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My cat Puffy is strictly an indoor cat so I really don’t have a problem with muddy little paws. I have also been lucky to have a cat that doesn’t scratch my couch – only the carpet occasionally.
But having a cat that loves to scratch a couch or sofa is a real problem and a very annoying one that demands a solution.
Since this is such an important issue for cat owners I have done thorough research on how to best protect your furniture from cat claws and which are the best scratch-resistant materials.
So even if your cat does not normally scratch the couch, it only takes a moment for the damage to be done.
I have been a witness of a cat scratching a brand new couch really badly in a matter of minutes – because the cat got nervous of the guests that came in the home ( I was one of the guests and I felt so awful for the owner). It was a beautiful yellow new sectional sofa and it was a real shame that it happened.
So having a scratch proof couch cover is a really good idea when you are a cat owner – regardless if your cat likes to scratch your couch or not.
Protecting your couch or sofa with a cover is generally a good idea because the damage is really uncomparable – a couch cover is easily replaced with another cover but replacing a whole couch is not so easy or cheap.
To better understand your cat’s behavior I have written an article about why do cats scratch furniture, it’s a short and insightful post.
If you have a sectional sofa I have selected a few very good sectional couch covers for cats, you may want to check them out.
Use A Scratching Post
You probably already know this but cliches are boring because they actually work so I will shortly emphasize the importance of a scratching post.
One of the must haves when you are a cat owner is a scratching post – combined with a cat tree or not. Your cat simply must maintain its nails, it’s a natural behaviour that you can not change but you can direct it properly. So don’t let your cat decide where it will exercise its nails, you be the one to show the proper place for this activity.
Place strategically the scratching post near the couch at the beginning to create a habit in your cat because we all know cats are creatures of habit. Once it is used to the scratching post you can put it somewhere more appropriate aesthetically. At the beginning to entice your cat to use it a little catnip or catnip spray will help.
So here are some guidelines on what material to choose for having a claw proof couch cover.
Best Claw Proof Fabric
So a question that every cat owner has probably thought of is: what’s the best couch cover for cats?
As a general rule you should be looking for fabrics that have tight weave. Explanation: cats love materials they can snag (materials with loose threads) to help them shake off the old nail cover which is difficult to do with a tightly woven material.
Below you will find a list of the the most scratch protective couch materials.
Microfiber
Microfiber is made of nylon and polyester fibers which are split many times smaller than a human hair – hence the name microfiber.
The smooth surface of the microfiber makes it hard to pierce through and so your cat will avoid a microfiber cover for scratching. Even if it does succeed to claw it the tight weave will not show the damage. Which is exactly what you need!
Another positive point of microfiber is that is fairly inexpensive and quite durable. And it looks so rich and classy!
The bad side is that it may attract hair but note that it is very easy to clean and the benefit of being scratch proof makes it worth choosing it for your furniture covers.
Scratch Resistant Couch Covers
This sofa cover is made of 95% polyester microfiber and 5% spandex – which is just the right combination for cat owners.
Many buyers have tested it on their pets and overall they recommend this products – like this cat owners in this review.
Besides making your couch look brand new and giving it proper protection this scratch-proof cover is machine washable – a major point for pet owners! No matter if you have an indoor or outdoor cat a couch cover simply must be washed from time to time. It will completely refresh the look and feel of your couch – and it will smell so good (another thing cat owners often have to deal with).
Regarding the scratch proof ability here is the experience of one cat owner.
Easy to put on, soft and stretchable and very important – reasonably priced this couch cover is a perfect fit for cat owners who want to prolong the life of their new couch or give a new look to their old couch.
Beautiful and practical – it will serve you very good and will be worth the money.
Velvet
In my personal opinion velvet is the most perfect material ever, it just looks gorgeous, so rich and so soft – simply royal and yet it is accessible to us “the common mortals” 🙂
So will cats scratch velvet & is velvet cat friendly?
Definitely cat firendly: velvet is a flat fabric that has no raised weaves or loose threads – which means that cat claws have nothing to snag on, making it unattractive for cats to scratch on.
Velvet is a surprisingly durable material and that is because of its flat pile similar to rugs (and we all know how durable rugs are). The flat pile also means easy cleaning of dirt and cat hair as they don’t hold onto the surface.
All these characteristics make velvet truly a pet friendly fabric.
Absolutely Gorgeous Stone Blue Furniture Cover
I totally recommend this velvet couch cover if you have cats, there are many other colors to choose from, I just fell so in love with this stone blue color.
