Sofa and pets

When choosing upholstered furniture, we are often asked what sofa to choose if you have a cat or dog at home. The choice is usually between a fabric or leather sofa. Fabric sofas have a wide choice of materials and are cheaper than leather sofas. Microfibre will be the most resistant to pet claws and easier to clean than other types of fabric, but not everyone likes this material. Leather sofas are excellent to clean, but mechanical damage caused by nails is difficult to repair. Nevertheless, leather is a much more durable material and a properly cared for sofa will last 15 years or more. It is also believed that a cat will sharpen its claws on fabric rather than on a leather sofa.

What can pet owners face? Firstly, mechanical damage. You may say that your cat does not sharpen its claws on furniture, but jumping on or off the sofa can cause scratches. This applies more to leather sofas. How can I repair the scratches? The most convenient solution is to use the same paint as the leather. You can try to paint the scratched strip the same color as the sofa. This technique works better on light leathers as the scratched stripes are usually dark. Unfortunately, not all leather furniture dealers offer leather paints for repairs.

Pet owners may have problems with their pets’ hair. Removing feathers from a leather sofa is no problem, but removing feathers from a fabric sofa can be a major headache. This is where a damp cloth, a vacuum cleaner and sticky rollers come in handy. However, it will not be possible to clean the fabric sofa completely, as small feathers and dander remain between the fibres, which can give the sofa an unpleasant odour over time. Therefore, when buying a fabric sofa, it is a good idea to check whether the fabric can be removed from the frame and whether it can be cleaned with chemicals, as you should be prepared for dry cleaning to be the only thing that can save your sofa.

If your pet has decided to deliberately sharpen its claws against the sofa, here are some suggestions on how to combat it:
– Barricade the area where the cat wants to sharpen its claws – put a chair, crate or anything else in front that prevents access to the area
– Use water – spray your cat every time it’s about to sharpen its claws against the sofa
– Give your cat a place to sharpen its claws. Special nail sharpening stands are available in pet shops
– Cut your nails regularly. This also applies to pets that deliberately do not sharpen their nails against furniture
– Use aromatic substances. Place mint leaves or orange peel near the sofa. Cats don’t usually like these
– Use a cover, a blanket. Cover the sofa or the area where the cat sharpens its claws.