Cat Owners Should Choose Furniture That Holds Its Wear Well
Chandler Elmore of Kuni Furniture had similar advice on choosing furniture that holds its wear well, although he was less positive about leather.
The more a piece has of glass, metalwork and wood, it will wear better than leathers and suedes, which are typically decent materials, Elmore said.
He pointed out that the absolute worst materials for furniture include chenille, velvet, wool, linen, silk and tweed.
One: Take Note Of The Leather Type
Leather furniture varies, as they come covered with different types of leather. Thus, the best leather repair strategy requires knowing the leather type before you start fixing the scratch. Determine if the leather is pigmented, bi-cast, or aniline. A lot of leather furniture is designed with finished leather, making them more durable.
This finished leather also has excellent resistance to scratches, and if they occur, it is mild. Please note that the various leather has varying resistance for scratches and different moisture absorbency levels. If you are unsure of the leather type, you can place a call to the furniture manufacturer.
How Should I Clean My Pet
Even if you’ve intentionally chosen a pet-friendly sofa and protected it the best you can, there’s always the chance that your furry friend will create a bit of a mess. When this happens, it’s important that you’re able to act quickly to clean it up to keep your sofa in great condition. Some problems, such as pet dander, aren’t even visible to the naked eye, but they will build up unless you regularly clean your furniture.
In this section of the guide, we’re going to take a closer look at the best methods for cleaning some common pet messes from your sofa, including , dander, and . You can minimise the need for daily attention by following the earlier in this guide, but nowhere is safe forever and you will need to know the best way to tidy up.
We also have general guides for both leather sofa care and fabric sofa care that may be of help it may be worth reading that advice and seeing how you can supplement your regular care routine with the advice below.
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Tips To Minimize Shedding On Furniture:
Aside from getting one of those rare non-shedding pets, theres no way to prevent your pet hair from accumulating. You can brush your dog daily, but here are a few other tips to minimize the look of pet fur on your new furniture.
- Colour coordinate with your pet: if you have a white dog, dont get black furniture as the hair will show.
- Texture and coloured fabrics work well if your issue is shedding as these materials hide fur, but as mentioned above, they dont work well for scratching.
- The Chom Chom roller will pick up pet hair and has some high praise on Amazon.ca, see the link below.
Microfibre: some people come in looking for microfibre for their furniture as theyve heard it works well if you have pets. Magaly doesnt recommend it, however, as its very staticky, and It attracts pet hair and dust. Its difficult to clean, and a lot of track marks get left on the microfibre.
Magaly says she usually dissuades clients from choosing microfibre if they have pets or if they are purchasing furniture for everyday use.
The Psychology Of Scratching
Scratching is a natural part of feline behavior, says Dr. Jeffrey Levy, a holistic house-call veterinarian and pet expert in New York City. Its a way to mark territory, release tension, and do some stretching exercises.
Its also a way for cats to keep their nails trimmed, says Dr. Cathy Meeks, a board-certified internal medicine specialist and a group medical director at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa, Florida. They see your couch as a toy and a tool, she says.
As destructive as this scratching might be to your furniture, you could take it as a compliment. It is actually an honor that they want to scratch where you, their adoptive parents, hang out, says Dr. Jennifer Conrad, a veterinarian and the founder and director of The Paw Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the practice of declawing. By marking your sofa or your chair, they are telling other cats that you belong to them and they belong to you.
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We’ve Tapped Top Interior Designers To Share Their Insider Secrets Tips And Advice To Create A Cool And Cozy Living Room You’ll Want To Hang Out In
Make your tiny living room look and feel larger than life with our smart design tricks, from clever multifunctional furnishings. Turn your living room into a lovely space that’s relaxing yet functional by selecting the right lighting. It’s likely you and your guests will spend countless hours in this room, discussing and entertaining. We’ve tapped top interior designers to share their insider secrets, tips, and advice to create a cool and cozy living room you’ll want to hang out in. The ultimate guide one of the most important tasks to attend to before bringing home a new cat is to organize a. It’s time to take your living room back, and interior designer kirsten krason is ready to help you do. From history and biological anatomy to their behavioral patterns, there’s a lot to know about cats. The living room is one of the most important areas in your house for a great hosting experience. Photo courtesy of ann lowengart photo by: Take simple tips, such as selecting small scale furniture, to transform your space with ease. Cats are not only fur babie. The decorating experts at hgtv share 20 tips on how to arrange your living room furniture. The experts at hgtv.com share small living room ideas and ways to make a small living room look and feel bigger.