This is such a great couch protector and people have expressed their satisfaction in the reviews – let me show you just one example: 100% cat approved as you can see from this testimony.
If you happen to have a leather sofa and a cat then you probably know that this is not a match made in heaven and your sofa is probably feeling the consequences. This velvet couch pet cover will give you very good protection from cat’s claws while making your sofa look refreshed and giving it a brand new look.
In my opinion you absolutely must love this cover – it just looks so smooth, so soft and comfortable, you and your cat will love sitting/sleeping on it.
Another great benefit is that this cover is also great with cat hair so you get double protection, both from cat scratches and cat hair as it is very easy to clean. Check out how well this couch cover performed regarding pet hair.
I was so tempted to include more positive reviews but mostly they repeat how great this product has been with cats in terms of protection, durability and easy cleaning so I wholeheartedly and warmly recommend this sofa slipcover for pet owners.
In summary:
- This velvet couch cover is perfect if you have a couch that is older but can still be used, the covers will give it a new, refreshed look and you won’t have to spend money on a new couch
- The couch covers are soft and easy to clean
- The covers don’t show cat hair easily and protect furniture from sun and dust
- These covers are recommended for pet owners who want to protect their furniture
Cat Proof Couch Covers
Here is a great proof of how good these sofa slipcovers are for people with cats. Cats simply avoid velvet for scratching their nails as it doesn’t trim their nails the right way. It is basically unusable for this purpose.
Checking the reviews I just came across another satisfied cat owner with these pet furniture covers – take a look how well they have worked for them.
So these 3 cushion sofa slipcovers are made of luxurious velvet plush fabric – that looks awesome and will absolutely elevate the look of your couch.
Many buyers have said that the covers are very soft and comfortable – which is something I am sure all of us cat people love.
They are very easy to put on and very easy to clean, especially easy to spot clean or clean each cushion individually without having to take off the complete cover. Another great thing for cat people is that they can be machine washed – so they are very easy maintenance even for a home with pets.
For cat hair it can be easily vacuumed so even in this area these velvet couch covers are super cat friendly.
Do check in how many wonderful colors they come, everyone will find its favorite!
I warmly recommend these sofa covers for protecting your couch from cat claws and making your couch look awesome and feel super soft.
Oh I almost forgot to mention: they will be great protectors for leather couch because once a cat claw scratches that leather the damage is done and very hard if not impossible to repair.
Make Your Couch Cat Proof With This Full Coverage Velvet Slipcover
If your couch doesn’t have cushions or you prefer full couch covers that cover the front and back of the couch then here is your velvet solution for cat scratches:
Velvet is proving itself over and over again against cat scratches, you really can’t go wrong with this material – the only issue is to choose the best cover regarding shape, size and color for your couch.
You know when a cover holds successfully against kittens, those fur balls of energy and coordination in practice that you have the perfect fit. Check this review on how well kittens and velvet match (image included).
Another review confirming that cats truly avoid velvet for scratching and that it is one of the best cat proof fabrics ever.
A velvet couch cover like this is super soft, comfortable and looks really rich. All cat lovers love softness and warm look which is exactly what velvet provides.
There are plenty colors to choose from., I’m sure you’ll find the one to love and match your home style.
You can wash and dry them, they hold up great, so durable and practical.
These covers will make your couch look and feel like a cloud in heaven 🙂
Denim As Best Couch Cover for Cats
Can you even believe this! A denim couch cover!
I am sure we all know the premium quality and durability of denim. After all denim jeans were invented for hard working farmers as the most durable fabric – and that should tell you all about how much a denim can stand.
On top of its extreme durability denim only looks better after many washes when it gets that pale color.
As denim is so popular I thought I’d share an interesting article about it, it’s a quick and easy read and I just found out that denim is actually made of cotton!
This denim sofa covers is the most practical furniture protector ever – a cat will not be able to scratch through it and you can wash it many, many times which is great for outdoor cats or if you keep both dogs and cats at home. Highly recommended for a multipet home.
Here is what you get described by a real pet owner.
It is designed to be really easy to put on, just dress up your couch and tie the ends – such a breeze!
In a way it is also a unique couch cover, I have never seen a denim couch cover in any home.
The greatest benefit of this cat sofa protector is its truly easy maintenance and super durability.
So if you have a cat and don’t like to waste too much time on a couch cover maintenance while getting great couch protection at the same time then this is the perfect match for you.
