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I work remotely from home and it is one of the best things that has happened in my life. I absolutely love it!
I also live with my cat.
If you are a cat owner you already know how cats enjoy using the things that you use regularly. Just like little kids 🙂
This means that several times a day I have to “fight” with my cat over my office chair. The minute I get up she curls on the seat.
I also have to mention that the office chair is the most uncomfortable piece of furniture in my apartment. There is a soft bed, a soft rocking chair but the most appealing thing for my cat is my office chair.
The exact same spot where I spend most of my time.
I’ll take that as a sign of adoration from my cat that she wants to be like me (I just know this is true 🙂 )
Another thing that she especially enjoys doing is jumping over my head on the office chair – just to annoy me. This happens often when I am on a call meeting…
So as you would imagine my office chair is destroyed from cat claws and teeth. I guess I’m just too lazy for getting a new one – although I should.
With the latest world events, the number of people working from home has increased, which leads to an increased need of cat resistant office chairs, as many people have cats at home or have become new cat owners due to the new social rules.
As I know a thing or two about cats and office chairs, below you will find my research and opinion on how to get a cat proof office chair.
How To Find The Best Office Chair for Cat Owners
The first question that needs to be considered here is how does a cat destroy an office chair?
It is mostly by scratching it or sometimes biting the armrest.
So the best thing you can do is choose material for the office chair that is cat proof.
Naturally, the next question that comes to your mind is what is the best material for a cat proof office chair?
The rule of thumb is: cats can’t dig their claws into dense materials that have tight weave.
Below I have given a list of a few cat proof materials, with explanations why they are cat resistant, and shared some suggestions of office chairs made from that type of material.
Cat Scratch Proof Office Chair Covered In Velvet
Velvet is a perfect material for cats. It is mainly because it is a tight weave material, there are no loose fibers, which means cats’ claws have nothing to snatch onto, making this material not scratch-worthy for cats. They will simply be not interested in scratching it as they will have no benefit from it.
Besides being cat resistant, velvet is a very durable fabric that can withstand the wear and tear of many years.
The reason it is excellent for use in various items like furniture, bedding, curtains etc., is because it is soft, comfortable, breathable, has a smooth, thick texture.
Its rich and luxurious look is also worth mentioning and it comes at an affordable price. In the past, only royalties could afford it but today you can also feel like a king or queen having velvet as part of your home.
Velvet Cat Resistant Office Chair
I chose this office chair when having cats hanging around the workplace on my mind. You can see that it is covered in velvet material which will only cause a cat to curl on the seat and fall asleep rather than enticing the cat to scratch it.
These are the biggest benefits of having this office chair:
- The velvet is very soft and comfortable, suitable even for warm weather as it won’t cause you to sweat like leather or faux leather
- The material feels very smooth
- The padding is absolutely of superior quality: soft yet firm, making you feel as if you’re sitting in a recliner
- One of the best things: the armrest folds up, which is great if you want that freedom or if they are in the way of your desk table
- The chair looks very stylish and beautiful, with lots of colors to choose from
- The reclining mechanism allows you to adjust the angle of the chair to something you like and then lock it in place, it is rocking back 90-120 degrees
- Well-padded backrest and soft seating surface
If you want a nice chair that isn’t leather, with a lot of cushion and room to get comfortable, with extremely comfortable padding and material then this is a great choice.
To emphasize once again that the velvet material makes it one of the best office chairs for cats.
Cat Proof Office Chair Covered in Fabric
The above CLATINA office chair is a bit on the expensive side but it looks SO comfortable, SO soft – just like heaven to sit on, and the number 1 criteria for protection from cat claws is there, it is covered with fabric all over the chair.
A Comfortable and Cat Resistant Gaming Chair
If you like feeling snuggled in your chair (winged seat and backrest) while you work a gaming chair might be the right choice for you. A gaming/office chair is also an attractive option for younger people as these chairs have a more youthful design and they don’t make you feel like you are actually working but enjoying your time spent on work.
