I just got a bunch of new leather furniture and I need to know what the best way to keep them off and from scratching/clawing into it. He hasn't been bad so far, but just sitting on it and pushing off with his back claws has left some little holes that I don't want any more of. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
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Cats with claws and Leather furniture
- Thread starter 2nah
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Well, I wish you had consulted the CatSite forum before you bought the furniture. Keeping cats off furniture is well nigh impossible for most cats, and probably not desirable, either, from the cat's point of view. I suggest you just get something to protect the furniture, like some heavy throws, which you can remove when company comes. Leather furniture and cats are not very compatible. Sorry, but that's the way I see it.
Try Soft Paws or Soft Claws. You can get them at PetSmart.
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Leather is basically a dead animal and the scent is to much for kitties to handle. She is kneading the couch to cover up the scent she smells with her own. Be prepared for a lot of holes.
You can cover the leather couch with a throw or a slipcover, you can look into a product called SSSCat! But other than that, sometimes the attraction is to great for kitties to avoid.
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I'm confused.... We have a leather couch and both cats leave it alone completely.Originally Posted by hissy
Leather is basically a dead animal and the scent is to much for kitties to handle. She is kneading the couch to cover up the scent she smells with her own. Be prepared for a lot of holes.You can cover the leather couch with a throw or a slipcover, you can look into a product called SSSCat! But other than that, sometimes the attraction is to great for kitties to avoid.
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It is the new leather couches the cats have an attraction to, not the older ones as the older ones have the owner's scent on it making it a more comfortable place to hang out than one fresh from the factory.
We buy leather furniture because we have cats, and they find it unattractive. The furniture may be slightly scratched from their running across it or jumping on it, but my experience is that cats don't like to sharpen their claws on leather. My sister has also switched to leather for the same reason.
I have to agree. Our leather couch has one scratch down the side where Melichus (RB) slipped jumping up on the arm one day, but otherwise he never paid it any attention. Even when it was brand new in the door. These two (9.5 months) pay it no attention other than a nice place to sleep occasionally (it's especially comfortable draped across the back apparently.) They didn't pay any attention to my riding leathers either when I was rooting through the closet for something and had them tossed on the floor. I think I've only worn the chaps a couple of times as they're just too darn hard to put on and off. They still have a pretty good "tack shop" type of smell.
We keep our boys' claws clipped (all four feet) and the blunted nails are a lot less likely to result in a hole or a scratch from a misstep. Otherwise the heavy throws are about the best you can do.
A cat tree might help.
My friend has leather furniture and when they got their ragdoll cat they were going to have him declawed. I talked them out of it and suggested several scratching posts instead. They listened to me thank goodness, and their cat has never bothered with their furniture.
The only piece of leather furniture I have is my computer chair. By judging the damage my kitty has done to the arms will rule out any type of leather furniture for us in the future.
The rest of the chair is okay, but you can see the tiny little claw pricks they've made when they climb to sit on the top. My youngest just likes to attack the arms for some strange reason.
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Other thank micro dots from jumping my leather couch isnt cut up or scratched and three animals rutinely hang there ... I do also have five posts in the house
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Curved Sofa
Curve sofas are a great addition to any room. They really make decorating so much easier. They go great in the living room, family room, den or office. Just make sure that you have enough space for it to fit. Measure two times maybe even three just to make sure it is going to fit.
But they are not always the easiest to find. This is especially true if you live in a smaller town, without many furniture stores. Online is a great place to find furniture.
These sofas can be quite expensive and requires a huge investment. So be very careful in choosing this type of sofa, keeping in mind the space and structure of your living room.
Curve sofas are a great addition to any room. They really make decorating so much easier. They go great in the living room, family room, den or office. Just make sure that you have enough space for it to fit. Measure two times maybe even three just to make sure it is going to fit.
But they are not always the easiest to find. This is especially true if you live in a smaller town, without many furniture stores. Online is a great place to find furniture.
These sofas can be quite expensive and requires a huge investment. So be very careful in choosing this type of sofa, keeping in mind the space and structure of your living room.
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I have a leather sofa that was given me as a try it and see...(not sure if I would like leather...) My cat didn't scratch at it at all for about 18 months - but has started recently and now has made a bit of a mess of two arms...(rest of sofa is a mess too - we are moving soon and will be getting a new one- so not too worried)This is a cream sofa and someone said that pale is better for cats as the marks aren't as obvious as white stuffing pulled though darker coloured leather ...but I do have grey dots instead...(And believe me - cream leather sofas and children are really not a good mix...) She doesn't have a scratching post in house but has two trees in the garden she uses - one of which is perfect for her ...thought maybe it was because she wasn't going out as much because it was cold ...but I just caught her doing it on a nice warm sunny day.I don't know what kind I'm going to get now ....in general I like the look and practicality of leather ...but would want a darker colour... and I can't stand throws all the creasing up and falling off etc..or they are too heavy to fit in washing machine....
Pretty old thread here, but I'll bite
Same here. Neither of our cats has too much interest in using the leather couch to scratch on. Yes, there are some very small hardly noticeable pin holes in it from them walking along the back of it, but I mean, nobody can see them unless you put your head up to it.
A couple of times our new cat, did try and stretch up on the one edge of the couch (it has a lounge side on the other) and we said no, and she went down. We purchased a scratching post and put it nearby and that seems to have taken her interest elsewhere, but honestly I don't think it was the leather, so much as she just wanted to stretch. She way prefers the rugs to get her claws in shape.
Neither of them even like sitting on it without a blanket or pillow under them.
BTW, we keep their claws trimmed regularly and that seems to help.
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I had to reply to this. Leather is not something cats want to claw. It's too smooth. They like carpet, wood with bark, sisal rope on a clawing post, but not smooth leather. The problem is going to come from the hind claws punching holes when they do their dig-outs playing or launching themselves. May I suggest getting sheepskins to put on the seats and backs. They will look well with the leather furniture and cats will tend to lay (AND LAUNCH FROM) on the sheepskins/fleece. Oh, those pin-holes already made will not rip larger. Remember, it's animal skin.
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One cat does not scratch the leather sofa, the other has made a real mess out of it. The sofa belongs to my son. He is moving out tomorrow and will not be happy as I have kept the marks hidden up to now. Tomorrow there is no more hiding it. Cinderella will be kept hidden till he drives the moving truck away. Not going to be a happy camper even when I "remind" him that I bought the sofa for him in the first place. Cats are all different. Never know which one will do what or when. Love them despite their faults.......I'll remind my son that I feel the same away about him!!!
I have a leather couch and a leather recliner. Lilith and Sophie couldn't care less about the couch unless I am on it and then they are on me. They USED to like to jump on the chair but not anymore. The arms flip open because there is a phone and the controller to the heat/massage under one and a 6 can cooler under the other one. Imagine when they launch themselves onto one of the arms and their weight causes it to flip open and they drop to the carpet. the look on their faces is priceless.
We had a leather sofa, love seat and ottoman for a while. We only had two cats inside then and they never dug into the furniture on purpose. As was said earlier, the cat marks were mostly from the games the cats played. We now have six indoor cats and fiber covered seating. Only one chair gets any claw action. The two little guys like to climb up the back of it while I am sitting in the chair. They really get interested if I am eating anything. They hardly ever want a bite but they just have to know what I have.
There are scratching posts and I trim their nails weekly. I figure the cats are more important to me than the furniture. I will tire of the chair one day and will want to replace. Not so for the kitties!
There are scratching posts and I trim their nails weekly. I figure the cats are more important to me than the furniture. I will tire of the chair one day and will want to replace. Not so for the kitties!
