Fabric suggestions???

Hi all!

Could you help me out, please?

I'm re-upolstering the seats on my dining room chairs. The old ones have been pretty punctured by my cats. I was hoping you might have a suggestion about which fabric I could use that might discourage scratching!

I hadn't even thought this was possible until I got a vellux(?) blanket which my cats avoided every time they climbed on the bed. I guess all of the fluffy fibers sticking out are uncomfortable on their feet pads, or something. I had planned to use vellux for my new cushions until my cats got over their queasiness a few months later and started kneading it just like the other blankets. LOL

Any ideas? Is there any furniture in your house that your cats avoid like the plague?

Thank you!!!!
Heather

I bought that book Outwitting Cats and it mentions smooth fabric that they cannot hook there claws into. That is what I have on mine, but Ox mainly sleeps on one of the chairs so I keep that one covered with an older towel that when it gets too gross looking I throw away.

I have a couple of arm chairs upholstered in microfibre. I've had them a couple of years now, and they still look brand new. Now one of my cats is declawed, and the other doesn't scratch a lot, but these chairs show no sign that cats even live in the house. They are still in pristine condition.

you could try rip-stop nylon, ask at your local fabric store, it's made so that if it gets punctured it won't tear...plus it's kind of slick and cats usually don't like the feel

Well that is just odd. lol I can't keep our cats off the velux blanket in my son's room. lol

mine hated funfur but do you really want furry chairs?

Hi again,

Thanks so far!

meiam: I stopped by at our fabric store today and looked at the nylon... very bold colors... looks more like a boat tarp than something I'd want on my dining room set, lol. But it was a nice try...

Sammie5: I asked about microfiber too, but they said you'd have to be more specific. =/

GailC, would it be easy to look up?

Maverick_kitten: Really? I saw some on sale a couple of days ago and loved it (even though I didn't need it for anything), but I was certain if I got some the cats would chew it to bits! I may need to test it, heh.

Well, I'm certainly much closer than I was yesterday! Thanks guys!

H.

That's odd, that they wouldn't know microfibre by name. Its a type of fabric, like linen, or cotton, or wool. You could try asking for faux suede, that's one type of microfibre fabric. It comes in all different weights, from very light weight suitable for clothing, up to the faux suede that can be used for upholstery.

I found this website that shows many different choices in microfibre that are available on the market.

Well, they said it was a type of fiber weight, and could be any kind of fabric. Is yours the faux suede? That'd actually look pretty nice!

OMG! I'm an idiot!!!

Your suede suggestion made me realize that my cats have never scratched our leather sofas. I've just been ignoring them as part of the scenery. But obviously, they're not attractive to them. Leather! YAY!

Thank you for helping me realize this!

Now I just have to hope that they won't keep scratching those seats out of pure habit.

Mine are upholstery weight faux suede. I like them better than real suede, because they are stain proof, spill proof, and no cat hair sticks to them. And I don't stick to them in hot sticky weather.

If you recover the chairs, be sure to replace the underpadding as well, the old stuff would probably still smell like "cat" to them, and they'd want to scratch.

careful with the leather... My hemmingway kitty, tigger LOVES it! It made my mom sick! (2000 dollar sofa & loveseat!) He is such a good boy, we decided if it is the worst he does...... Maybe you could try smell adversion as well.. There are some products at petsmart that discourage with a smell.

My sofa is upholstered in "ultrasuede" or microfiber...my kitter doesn't even like sitting on the sofa!

I was gonna suggest sisal

I don't have a suggestion, just that Sierra's loves velux! She kneeds and loves all over it! It's just interesting how all of our babies have their own personal favorites!

Check out this site http://www.softpaws.com/