If you are in a hurry, we chose Microfibre as the best material for a sofa if you’ve got a cat due to its resistance to scratches and hairs, and also due to its affordability.
Please read on if you want to see how we came to this decision as we take a look at 3 other alternatives to microfibre.
There are many benefits to being a cat owner, but it’s only natural to worry about how owning a cat might cause some damage to your sofa. Cats are known to dig their claws into furniture and even climb up curtains, so how exactly can you protect your sofa if you have a cat?
Remember that training your cat to not scratch your sofa will always be preferable, but there are a few other points to consider – shown below- you can use that will benefit your sofa without requiring hours of training.
- Select a fabric with a tight weave
- Opting for covers that are scratch-resistant
- Selecting fabric that is easy to clean
- Selecting a darker coloured fabric that hides fur
So now we know what points to consider, lets take a look at the 4 best materials for a sofa if you happen to own a cat.
1. Microfiber – Our top pick
This synthetic fiber is an ideal material for your sofa. It is cheaper than leather and fits in most home décor styles because of a variety of colors. Microfibre is also quite resistant to scratching which is important to consider. The majority of your cats hair will not get caught in this material, either, which is an added bonus.
Cleaning this material from pet stains or dirt is easy to achieve either by a gentle brush or by any mild cleaning agent. The best thing about this material is its 2-coloured hue; brushing it on one side renders a darker hue and on the opposite side renders a light hue. Generally speaking a darker tone will be more suited for cats as it will hide the hairs much better than a lighter tone.
2. Leather – A close second
One of the most tightly woven materials for sofa use is leather. Due to the nature of the material your cat will struggle to get its claws into the material and any hairs will not get caught on the surface. Leather is also very durable and can look more authentic with some wear and tear.
Leather typically comes in darker tones which is better for hiding any hair that might settle on the surface, and its very easy to clean using leather cleaning products.
The only issue is that if your cats do manage to get their claws into it, they can cause some real damage which is the only reason we don’t recommend leather as the best option (it’s definitely not the worst though!).
Interestingly leather is our top pick if you happen to own a dog.
3. Denim – A decent option
Denim is a tight weave fabric, which means in essence that it is suited for cats as they will struggle to get their claws into it. Cleaning this material from stains is relatively easy with either water or baking soda paste and you can simply hoover it every now and then to maintain its appearance.
4. Faux Leather – Avoid this if possible
Faux leather is the term given to an artificial leather usually made up of polyurethane, or a similar plastic, that has similar properties and appearance to authentic leather.
It is highly durable and long lasting and in some cases can be better to use than actual leather. Faux leather is very easy to maintain, easy to clean and is resistant to getting covered in cat hairs. It’s also good if you’re on a budget too, as it costs less than real leather.
We would usually rank this higher up in the list but faux leather is known to be even less resistant to scratches than normal leather, and so we recommend avoiding it if you’ve got a cat.
Protective Measures
Apart from these materials, there are other protective measures you can adopt to help protect your sofa. Measures include using slipcovers, scratch deterrent tape at corners and having scratch pads in rooms.
1. Slipcovers
Slipcovers are excellent to use for protective measures. The fabric has excellent resistance to scratches and protects the real fabric underneath. You can easily replace slipcovers because it is way cheaper than the original material of the sofa. If covers get dirty it is easier to take off the covers and give them a whirl in a washing machine. In this way, you can protect the fabric of your sofa which is the desired outcome.
The only thing is slipcovers can conceal your sofa and completely change its aesthetic, but it still a good option to consider.
2. Scratch Deterrent Tape
This tape is used for cats at the corners of the furniture. This tape works by providing a sticky surface that will deter cats from scratching, and must therefore be placed in areas prone to scratching. The appearance though is a little compromised by applying tape to the corners as it is not very attractive.
3. Scratch Pads/Towers
Most cat owners will know that a scratch tower or pad is a crucial addition to any home with a cat as it gives the them an outlet to scratch and almost get it out of their system.
Whilst you can’t guarantee if this will prevent them scratching your sofa, it will certainly help towards this goal.
Materials Not to Use
There are materials that you should never ever consider if you have a pet cat.
Most of these fabrics are loose weave in nature, such as silk, velvet, and suede. These materials need to be avoided at all costs. If you already have sofas with these materials in your house, you need to make use of the preventative measures that we have outlined above.
These materials are highly prone to scratching and are difficult to clean. They will also you a small fortune to repair or replace if they happen to encounter any damage.
Final thoughts
We hope you can use some of these ideas to protect your sofa if you own or are thinking about owning a cat.
If there are any other materials or measures you would like to see added to this article you can contact us here.