthetic pieces or treated wood with smooth surfaces that your cat can’t dig their nails into. Some cats view wooden furniture legs as tiny trees perfect for claw-trimming but with time and patience, you can teach your cat to redirect their instincts and choose a cat scratching post instead, emphasizes the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Queensland, Australia. You can even make your own cat scratching post to entice them.

What Fabric Are Couches Made Of

There are many different fabrics used to make couches. You have your choice between natural fibers and synthetic ones. But you need to be aware of some of the laws or regulations governing which fabrics can be used.

Different states have different rules for flammability and toxic chemical ingredients. If you are making your own couch, you need to be aware of those rules so you do not get into trouble if something happens later on.

Then when you are choosing the different fabrics you think would work best in your home, cotton is durable and stain-resistant, silk is almost a no-no as it is too fragile. Then rayon can mimic silk so you still get the look and feel of that fabric without losing durability, etc.

On top of all that you can get fabric blends that create material that uses the best characteristics found in both fabric worlds.

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Cats Wont Want To Scratch Furniture With Full Upholstery And Recessed Legs

Sean Juneja, co-founder and CEO of offers this tip: Look for fully upholstered pieces with wood or metal recessed legs.

The best fabrics are ultrasuede and leather, because a cat cannot claw into these, Juneja said.

Avoid fabrics that snag easily, such as tweeds. Its also difficult to remove pet hair from these types of textured fabrics.

Asked why full upholstery is important, Juneja said it keeps cats from clawing from any wood on the furniture.

While most prefer something they can shred, there are cats that prefer wood, Juneja said, and recessed legs are not accessible because they are hidden and smaller.

These chairs are covered with ultrasuede.

And here is a leather couch and metal tables.

Couch Considerations For Animal Lovers

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The Spruce / Kevin Norris

As a loving owner of a cat or dog, you know that it is not just your prized sofabut also most of your home decorthat bears the brunt of your beloved pet. Because even when Fluffy isn’t trying to destroy your upholstery, the simple act of climbing, sitting, or walking on it can warrant a heavy cleaning bill. This is how and why selecting the best upholstery for your couch gets complicated.

Luckily, there are some heavy-duty fabrics that can withstand a few claw marks, prevent clinging pet hair, and resist dirt marks and stains due to the occasional accident from a cat or dog on the couch.

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Why Are Some Fabrics Better Than Others

When trying to understand what fabrics are best for keeping cat hair off your furniture and clothing, keep in mind that there are qualities to each material that will factor in to whether it is good or bad for pet hair. With the array of fabric blends on the market these days, it can get very confusing. Are synthetic fibers better than natural? Is a rougher fabric better than a softer one? There isnt always a clear, cut and dry answer because it depends on the exact fabric in question, but there are general guidelines you can follow and characteristics to consider.

Do You Know What Upholstery Fabric Stands Up To Cats The Best

Velvet. Its velvet. There are also a couple of others, like ultrasuede and leather . Ive just never been a fan of ultrasuede . Leather is nice, but it doesnt really go with my decor. So for me, velvet is king. In my personal, humble opinion, velvet is the best for cat owners because its not quite as imprint-prone as ultrasuede, and I find it to be more versatile than leather. And it comes in so many different colors, and you can upholster just about any style of furniture with it and itll look good.

I already have several velvet upholstered pieces in our home. The chairs in the living room are velvet.

Right after I got these, I saw Felicity try to scratch on them once. Her claws wouldnt catch on anything, and she lost interest almost immediately. I havent seen her try to claw on them since.

And the settee in the music room is also velvet.

This is Felicitys favorite spot to nap during the day, but Ive never once seen her attempt to scratch at the fabric.

So as long as I trim and file her claws on a regular basis , she simply cant get her claws into the velvet fabric, and then she loses interest and heads to her scratching post. But right now, that living room sofa is way too convenient for her, and she can definitely destroy that fabric no matter how recently Ive cut and filed her claws. So Ive started looking for a replacement.

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Additional Quicktips For Sofa Maintenance And Durability

• Upon request, removable sofa covers are available for Eilersen pieces, including their quick ship styles. The cost to reupholster a sofa can be about 2-3 times the amount of the original cost of the sofa, so this is a great option if you have children or pets.
• Pilling is not a reflection of poor durability, but is a normal result from repeated rubbing or scuffing of an upholstery fabric. When surface fibers are continually rubbed together, they form small knots that can easily be removed with a pill shaver or de pilling comb.

