Our current couch is scratched to shreds and ready to be retired. I am wondering what type of couch material stands up best to cats and two year olds. We do not want leather. What has held up well for other moms?
I agree with microfiber. My dog loves to lie on the couch and there's not a mark on the cushions! Microfiber is easy to wipe up any spills. All you need is a towel and maybe a little water.
Free advice from an interior designer with 15 years furniture sales experience ( currently "retired" to have baby #2)
leather is only good with cats if they aren't allowed to jump up on the furniture - their rear claws make tiny pricks in the leather that no warranty will cover....
A polyester microfiber ( faux suede) will do well - provided kitty isn't a shredder. It cleans up with rubbing alcohol, vacuums easy for crumbs and fur. It's pretty run-of-the-mill at this point - every furniture store will have something for you to look at. If you buy something in stock - not special order it should be really affordable and in 4-5 years you can replace it with something nicer without feeling guilty. Dress it up with fun pillows and art.
another suggestion would be a sofa with a machine washable slipcover. it would be a bigger investment up front - but if you get one with good quality cushions (no feathers!) and a well-built frame it will last you indefinitely. I have a 14 year old slipcovered sofa that has survived 4 moves and a baby just fine. I did replace the seat cushion stuffing 'cuz it's a sofabed - they are tough on cushions.
that's my 2 cents....
We have a cat and a 2 year old and the only couches we've ever had is microfiber. They're great!!!
M.,
WE have a microfiber couch and it has worked out great.
The cats leave it alone too. But then, we also have a scratching post for them now also. But the couch is seven years old, and has no kitty scratches or tears from them at all.
W. M.
I have the exact same problem (2 cats and a 2 year old) and just ordered a new couch. I'm thinking of donating the current one to science. I don't know but after a lot of asking around it sounds like microsuede.it is super stain resistent although some people complained that the pet hair sticks to it.there are a lot of different types out there (we looked a lot). Try jc penney home store if you have one, they were inexpensive, nice and you can custom order. Good luck!
not sure of cats but my friends with kids rave about microfiber couchs, saying it's practically stain proof!
K.
Microfiber. It's kind of bland-looking to my eyes, but it's really durable.
You sure you don't want leather? If it's aniline-dyed, (the color goes all the way through), it's so stress-free 'cause you can easily clean it and it stands up to anything.
I don't like my couch, but I love the material.It's a faux suede from Pottery Barn. It's machine washable, and fairly stain resistant. I have two cats and they can't get thier claws into it.
Microfiber (easy to clean, few stains) in a print (hides stains better that do stay in...) I love my microfiber brown print couch!
I don't know how well cats do with breaking the habit of scratching on a couch once they've established it for a scratching post. You might consider getting a couch cover over your new couch. There are some now that fit really nicely and can be easily cleaned.
Good luck!
Hi M.,
Since you don't want leather (which I have found holds up very well to my two cats and one 3 year old boy)consider getting something that comes slip-covered. Not the little surefit ones you throw over an existing couch, but a custom cover that can be removed and replaced. IKEA has a nice selection of these couches.
I have two chairs like that. When the covers are dirty, I just take them off, put on the spare set when I wash them. The covers are relatively inexpensive so when the cats scratch them too much, I just go buy an extra set.
Hope this helps.
T.
