Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Can leather sofas and toddlers coexist?

43 replies

MaeWest · 18/02/2008 14:46

Need to replace our sofa - is leather practical or not? And will the cat scratch the hell out of it...?

Any opinions welcome

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 18/02/2008 14:47

leather v practical

the sick/snot/poo/ribena just wipes off

can't vouch for the cat though

BirdyArms · 18/02/2008 14:48

Very practical for toddlers i think, particularly in a dark colour. You can just wipe spills off. Not so sure about cats as I haven't got any.

fruitymum · 18/02/2008 14:49

No experience of cats but leather works well with labradors and toddlers - easy to wipe spillages up.

TheFallenMadonna · 18/02/2008 14:50

We have one leather and one fabric sofa. Leather one still looks good, fabric one .

But no cats here either.

sagacious · 18/02/2008 14:50

Dark brown leather fine
Cat has never scratched ours

Original poster
MaeWest · 18/02/2008 14:51

Sounding promising... Our current sofa is fabric covered and pretty disgusting

OP posts:
Desiderata · 18/02/2008 14:51

It's possible the cat will scratch the hell out of it, but it's still far better to have a leather settee with toddlers. The benefits far outweigh any negatives.

I quite like scratched, battered leather any way. It looks cool.

muppetgirl · 18/02/2008 14:51

Had our dark brown leather one 3 years and it still looks like new. We have 2 kids 4 and 15 weeks. I clean up with detox spray and it's fine. My friend, on the other hand, has a white leather sofa and 2 lo's (2 + 15 weeks) and her's is filthy.

We also don't let our ds 1 have food in the lounge anyway so I'm sure that helps.

Hulababy · 18/02/2008 14:52

Very practical with children IME

Original poster
MaeWest · 18/02/2008 14:52

sagacious - our cat has scratched our current sofa a lot, did you do anything to discourage scratching?

OP posts:
muppetgirl · 18/02/2008 14:52

sorry hers

Also, a pesky scratching cat will peskily scratch any sofa if it really wants too...

mellowma · 18/02/2008 14:53

Message withdrawn

MuddlingThru · 18/02/2008 14:53

Dark brown leather been wiped many times so far still looks good. So definitely practical for kids.
2 cats - they have never shown any interest in damaging it. They used to claw the old material sofa but have never touched the leather one - I don't think it catches their claws in the same way and they just aren't interested as a result (wish I could say the same for some of the wood furniture).

Original poster
MaeWest · 18/02/2008 14:54

Yes, was thinking that, we do have a scratching post/bed combo up in the loft somewhere that we were given - the cat ignored it before but might give it another go...

Thanks for feedback

OP posts:
tye · 18/02/2008 15:02

i have a cream leather sofa which is brill with my little boy whos 3 as he spills everything so all it takes is a quick wipe. on the other hand i have had the sofa for 9months and already it needs replacing due to the cat scratching it making all the seams split. just depends what your cats like!

also try not to sit directly on it with jeans on as the colour seems to rub of on to the sofa.

Nemoandthefishes · 18/02/2008 15:05

We have cream leather sofas with a 4,2 and 1yr old and a dog. They are in reasonably good nick considering the trials they have endured. We have had them 2 and a hlaf years.

Volkl · 18/02/2008 15:12

we have a brown leather sofa, absolutely brilliant with DS since he often spills milk etc.
Our cat used to scratch the hell out of our material sofa, but has never scratched the leather one. There is only one scratch from the cat when DS grabbed her and tried to drag her off it, so she dug in an scratched it a little, but we cleaned it with a damn cloth and its hardly noticeable now

TrinityRhino · 18/02/2008 15:17

I dont have any cats
but have had a leather sofa for about 7 years now and our oldest is nearly 8.
we also ahve a nearly 3 year old and a 1 ear old

Totally holds up to the snot, wee, sick, dribble, ribena, yoghurt thing, very well suited to toddlers, sorry I have no idea about the cats though

belcantavinissima · 18/02/2008 15:23

leather is the ONLY choice with toddlers and kids generally. vi would think that all sofas are bad with cats.

get rid of the cat, get yourself a lovely sofa

CarGirl · 18/02/2008 15:23

we got a cheap pale blue sofa 6 years ago, it's still okay very practical. first cat was fine with it no damage at all, the 2nd cat (not kitten) has not scratched it as such but when he used to launch himself on and off it there are a few tiny nicks in it (stopped this by removing the cat tree from next to the sofa) and 2 tiny puncture holes from when he recently fell off the sofa (!) and used his claws to slow down his disgraceful descent.

Will def get another leather sofa but will get a dark colour.

Joash · 18/02/2008 15:25

Have had two leather sofas in the time we've had our cat - he's never done any damage to either. However, don't let him lay on it - the oils in animal fur are bad for the leather and can rot it (something to do with the way the leather is treated).

evenhope · 18/02/2008 15:30

We have an apricot leather sofa and 3 cats. Not a good idea. Sofa needs cleaning every day week and every time the cats have a scrap they scratch the hell out of it.

Original poster
MaeWest · 18/02/2008 15:35

So, needs to be dark leather, great for the toddler, get rid of the cat

There seem to be an encouraging number of non-scratching cats tho. Now all I have do to is convince DH, who Doesn't Like Change...

OP posts:
MAMAZON · 18/02/2008 15:40

i have 2 cats, 2 children and a leather sofa.

the sofa is great with the kids as any spills just wipe straight off.

the cats have never gone near the sofa as whilst they were kittens if they went near the sofa they were pushed away, theyhave learnt its a no go.

pistachio · 18/02/2008 15:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.