Pets. Furniture. Can We Live With Both?
Furniture and Pets
Many of us don’t believe that we can live happily with both nice furniture and pets. I’ve had customers say, “I’m waiting for the dog to die so I can get a nice couch.” This is sad on so many levels. (Why shouldn’t the dog be allowed to enjoy the new sofa?) We have a few suggestions for loving pet owners who would like to live with attractive furniture.
Coordinate your furniture to match your pet. On the surface, a crazy design idea—but if you’ve spent years cleaning white cat hair off a navy blue sleeper sofa—not so crazy.
Buy leather furniture. This is my go-to idea for pets, children, guests and other destructive agents in your home. Leather is durable, easy to clean and it’s possible, although sometimes expensive, to repair. There are different grades of leather, but if you choose a full-grain leather, not buffed or sanded, that retains its natural markings, a few extra pet scratches won’t matter. They can be buffed out, or left to add to the character of the patina. Corrected leather will have less surface markings, but it often sports a heavy surface coating that better resists. Keep your pet’s nails trimmed to limit damage. And remember to vacuum or wipe down your leather sofa or sleeper sofa regularly with a soft cloth to keep dirt and hair from clinging to the surface.
If you’re choosing fabric, look for something with a tight weave. Microfiber is a great choice for pet owners. It feels like suede, with no loose threads, so it doesn’t encourage clawing. Microfiber chairs and couches are easy to clean. Blotting with water can eliminate most spots if you catch them right away. In the furniture industry, microfiber is referred to as “bullet-proof.” Skip silk, velvet and suede—they stain too easily and are hard to clean.
Avoid breakables near pets. True story: we have friends who owned a very expensive Chihuly vase that occupied a prominent spot in the living room. They also had a large dog. An earthquake shook the house, scared the dog, who ran into the pedestal, and dislodged the vase. There was glass everywhere—dangerous for everyone, including the dog, not to mention a costly loss for the homeowners.
Set boundaries for your pets. If you don’t want them on the furniture, make sure to be consistent and always discourage any jumping on the couch. Some pet owners swear by a nearby bottle of water, or a can of compressed air, sprayed whenever the dog attempts a cuddle on the sofa.
Distraction works, too. Keep a scratching post nearby, so the cat can be redirected if she eyes the couch and tries to claw the leg. If your puppy has a soft bed of his own in the corner, he’s less likely to covet your soft sofa cushion.
Yes, it’s possible to live happily with furniture and pets. And when all else fails, just lower your standards. Life is short, and some pet hair on the sofa is a small price to pay for the joy of cuddle time with your dog, cat or guinea pig.
My son just bought a new sectional. I think the fabric is a microfiber that looks similar to leather. It has pillow cushions on the back and one of the dogs tore one of the cushions apart. I came in and there was stuffing all over the place. The couch was one week old.
Oh, no, Gayle! The sectional was only one week old? I hope the damage was able to be repaired! I’m sure we all have pet and furniture stories, but yours is pretty alarming. A couple of weeks ago, I caught my son’s cat tearing up the lower lining on his sleeper sofa. I think the cat is feeling ignored because of the new baby….. Thanks so much for checking in and sharing with us! Best, Meryl
Hey Lauren–Thanks for checking in! Since my guinea pig passed away, I haven’t had the heart to get another pet. But hopefully some of this research is helpful for our many friends who do have furry family members.
I gave up “saving” the furniture years ago! So much more satisfying to have the pet than the perfect furniture. But I’m going to clip this article out and save it for the next time I’ve got furry family – there’s nobody but some fish here with me at the moment.