While there are many aspects that make up a high quality piece of furniture, Trade Source Furniture has done the work for you and carefully vetted a high quality array of furniture by the industrys top furniture makers. If you are looking for the best sofa with dogs, with kids, or for those inclined to spill red wine, contact us reach out and ask questions from each product page and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Best Couch Fabric For Dogs Nails

In this category, you will be looking at leather again and you already know what that material brings to your home. If you go with the tightest weave possible, then you are looking at canvas, denim, and microfibers.

These are the fabrics that do not catch your dogs claws and lets them still find that comfortable spot on your sofa when you are not home. One tip to selecting fabrics, and if it goes with your interior color scheme, is to match the couch fabrics color to your pets coloring.

The reason for that is to hide your dogs falling or shedding fur. The color protects the couchs look and the tight weaver protects against unraveling by your dogs nails. It is just too easy for a dogs nails to catch a loose thread and pull it up and starting your couchs decline.

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How To Minimize Cat Scratches On Furniture

I promised Id touch on this topic back in the intro, so heres my advice. It is possible to train cats to stop scratching furniture but it takes time and effort on your part to do.

Worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. And if you need one, heres a full how-to guide to training cats to stop clawing furniture.

Besides that? The ideal is to have a scratching post, scratch pad, or cat tree in every room your cat frequents.

That way, when he or she gets the itch, theres a cat-appropriate object to take nails to immediately within the vicinity.

Top choices include these inexpensive cat trees, as well as small cat tree varieties that are much cheaper than taller trees.

My favourites in terms of what I own? The thats currently in my bedroom, and the Go Pet Club Faux Fur Cat Tree thats in my office.

They are like scratch posts on steroids, yes, but theyre also simultaneously cat beds, and in terms of being used as cat beds, these two cat trees get use from all my cats, for many, many hours in the day and night. Often being used by multiple cats at once.

Space an issue, even though youd love to go big? Try narrow cat trees, or if youre in a really small apartment, try a floor-to-ceiling variety.

Though you have to drill into the ceiling and the floor to get one of those up, theyre really affordable and look super sleek and modern as well.

Some examples? Rugs because lets be honest, those are a lot easier and cheaper to replace than couches.

Paws & Claws Warranty: How To Make Your Furniture Pet

Leather and microfiber are very durable fabrics, but they can still be vulnerable to extremely sharp claws and strong teeth.

Some furniture stores have warranties that will specifically protect new furniture from damage done by your pets.

At La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor, we offer an additional Paws & Claws Warranty to pet owners who shop with us.

The Paws & Claws Warranty is good for five years and brings peace of mind by covering all damage from:

• Animal Waste
• Sharp Claws
• Teeth Marks

If your furniture experiences pet damage under this warranty, simply send a picture of the damage with your claim.

Once its approved, your La-Z-Boy Furniture will be fixed or replaced free of charge.

You can learn more about the Paws & Claws Warranty by visiting your local La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Décor.

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Microfiber Fabric Best For Scratching

Microfiber is a synthetic polyester-nylon material that is becoming more popular as the years pass. Faux suede is a form of microfiber, and it is easy to clean, repelling water damage. While many love it because they find it fresh and stylish, it also combats against cat-clawing fits of rage.

The texture is undesirable for cat claws. It doesnt give them the amount of friction and resistance they crave. If cats do decide to give it a whirl anyway, the tightly wound fabric doesnt tear or unravel easily.

Even if your couch or furniture takes a few lashings, its likely to do minimal damage. Your cat will probably be more interested in other materials that satisfy their desires .

One thing that might be a downfall, depending on your situation, is that microfiber isnt always stain-resistant. If you have animals that are making messes, put down additional protection measures to defend against permanent stains.

• It doesnt provide cats desired resistance

Additional Benefits Of Microfiber

Many people are allergic or sensitive to cat dander. Even if no one in your family is bothered by the fine hairs and skin cells cats shed every day, it is likely a guest may be. Microfiber furniture is so dense that these allergens can be vacuumed away before people arrived at your house. The upholstery is also easy to clean with a lint or pet roller so that youre not wearing your cats fur over your clothes.

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