Cat resistant furniture

[doomsdave]

I love my five kitties and they love my furniture to destroy.

But not all of it.

Here's the infamous Electric Chair; comfy for me but the cats keep claws off. So far.

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• doomsdave
• Jan 3, 2017

 

[doomsdave]

Here's a chair made of short napped fabric the cats have also left alone occupied by Great Great Grandma.

It could stand a brushing . . .

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• doomsdave
• Jan 3, 2017

 

[doomsdave]

So share furniture experiences if you will,

Surely others have dealt with feline furniture follies.

 

[basscat]

Our couches/sofas are upholstered in Army Duck Fabric.   It must be just "THE BEST EVER" stuff to claw.   The couches are their favorite things to claw.

  The material holds up great though.
This is a picture of one of the sofa's.  And NO, there's no way it would hold up to "that".  "That" only claws scratching posts....and we have no idea why?

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• basscat
• Jan 3, 2017

 

[doomsdave]

WHOA!

I have a couple of cats that are large, but yours is HUGE.

How big? I assume not declawed?

 

[basscat]

 
WHOA!

I have a couple of cats that are large, but yours is HUGE.

How big? I assume not declawed?

19lbs.  Not declawed.  He's pretty gentle/nice with them though. 

 

[doomsdave]

Only 19 pounds? I have a Main Coon who's 15 pounds that looks a lot smaller than him!

Full grown yet?

 

[basscat]

 
Only 19 pounds? I have a Main Coon who's 15 pounds that looks a lot smaller than him!

Full grown yet?

He's 8 months old.

 

[doomsdave]

Still a kitten!

What's his mature weight expected to be?

 

[tiptopper]

We have lots of velvet upholstered furniture that has never been clawed.

 

[pegleg]

Cheap pine.

Mine only claw the pricey stuff.

What is That?

 

[doomsdave]

Cheap pine.

Mine only claw the pricey stuff.

What is That?

​Hmm. I've never had cats that liked to claw wood furniture, but shred the cloth instead. On the other hand, they do like to scratch trees outside. I suspect the rough bark makes the difference.

 

[pegleg]

They're indoor cats and I have a fair bit of pine. They seem to like the resistance, I like them not scratching the sofa.

 

[basscat]

Cheap pine.

Mine only claw the pricey stuff.

What is That?

Our expensive stuff is the two couches with the "army duck" fabric.   We've sprayed it with stuff and that didn't work.  We covered the hot spots with double sided tape and that DID work, but, not as expected.  They never even put a paw on the double sided tape.  Took it off a month later and immediately they were back to scratching it.

 
We then switched from the couches-to-the cats.  Squirting them with a spray bottle.  That just stopped them right then.....30 minutes later they were back at it.
Started shooting them with foam darts.  (which, by the way, is actually a lot of fun).  They think the darts are toys and stop scratching to chase the darts.  That seemed to encourage the scratching, plus, we were constantly having to search for, find, and pick up foam darts.

 
The fabric is holding up very well though.  Been thinking of re-doing the recliners in the same stuff when they wear out.

"That" is all teeth and claws and somehow knows what sisal rope is, and what to do with it.  Thanks Goodness!!!!

 

 

[doomsdave]

I've noticed that the cats like to scratch exposed corners, while ignoring slightly more hidden corners on the same piece of furniture.

 

[cmerrell]

The best investment I've ever made to save my furniture has been good quality scratch posts; the kind with heavy sisal fabric covering. 

My guys seem to prefer the tall ones that they can stand up and stretch into. As long as I keep a post in the living room close to the chair they used to enjoy digging into, they pretty much leave the furniture alone (aside from sleeping on it...).   I also have tall posts in each of my bedrooms and they get lots of usage. 

I actually have more issues with Vinnie occasionally scratching the thick floor carpeting I have in my office.