Keeping Your Pet Safe
Be careful, accidents can happen:
If your pet is underneath your motion furnitures footrest, you dont want to worry about it closing on top of them. Some recliners can be dangerous with pets and children potentially under your feet. They dont have a locking system, and you cant always control when and how they close. If theres something in the way, you also risk breaking the reclining mechanism or the transformer.
*Only La-Z-Boy power reclining furniture has a patented dual locking leg rest system that stops when it feels pressure. The leg rest will only go down when theres nothing in the way, whether it be a small pet, or something else.
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Give Your Pets Their Own Space
Is the goal to keep your puppy or kitten off the furniture altogether? Train them to sleep on a high-quality pet bed. Available in a wide range of colors and designs, these pieces complement your decor while giving your dog or cat a cozy place to snooze. Whether you use a basic floor pillow or a luxurious pet-sized sofa, your companion will have a safe, comfortable space all their own.
Strategically Place Scratching Posts
Its a good idea to place scratching posts and other toys in areas where your cat spends the majority of their time in. These can be near their bed, next to windows, or even next to the furniture youre trying to protect. Wherever you decide to place a scratching post, the key is to choose a spot where they are likely to mark their territory.
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The Living Room Is One Of The Most Important Areas In Your House For A Great Hosting Experience
Make your tiny living room look and feel larger than life with our smart design tricks, from clever multifunctional furnishings. Get tips from hgtv remodels. Turn your living room into a lovely space that’s relaxing yet functional by selecting the right lighting. From history and biological anatomy to their behavioral patterns, there’s a lot to know about cats. Consider fabric, function and style when selecting furniture for your remodel. If you’re struggling to figure out the right furniture arrangement in your living space, look no further. Dacian groza dacian groza we’ve all seen cold rooms with furnishings lined inelegantly aga. Here are five tips for choosing lighting for your living room. One of the most important tasks to attend to before bringing home a new cat is to organize a safe room for comfort and security. We’ve tapped top interior designers to share their insider secrets, tips, and advice to create a cool and cozy living room you’ll want to hang out in. It’s where you head to unwind after a long, hard day, but does your living room feel more drab and depressing than relaxing and inspiring? The experts at hgtv.com share small living room ideas and ways to make a small living room look and feel bigger. Decorating your living room properly will.
The living room is one of the most important areas in your house for a great hosting experience.
It’s Where You Head To Unwind After A Long Hard Day But Does Your Living Room Feel More Drab And Depressing Than Relaxing And Inspiring
Turn your living room into a lovely space that’s relaxing yet functional by selecting the right lighting. From history and biological anatomy to their behavioral patterns, there’s a lot to know about cats. Consider fabric, function and style when selecting furniture for your remodel. The experts at hgtv.com share small living room ideas and ways to make a small living room look and feel bigger. It’s where you head to unwind after a long, hard day, but does your living room feel more drab and depressing than relaxing and inspiring?
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Why Do Cats Scratch Furniture
Before we get into the gist of how to prevent cats from scratching furniture, you should know and understand why they do this in the first place. Believe it or not, scratching is normal cat behavior and happens for several reasons:
- To mark their territory. Just like dogs, cats like to mark their territory. When they scratch things, the scent glands in their paws release odors to mark and create boundaries.
- To stretch. Cats can scratch your furniture as a form of exercise to stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons in their upper body.
- To keep their claws healthy. Scratching helps felines shed and remove old layers of nail at the tip of their claws, keeping them sharp and healthy. Just think of this as a cat pedicure!
- To relieve stress. Cats tend to relieve their stress through scratching. This also decreases the likelihood of them developing other unwanted habits, such as urinating carelessly.
Tips And Tricks To Keep Your Furniture Looking New And Free Of Pet Damage:
- Invest in a cozy dog or cat bed, use something youve slept in and leave it on the bed or wherever he sleeps. Your pet loves your smell, and they like to sleep or sit where youve been sitting.
- Use a lint roller, double-sided sticky tape or Try the Chom Chom roller for pet hair
- Add foil to the bottom half of your furniture: Cats and dogs hate the sound it makes!
- Purchase a pet repellent spray, sold online or at your local vet. The citrus smelling spray, when applied to your furniture, masks the odour of its owner and cats dont like it! The spray needs to be re-applied often at first. Magaly told us about a client who sprayed the bottom of her brand new sofa as the delivery men were bringing it into her home. The cats dont go anywhere near it now!
