What is the best furniture upholstry to use around cats, to avoid clawed furniture?

Answer 1

You can buy anything you want if you simply train your cats to claw elsewhere! And, no, do NOT declaw! Declawing is cruel. It involves amputation of a segment of each toe, not simply removing the claw.

Amputation is the more correct term for this serious procedure, which is banned some places. If you look at your hand, think about having each tip cut off at the first joint. That is what declawing does. It's extremely painful for the cat and oftentimes produces more - and worse - unwanted behavior such as biting, aggression and litter box avoidance.

Now, on to training - you need great scratching posts for your cats. Cats love to scratch on fabric, sisal, wood, carpet. You can buy some or make your own. We've made lots, and it's cheap and simple. We have some of carpet, some with fabric, some with a sisal-wrapped post leading up to a carpeted seat and one that's made out of old wood logs. A couple keys are sturdiness - they're not going to use it if they fear it toppling over - and size - they like to stretch and scratch. Though some people have had luck with the cardboard, very cheap scratching flats, but I'd think you'd still need to supplement those with a bigger post. Look at scratching posts online, and you'll get some ideas.

When you have your posts, sprinkle some catnip on them to attract the cats. Even take them there and scratch their paws gently on it or scratch yourself. (yes, it seems crazy, but it works and it's worth it!) Then be consistent in your over-the-top praise when they choose to use it. Perhaps try to cover anything else used for scratching in the meantime so it's not so inviting.

I've trained each one of my 9 cats and each one of my 200-plus foster kittens/cats to scratch properly - where their humans want them to. No problems here with scratched up anything! People who've adopted my foster kits have reported back in that these guys are well-mannered in their scratching. Cats can be trained! They respond wonderfully to positive reinforcement.

Finally, learn to trim claws and do it every 1 or 2 weeks. All you need to do is trim off the very sharp edges. That way, if one of the cats does take a swipe of something, it's not damaging like untrimmed claws can be.

Hope this helps; good luck!

Answer 2

I have two cats, they will always do some clawing on the furniture, but I have reduced it by doing the following: trim their claws often and spray some cat deterrent on their favourite clawing spots. I have also noticed that my cats actually prefer horizontal surfaces such as the carpet to the vertical one such as the couch's side. So if you can find an old carpet, put some cat nip on it and try and make that their favourite scratching place. I also raise my voice and say a firm "no!" when either of my cats try to claw something they shouldn't. They may just pause and go on or sometimes just stop and go somewhere else. If they don't stop, I will walk towards them looking angry and they always run away then (they'll try again later though, wee devils) I think at the end of the day though having scratched furniture is simply part of having a cat. PS: good on you for refusing to declaw. i can't believe it's still legal in the US and that people still actually do it. It's thankfully illegal in my country. Suki, declawing is barbaric and affects your cat for its entire life, not just the pain at the time of the surgery.

Answer 3

First of all I have leather and have had more than one cat claw at it, they have all liked to lay on it as well. She (up there) may have just got lucky but most cats dont care what or where they claw. There are some kinds of furniture that have a kind of woven material that you can actually like stab with a pen and cant tell anything was done. The salesman showed us that one, lol. I wouldnt know what it was called but I do remember that it wasnt the softest or most pleasant feeling material. Something like that would not show (or not nearly as quickly) claw marks.

You may want to try putting up some scratching posts and see if they will get used to using just those. You really shouldnt have to base your furniture decisions on what your cats will do to it. You must really love those little buggers. You may want to consider declawing OR they have these little caps that you can place over each claw. They have ads for them in Cat Fancy or something like that. Humane and effective from what I read. Tho I am not sure how they stay on as cats may bite them off.

Answer 4

DO NOT believe that cats don't claw leather! I have had all types of furniture and cats and they will claw anything. Its is ALL about the training NOT the furniture. I have a leather chair that has scratches all over it. Here's the thing -- mine is distressed leather, so it blends in. You have to choose your decor around what look OK if scratchded (or not have cats)
There is a products called SHU!!! A spray that helps keep them off certain things (they don't like the smell) but I agree with the poster who said declawing is cruel IT IS SO AWFUL - they actually remove a digit from the cats 'fingers' not just the nail.It is a painful thing to put a cat through.

Answer 5

Leather

Answer 6

bmw driver, are your cats declawed? My cats have shredded the sides of my new $4000 leather furniture. No joke. My husband and I almost split over it-he was so mad. Heck, he is still mad. I suggest any kind of cloth or upholstered furniture.

Answer 7

Best things to avoid clawed furniture:
1. Declawing
2. Concrete furniture!

No leather or vinyl to puncture! Nothing single color and flat- like canvas or duck. If we are talking a couch, honestly the best thing is something nubby like the woven tweeds and stuff, like on inexpensive couches. Something where the fabric is thick, has a pattern, and is multicolored!

The lets talk carpet. Forget it! They barf on it and ruin it unless you buy whatever color your cat food is! Or buy a good scrubber and vacuum.

Drapes- don't even bother.

Sheets/comforter - fur colors (black, grey, whatever) are always good choices! (same goes for clothes)

Did I miss anything?

PS. One of my cats newest tricks is getting under the skirt of the brand new slipcover I bought for the couch (because of clawed arms!!) She SLEEPS snugged up to the front of the couch- but under the skirt, so is getting cat hair on the INSIDE of the skirt and the front of the couch.

Lets not also forget our old cat who tore out the bottom netting on one side of our old boxspring and decided that was her favorite place to sleep- suspended inside the boxspring on top of the netting on the other side, like it was her own personal trampoline!

Answer 8

A steel patio set...I have a "yorkie" that has already ate one Love seat. Never buy a Yorkie as they are to "hyper".

Answer 9

Leather worked out well for me.

Answer 10

have your cat declawed