A few more advantages of a gaming chair vs an office chair:
- Typically gaming chairs have high level of back recline and offer excellent back comfort and prevention of back pain
- They have adjustable armrests
- They come with a package of lumbar pillows and usually adjustabale headrests, which is a good thing to have when your neck gets stiff from long working hours
The thing that makes this gaming chair cat resistant is the tight weaved, smooth fabric. One reviewer said it feels like a suede-like texture. Another plus is that the fabric is breathable which will reduce sweating – considering you’ll be working on this chair this is a very beneficial feature.
Another good thing about the fabric is that it is soft but durable. It is also warm, even in colder weather and unlike leather chairs, it does not freeze the skin when coming into contact with flesh.
Here is what a satisfied cat owner has to say about cats and this cat-proof computer chair.
I also love the way that it looks, especially the grey version, it matches an office style very well.
Microfiber Office Chair As Cat Resistant
Microfiber is a material that has been increasingly growing in popularity for home use because of its impressive qualities.
It is made of very fine, very thin synthetic yarns and it has a soft, smooth texture. It looks good and it feels good and that is why it is used a lot in home furniture and also for furniture covers or blankets.
- Microfiber is scratch-resistant: it is a very tightly woven material so there are no tiny holes that cat’s claws can hook onto. The smoothness makes it unappealing to cats for scratching/trimming their claws and the high density of the texture makes it durable even if a cat attempts to scratch it
- Microfiber is a cat hair proof material: since it is a tightly woven and dense material cat hair will not get stuck into the texture, which makes it extremely easy to clean, you just need a wet towel to remove cat hair from it. Vacuuming or lint roller will also work extremely well with microfiber.
- Microfiber has awesome water absorbing abilities: the tight weave enables liquid to gather on top of the surface and stay there for a short time instead of directly going through. This is especially helpful when microfiber is used for furniture covers, where if you react quickly and wipe the liquid off, you can prevent leaking liquids right through to the furniture piece. This also makes microfiber somewhat stain resistant – but not completely.
- Last, but not least, the tight structure of microfiber prevents dust or allergens to sink into the material which makes it hypoallergenic.
It is also worth mentioning that microsuede is a type of microfiber and it is equally good for people with cats.
Microfiber Cat Proof Desk Chair (On A Budget)
The main reason I have chosen this office chair is the microfiber material that covers the surface. Cat owners should know that fabric is always a better choice than leather, as cats can’t shred it (as fast as leather at least). Even if a cat decides to scratch it it will certainly last much longer than leather or fake leather material.
I know this because my fake leather chair got destroyed the first year by my cat’s nails. Every hole and scratch shows and it is truly not a pretty sight, I cover it with blankets as the base is still usable.
The microfiber on this office chair is comfortable, soft, breathable, durable and feels nice even after long hours of sitting. A cat will be attracted to curl in the seat instead of trimming its nails on this type of fabric.
Another thing that is so great about the microfiber surface is that it will prevent sweating, unlike leather or fake leather chairs, in summer especially, and having your skin stick on it. Leather also tends to get hot or cold while the microfiber holds constant temperature.
Because of its microfiber surface, you will feel like sitting on a couch instead of in a chair – which is something you will love if you spend long hours sitting at work.
Plush, soft and thick, this microfiber fabric will give you great comfort and make your office chair cat scratch proof. You may have to fight over it with your cat, as will most likely be the case with cats, but you’ll have a preserved office chair for years to use.
Even the armrests are covered with microfiber cushions which adds another level of comfort and chair protection from your cat.
You will definitely avoid dealing with cracks and peels which happens often with leather chairs.
Besides the perfect microfiber cover of the office chair here is a reviewer’s quick list of all the pros and cons about this chair.
Warning: the padding on the seat does seem to flatten after a few years of constant use but in my opinion, you will still get your money’s worth if you use the chair that often.
Now if your cat has made up its mind on shredding your office chair then there is no truly a cat resistant office chair but you can always cover your office chair with a blanket, like I have done with mine, and it works like a charm.