Quilt Is A Great Pet Friendly Fabric
This couch cover for cats is not full overage but it looks so awesome that I had to include it in this selection. If you care about aesthetics then you may consider this one for your home.
For all those die hard pet lovers this couch cover comes in paw prints as well and it is so cute!
Here are the main benefits of this cover:
- Solid protection from cat claws – here is a statement from a real customer
- Durable and proven in real life – check this video and the comment
- Good protection from muddy paws
- Easy to clean – machine washable which is a must for a cat onwer
- Very easy to put on, no complicated instructions
- Reversible cover – so good if you like a “new” look for your couch without having to buy anything
- Adds a layer of softness to your couch
- Lots of colors and patterns to choose from
- Thick and heavy protective cover for your furniture
- Very stylish
- Comfortable to sit on
- Keeps pet hair at a minimum
Generally people have been happy with this purchase and the quality this product offers at a reasonable price.
Use Synthetic Polyester, Rayon, Nylon or Acrylic
These are all fabrics that are tightly woven and nowadays they can be very fashionable and modern although they are not natural fabrics. There are plenty of benefits to them like being inexpensive and they can have great design and make your home look really stylish.
A few fabrics that I have not mentioned in this post but are also very good for cat scretches:
- Faux suede
- Plush
A Few Alternative Genious Inventions For Protecting Your Couch From Cat Scratches
Protect Sofa Corners From Cats
I found out about this product in a Facebook group (called Cat Moms Club), a member was complaining that her cats had destroyed her movie theater chairs received as a gift. There were many useful comments and in one of them this product was shared as very efficient for furniture protection from cats.
As you can see this is a really heavy duty furniture corner protector. The scratching part is made of sisal which a natural fabric that cats love to scratch (scratching posts are usually made of sisal).
So by providing this scratching place on a cat’s favorite sofa spot – the corners – your cat will leave the rest of the couch alone and you will make it a happy cat with its own nail trimming area.
Do note that there are 2 separate products each for the right and left side of the couch and you can also get them both as a package.
The sofa corner scratchers come in 2 colors: dark and light grey so you can pick the one that suits your home colors best.
It is easy put on, it has straps and velcro for easy adjustment.
If you need a top protection from cat claws then this is the product for you (I don’t quite love the way that it looks but for the great efficiency it provides this corner protector is worth considering, after all when having guests you can always take it off for a short time and your couch will shine as new).
Furniture Protectors From Cats
This is one very eye pleasing protector from pet scratches. It is basically a plastic cover that you can stick to your furniture and secure it with the twist pins that come in the package.
A cat will absolutely avoid scratching a couch covered with plastic, so this is a very successful way of protecting your couch from cat scratching.
One thing I would like to mention is if you have small kids then the pins may not be safe for them so you will do better by choosing another couch protector, at least while the kids are young.
This product has saved so many cats from declawing, which I am totally against!
Besides making your kitty happy it will save you money in the long run as replacing a couch is really a big investment and most of us are simply not that rich – and I would rather spend that money on vacations or cat toys 🙂
Motion Activated Cat Spay/Deterrent
This is such a genious multi-purpose automated cat deterrent spray!
I have already written about it as great protection of a Christmas tree from cats without you having to guard the tree all the time, but there are so many situations it can be utilized. One of them is protecting a couch/couch corner area from a cat in case you don’t want to stick anything to the fabric and just love the original look of your couch.
So how does it work?
It works on batteries and it is basically a spray. When your cat gets near to 3 feet away from the device it will detect the motion and release a quick burst of spray.
The cat will be surprised unpleasantly by the spray, which is odorless and cat-safe, harmless for cats. Your cat will quickly learn that the area is hostile and will avoid it, so you can use it for training your cat to a desired behavior.
The can of spray is re-fillable so if your cat has not learned its lesson you can easily buy another can as long as you need it.
The spray will not damage your floor or furniture as it is designed not to leave stains or residue behind.
You can use it to train your cat for more than one area in your home (one thing that keeps coming to my mind are kitchen counter tops).
What I like best is that you really don’t have to use it forever but only until your cat is trained to avoid a certain area in your home. Your cat will react even on the sight of the device so even if the spray runs out just the device itself will be enough in most cases.
Just for a little laugh I have included a video of funny cat reactions to ssscat device caught on video:
My precious just woke up – it’s such a hard cat’s life 🙂
