Creating a Cat Friendly Home
Anyone who owns animals (Becca has a dog and I have two cats) knows that choosing the right furniture and fabrics is essential to creating a home that both looks and smells like it’s pet free. It took me years of trial and error to figure out the best way to create a harmonious and beautiful living space that I can proudly live in, and my cats will not destroy. And anyone who says “You can train a cat not to scratch or destroy things” is just…. wrong.
Scratch-Proof Sofas and chairs: Opt for sofas and chairs made with durable and scratch-resistant materials such as microfiber and tightly woven fabrics. Literally all my furniture is covered in one of those materials! I know that if you do a quick google search, leather is one of the first things that pops up as a cat friendly material. However I’ve found that leather is not a suitable material for homes with cats due to its susceptibility to scratching. Cats have a natural instinct to scratch and sharpen their claws, and they will cause damage to leather furniture. Their claws can easily puncture and tear the surface of leather, ruining the aesthetic appeal of the piece. In addition, some cats may be attracted to leather furniture as a scratching post due to its texture and smell, further exacerbating the issue.
Cat Trees and Scratching Posts: Provide designated scratching areas for your cats to prevent them from damaging your furniture. Place scratching posts for cats near their favorite resting spots, by sunny windows, the corner of your couch and in high-traffic areas to encourage healthy scratching behavior and minimize damage to furniture. Cat trees and scratching posts not only satisfy your cat's natural instinct to scratch but also offer them a place to climb and perch. And there are some really cute and stylish options out there now that don’t even look like scratching posts.
Hidden Litter Boxes: Invest in furniture pieces that double as litter box enclosures to keep your cat's bathroom area discreet and odor-free. I have mine tucked away in the laundry room in a built in lower cabinet (the doors were removed so they don’t get trapped). It’s hidden away and in a space that no guests will go into.
Comfortable Bedding: Choose pet-friendly bedding materials that are easy to clean and resistant to clawing and kneading. Anything machine washable and made of more natural materials like linen, cotton, flannel or bamboo would be a great choice. One of my cats recently threw up in the middle of my comforter and it was there for hours before I noticed. Thankfully the bedding was made of an easily washable material and after one wash, both the smell and the stain were gone.
Rugs that won’t be destroyed: Consider rugs with low pile height to prevent snagging and easy cleaning. I would buy rugs made of durable and washable materials such as polypropylene, polyester or nylon. Avoid looped or fringed rugs that can easily be pulled apart (I learned my lesson on this the hard way). Also look for rugs with busy patterns that help camouflage any snags or pulls.
Last but certainly not least…..Invest in a good vacuum cleaner and keep cleaning supplies handy: Your cat WILL throw up, pee, poop, shed and drool all over you and/or your home. They are lucky we love them so much. Using an enzymatic cleaner will work well for removing stains and odors associated with cat messes (no one wants to live in a house that smells like cat). And making sure to clean up cat hair regularly is a must. We have a robot vacuum, a regular vacuum and a handheld pet vacuum to combat the fur of two cats. I use at least one of these items every day. I am still shocked at how two small creatures can seemingly shed their body weight in hair on a regular basis.
My best piece of advice is before investing in any furniture, rugs, flooring etc, make sure you know your cats' habits and behavior. This way you won’t end up making a very expensive mistake and having your brand new leather couch trashed within the first two weeks.