Big And Tall Cat Proof Desk Chair (Heavy Duty)
The benefit of having a fabric-covered office chair is that the material does a good job in resisting scratches, compared to leather material where the scratches and the punctures are highly visible. Genuine leather may be harder to puncture but it costs a lot more money and with a cat, you can never be 100% safe from scratches.
So the best match in all aspects for cat owners would be a cat-resistant fabric covered office chair, like the upholstered office chair shown in the picture above.
This particular office chair is made from quality materials and has a sturdy construction, which is exactly what you need when working from home with a cat hanging around. The fabric upholstery offers comfort, softness and durability and good protection from cat scratches.
But there is one more thing that distinguishes this office chair from the rest: it has extra-wide padded seat particularly useful for people who need the space – this review describes exactly what I mean : ), told by a cat owner too.
One thing that is missing is that the armrests are hard for this particular chair, but people have found a way to overcome this by putting foam or soft material on top of them.
I have to mention that there are other designs of this brand of chair CLATINA, more or less expensive based on the features that you can choose from, depending on your needs and on your budget, of course, you can check them out on the above button link.
By choosing this cat scratch proof office chair you’ll give your back and body proper support for spending long hours sitting, you’ll be comfortable throughout the day and have peace of mind that your cat won’t destroy your office chair.
Additional Tips On How to Cat Proof Office Chair
Cats love to scratch and claw at furniture. Office chairs are no exception to this, especially if you work at home and use the chair a lot. Cats seem to adore things their humans use often and try to “steal” those things from us.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I keep my cat off my office chair?
One of the most helpful things you can do is to very first thing is that you get an office chair covered in a cat proof material.
The next thing that you can do is get a good quality cat repellent spray. This will repel cats from attacking the office chair in the first place, thus protecting it from cat scratches.
You can also use some cat distractions, such as scratching posts or mats, in your office space so that your furry little mischief will have something else to scratch instead of your chairs.
Using catnip in liquid form to spray the scratching post to direct your cat to them is a good option.
And obviously maintain your cat’s claws trimmed, it’s good for your skin too 🙂
Personally, I prefer to cover my office chair with a microfiber blanket, it protects my chair from my cat, gives me warmth and additional softness and I feel so cozy while I work.
In the below image you can see the degree of destruction on the armrest (and what my chair looks like under the blanket) and my attempts to save it with sellotape. My chair is faux leather and now I cover it with blankets, which works perfectly, and that is why I recommend fabric covered office chair for cat owners. The minute I get up Puffy takes over 🙂 , it’s a never-ending battle…
- Why do cats love desk chairs?
Cats love being around their owner, they feel more secure and protected this way, which is why they are a few feet away from their human most of the time. They also love things that smell like their human.
If you work from home your desk chair will be warm and will smell like you, which makes the perfect place for your cat to curl on.
The reason why they like to scratch your office chair is to leave their scent and an office chair is a very stable piece of furniture, the one that won’t tip over when they scratch it.
- Do cats scratch mesh chairs?
It mostly depends on the cat, but yes they can choose the mesh for trimming their nails. A cat can basically choose anything to play with or use for scratching in your home, and they particularly love things that their humans use frequently.
To stop this destructive behavior, you can choose to cover your chair with a microfiber blanket or use a cat deterrent spray, whatever proves efficient for your cat.
- How do I protect my leather office chair from my cat?
All over the internet, you can read how leather is an excellent material for cats but in me experience, very often it is quite the opposite. Unless you have genuine leather, which is expensive, the leather imitation will show scratches and holes and, unlike skin, these will not heal/go away ever on their own.
And many cats are drawn to scratch leather, maybe not so because of the material but because their owner uses that furniture, and those are their favorite spots to play or scratch.
So my best advice would be to avoid getting a leather-covered furniture if you are a cat owner, but if you already have it or you love it that much, please check the answer to the first question.
- How can you work from home with a cat?
As I work from home and I live with my cat here are my best tips for working from home with cats. They are all based on my personal experience and what has worked best for me and my Puffy.
