No doubt we love our little fur babies, but WOW, can they cause some serious trouble around the house. If you have pets who love treating your brand new couch as their scratching pad, you know what I’m talking about.
"So... I see you got a new sofa." - said Mr. Cat, inside Modern Floyd Prism Patterned Console
Clearly, giving up the pets for adoption isn’t going to happen (although we might say differently if you ask us on a really bad day!) so how can we humans, our pretty furniture, and our precious pets coexist in blissful harmony?
We’re going to give it to you straight: keeping a new couch looking nice when you have pets around is not going to be easy. But it is possible. We’ve been around the block trying ALL the things, and we’ve got some pretty genius ideas on how to protect your furniture, stay sane, and maintain all that good lovin’ for your pet.
1. Furniture Covers
Bitsy's rubbing her scent on Benson sectional sofa. "it's too comfortable." She said, with no intention to share.
Figuring out how to stop cats (or dogs) from scratching furniture can be as simple as covering the couch with a slipcover. Yes, this doesn’t stop them from doing what they do best, but it does preserve the look of your brand new furniture—for a little while, at least. When the slipcover starts looking sad and drab, wad it up and throw it out. Then you get to buy a new one.
Today's activity: Bird watching on puffy cushions of Benson sectional sofa —which comes in 7 cover colors and Bitsy approved textures.
The perks? You get a new look every so often. The downside? You’re spending more money, and not really solving the problem. So this is an option when your pet requires scratch-resistant furniture, but it may not be the best choice for everyone.
2. Sprays
Olive, hanging out with peacefully with Cobalt Blue Isobel Sofa
Pet sprays are another solution that might train your cat or dog not to scratch furniture. These sprays contain ingredients that deter the pet from coming around, so you only want to spray it on the furniture you don’t want them to touch. You might have to play around with a variety of sprays before you find the right spray to stand up to your feisty feline or perky pup.
3. Traps
If you’ve tried a few of these solutions to no avail, it’s time to stop playing nice. Bring in the booby traps. Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’re not talking about anything too vicious. Just a little something to.
One idea is to tape inflated balloons to the couch cushions for a while, which will pop when the pet bats at them. This could scare them off and keep them from the area in the future. You can also try putting pennies in a soda can and placing it on the furniture where they like to scratch. The constant rattling might also be enough to spook them and keep them away.
4. DIY Projects
Sometimes your cute pets just need a really great distraction to keep them away from the furniture. Lure them off with some other awesome scratching post, and soon, scratching that couch will quickly be nothing but a memory. (Wait—do pets have memories? We hope they do. We spent so much money on those adorable dog sweaters last Christmas.) Some ideas might include a DIY scratching post, combination scratching toy, or heck, even another little piece of furniture that is all their own.
Goodbye Scratching, Hello Beautiful Couch
Frida chilling on her new Emerald Green Isobel Sofa
Once your pet-scratching woes are behind you, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve got a gorgeous couch, and no pets are messing with it. Turn on The Bachelor, dig into that cheesecake, curl up with a book—enjoy!
