Leather furniture and cats

[minniecarousel]

OK - we are going to get new family room furniture. We are considering a leather couch. Our 11 year-old tabby has used our other couches as a scratching post! eek! I think I can train him not to do this to the leather, but I'd like to know what other people's cats do to leather furniture. Do they leave it alone? Do they scratch at leather any more than cloth? Am I just out-of-luck since all cats are different?! He has never scratch DH's recliner & since I put clear packing tape on the edges of the current couches, he has left those alone. I am concerned about him "kneading" the couch. We keep his favorite blanket on the couch, but could more that to a large pillow on the floor. We are not looking at brown leather that scratches easily, but a butter color that is very soft, & has some texture to it, so little claw marks from just walking on it shouldn't show.

Any advice?

 

[kirstyfly]

Hi there

Not sure about how i can help you as your cat as been scratching your couch for so long he doesn't think anything is wrong with it.

We have a leather lounge suite and bought it before we got our kitten who is now a cat. He also had a scratch post from when he was little which we taught him how to use by placing his paws up against it like scratching it.

He has long not played with the scratch post and i have got rid of it, he nows prefers to use the front door mat as a scratch post which is fine as he doesn't hurt it.

he has never scratched the lounge suite apart from the time when he was little and tried to jump up and slipped off so dug claws in.

you can always keep a spray bottle near and if you cat goes to scratch then spray him with the water. hw will soon learn that if he goes to scratch he will get a shot of water.

 

[luvdisney81]

My cat used to scratch cloth furniture, still occasionally does but never ever scratched our leather couch. I don't think they want to because it is a different texture and maybe they know it is to thick and could hurt them. We have never had a problem. If it does happen...water gun is the best.

 

[minnie56]

We have a butter yellow leather sectional. My cats (3) are all declawed but their back claws do scratch the leather when they jump up on it and there are now little nicks all over. Doesn't really bother me though and it isn't terribly noticable.

I think no matter what the fabric...kitties take their toll on it, Just the way it is

 

[Nancy]

My sil has leather and there are tons of little kitty cat scratches on it just from the cats jumping on and off. Their couch is dark brown and the light scratches are very noticable. We keep our leather chair covered except when company is over or we are sitting on it.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Our cat is really good about not scatching stuff she's not supposed to. However, we've trained her with the squirt bottle since she was a kitten. My parents had a dark blue leather recliner and their cats destroyed it. It looked terrible from the cats just jumping on and off. I've dreamed of having leather someday, but I think that maybe something I'll just have to do without. If it's a choice between having cats or leather, I'll take the cats.

 

[arminnie]

Originally posted by lucky_bunni
If it's a choice between having cats or leather, I'll take the cats.

Good choice - our loveable pets are much more important that a piece of furniture.

I had a leather couch and a dog that jumped up on it a lot - tiny scratches but not a big deal. I bought the leather so I could clean it easier than cloth.