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
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

I'm going to buy a new sofa

22 replies

Want2beme · 18/08/2017 23:31

but I'm terrified of it being shredded by the you know who's. I really want one, but I fear it'll just become a gigantic scratching thing for them. They've never been interested in my current sofa, which is made of tapestry-like material, but they've wrecked many an armchair. Tell me about your furniture nightmares, please.

I'm going to buy a new sofa
OP posts:
TheGirlOnTheLanding · 18/08/2017 23:45

We bought leather sofas purely because our cats had shredded the previous horribly expensive John Lewis grey chenille sofa. They ignored it, so it worked for a while - but our current cat has no such discernment and cheerfully shreds leather too.

SophieGiroux · 18/08/2017 23:47

I'm dreading buying a new sofa because of this. Are there any deterrent sprays that actually work?

Original poster
Want2beme · 18/08/2017 23:52

I've heard of sprays & strips you can use but not sure if they work. Will investigate.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 19/08/2017 06:35

My two shredded my cheap fabric Ikea one but have touched my expensive leather one.

Allergictoironing · 19/08/2017 08:02

I've heard that using double sided sticky tape on areas they try to scratch can work; apparently the stickiness puts them right off.

MadisonMontgomery · 19/08/2017 08:03

I have tried the sticky cat deterrent strips you can buy - they didn't work.

ocelot41 · 19/08/2017 08:29

I am told that velvet is hard for them to get their claws into - too tight a weave. Anyone have any experience of this?

TroysMammy · 19/08/2017 08:34

The cats I had never clawed furniture. One had a favourite piece of wallpaper, another used a laundry basket and the other the carpet bit of a scratching post.

However I am cat free and have a new settee and loathed to get another cat because I may not be lucky next time around.

ChestnutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 19/08/2017 08:37

Mine are scratchy buggers so I've bought velvet- untouched!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 19/08/2017 08:43

Harry attempted to shred the furniture in MIL's holiday home when we took him there but hasn't touched our leather sofas. There's the odd small claw pin prick but that's all.

Fluffycloudland77 · 19/08/2017 09:28

Our velvet duresta got clawed, cats now banned from the lounge. The leather one survived.

Toddlerteaplease · 19/08/2017 10:14

My cats seem to love the feel of fabric. Fatty loves fleece and towels and Snorg likes fleece.

thecatneuterer · 19/08/2017 11:17

With the huge number of cats in my house my furniture all has to be chosen with claws in mind. For my sofa the only solution I could think of was to buy a day bed (metal frame) - made into a sofa with mattress and cushions. None of which is very scratchable and the sheet on the mattress can be changed and washed almost daily.

It wouldn't be my ideal sofa if I didn't have cats. But it's comfortable and could serve as a guest bed (if they didn't mind sharing with umpteen cats).

RubbishMantra · 19/08/2017 17:35

Mine don't like velvet either, which makes me happy. They do however love stropping their claws at the Made chair and footstool though - thankfully they're upholstered in sturdy material. I'm forever picking claw sheddings off it.

RubbishMantra · 19/08/2017 17:38

I love that meme of the cat giving praise to the deities want2beme. Grin

Original poster
Want2beme · 19/08/2017 17:58

RubbishMantra, I know, I keep looking at it and chuckling.

OP posts:
Original poster
Want2beme · 19/08/2017 18:02

ocelot41, love the sound of a velvet sofa and the idea of a day bed style, thecatneuterer, is very clever.

OP posts:
IlsaLund · 19/08/2017 18:08

IlsaCat scratched our old leather sofa to bits and being very lax we let her.
When we got the new one every time she went to scratch it we picked her up and said gave her a cuddle. For some reason she never ever comes into the living room unless DH or I are in there so this was a workable solution.

Now, she comes in and if she wants picking up she sits next to the sofa and raises a paw and rests it on the leather and looks at one of us but she doesn't scratch it!

ocelot41 · 19/08/2017 21:06

Anyone have any experience of ironed wool - sort of like felt?

ocelot41 · 19/08/2017 21:11

For what it's worth, Precious Puss Girl doesn't seen to like our leather sofa. She never jumps on it at all. But then she is more of a carpet scratcher...

Spangles1963 · 20/08/2017 16:58

My cat (who is an avid claw sharpener) has never taken any notice of my draylon covered sofa or my leather armchair,she won't even sit on the armchair. However,she has absolutely shredded my front and back doormats (one made of coconut matting,the other a rubber car floor mat). She has also wrecked 3 cardboard boxes containing flat-pack furniture which were propped up against the wall in the hall for several weeks. And she totally ignored her scratching post,but loves a cardboard scratcher thing that lays flat on the floor. She's even got the hang of keeping one foot on the floor when she uses it so that it doesn't slip about.

MadisonMontgomery · 22/08/2017 18:34

I have read that cats don't like microfibre sofas - they don't seem to be available in the UK though (or if they are I guess they're known by a different name).

New posts on this thread. Refresh page