- Keep some rooms closed off so your pets cant damage your furniture
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Optimize The Litter Box Area
Cats can be very fussy about where they do their business, and if their litter box is not to their liking, they may soil your furniture in protest. Make sure the litter box is big enough for your cat, and in a private, quiet place. Many cats prefer enclosed or concealed litter boxes. This variety of also helps contain the litter and reduces the amount of tracking across your floor your furniture.
Placing a large mat under the litter box can also help catch loose granules of litter. Lastly, you can consider using a heavier type of litter to further reduce tracking, but careful if your cat doesnt like the new litter, they wont use it!
Make The Scratching Post More Enticing
Scratching is normal and healthy cat behaviour. Its how they mark their territory, remove the dead outer layer of their claws, and stretch their legs and feet. Its important they have a scratching post for them to use or they will use your couch instead.
You may need to experiment with moving the scratching post around to find the most effective location. Preferably, the scratching post should be somewhere that your cat already spends a lot of time. You can also try creating a space for your cat that includes a comfy bed and cat toys that will encourage your cat to spend time there.
Its important to find a scratching post that has a texture your cat likes. Some cats prefer felt or rope, while others prefer wood textures. Experiment with a couple different scratching posts to find the one they like best. Spray the scratching post with catnip once a day to entice them to scratch until it becomes a habit.
The most important factor for a good scratching post is that its stable. Avoid any posts that are moving, or that affix to something that moves . Your cat will try it once and then never again.
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Freshen And Protect With Citrus
You can nicely tell your cat to find a new place to hang out by spraying your furniture with air freshener, says Harriet Jones, a cleaning supervisor at Go Cleaners London. Cats don’t like citrus-based scents. This will force them to find another place to practice their scratching.
For a DIY option, squeeze a lemon into one liter of water, add orange essential oil and eucalyptus oil, and spray on the sofa . It smells lovely to us but our kitties hate it, says Andy Mcnaby of pet product review site Pet Gear Lab.
What Are The Best Fabric Coverings For Pets
A fabric sofa is the ideal place to curl up after a long day and relax, and your pet might just want to join you too. If you’re thinking about investing in a fabric sofa, there are a few things to consider if you want to pick a material that won’t get damaged, trap hairs, or absorb odours from your pet.
If you’re looking for a pet-friendly fabric that looks great, you may want to consider a hypoallergenic fabric with a natural weave, such as wool or linen. They are naturally resistant to picking up small particles, so they’ll accumulate a lot less pet hairs and dander than other fabrics, as well as any other dust and dirt your furry friend tracks in. They’re also breathable and anti-microbial, so they won’t absorb any unpleasant odours. However, they have an open weave, so you’ll need to keep your pet’s claws trimmed to avoid any snagging.
Another type of fabric that is quite pet-friendly are the variety of synthetic, man-made materials on the market, such as microfibre or Ultrasuede. However, even though they are easy to care for, dirt resistant, and tightly woven, there is a trade-off in comfort and style, as they won’t look as good or feel as comfy as fabrics woven with natural fibres. In addition, they also don’t have hypoallergenic qualities or longevity of these fabrics, either.
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Petsafe Ssscat Spray Deterrent $3995
Ive used this spray deterrent to stop one of my cats from jumping onto the kitchen counter, and it really works. Basically, the canister has a motion detector on top, and when your cat comes near, it lets out a spurt of air and scares them away. The only downside is that youll inevitably forget its there and startle yourself when you walk by.
How To Have Nice Furniture And Cats
i get asked constantly about how i deal with having three cats and a fairly tidy house and nice furniture and to be honest, its a constant struggle because all three of our cats are assholes in different ways . but here are the tips i do have, hopefully they can help you decide to adopt that cat that needs a home!
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Stains Resistant Pet Friendly Fabrics
Fabric options:
Natural fibres are harder to clean as they absorb everything and therefore stains are harder to get out
iClean technology surrounds each fibre, creating a barrier of protection that repels spills before they turn into stains. IClean is waterproof so stains and marks will disappear quickly.
Pawprints happen, stains dont have to.
How to Protect Your Leather Couch from Cats & Dogs?
If your dog is under 20lbs, you could probably get away with leather its so easy to clean. Protect against stains with leather, because accidents do happen. If the dog is sick, the mess just wipes away. Even some cats are good with leather.
Cats and dogs like to sit near the window as they love a view of the outdoors. Perched on the back of your sofa, watching the wildlife outside is a favourite pastime. If you can avoid putting your furniture in front of a window, they wont be as likely to sit on your couch and leave a mark.
Magaly suggests getting extra yardage material for arm covers for additional protection.
Some furniture brands have sofa cushions with zippers. This way you can remove the individual covers and spot clean them or in some cases get them dry cleaned.