# Best upholstery material to withstand cat claws **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556 "2013-05-05T17:23:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/21 "2013-05-06T00:05:44Z")
My cats claw ONLY the leather furniture. Some of the leather is soft, some of it is thicker and more rigid, the cats don’t discriminate. I’ll be checking this thread to see if anyone has suggestions. I’ve put cat scratching posts and boards, catnip scented, nearby, but they still prefer the leather chars, loveseat, and couch. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/22 "2013-05-06T02:16:55Z")
> [@MoodIndigo1](#): > > My cats claw ONLY the leather furniture. Some of the leather is soft, some of it is thicker and more rigid, the cats don’t discriminate. I’ll be checking this thread to see if anyone has suggestions. > I’ve put cat scratching posts and boards, catnip scented, nearby, but they still prefer the leather chars, loveseat, and couch. Yep, I’ve got a leather chair that my cat loves to scratch. My cat has standards. Anytrhing that cost less than $200 he’ll snub his nose at in favor of the more expensive furniture. Scratching posts are a joke to him. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/23 "2013-05-06T02:57:42Z")
I have to look at those links, but my Mom has a couch she’s had for years that the cats won’t touch. It’s slick and has almost no texture, so I think they can’t get a grip in it. I’m guessing this couch is microfiber something. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/24 "2013-05-06T03:36:40Z")
chainmail. it gives cats a grip and won’t deteriorate. win, win. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/25 "2013-05-06T04:16:20Z")
My parents have had a microfiber couch and armchair for about 4 years now. They have two cats, and it remains unscratched/undamaged. The regular cloth futon, by contrast, is half-destroyed, so it’s not like these cats don’t try to tear up furniture. But I think the microfiber is too smooth or tight for their tastes or something. So yeah, there’s my suggestion. Microfiber. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/26 "2013-05-06T04:19:48Z")
My research supports microfiber. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/27 "2013-05-06T04:23:18Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Yep, I’ve got a leather chair that my cat loves to scratch. My cat has standards. Anytrhing that cost less than $200 he’ll snub his nose at in favor of the more expensive furniture. Scratching posts are a joke to him. Maybe a $300 scratching post? I can sell you one. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/28 "2013-05-06T19:30:51Z")
Our couch and loveseat are microfibre. The cats don’t scratch them, but they have poked a few little holes in them - mainly I think by jumping up in a panic to get away from the dog. Luckily the holes are pretty much hidden in the “suede”. Because there is no “weave”, there is no texture for the cats to get excited by. The one drawback I find is the furniture is very static-y, but it doesn’t seem to bug the cats, it mainly bugs me when I pet them when we are cuddling on it. Buy a good fabric protector made for the microfibre/ultrasuede and stains are easy to clean off. Except for water - which makes spots on it. DEFINITELY cheaper than leather. ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/29 "2013-05-11T23:41:23Z")
Kevlar ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/30 "2013-05-11T23:56:27Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Yep, I’ve got a leather chair that my cat loves to scratch. My cat has standards. Anytrhing that cost less than $200 he’ll snub his nose at in favor of the more expensive furniture. Scratching posts are a joke to him. Ha ha! So like a cat to defey reason! ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556/31 "2013-05-12T01:01:26Z")
I understand that today’s topic is about upholstery, not resolving the clawing issue itself. But, when/if you do decide to attempt to modify the cat’s behavior (as if!), check out “Soft Paws”. They are plastic/rubber nail caps that you glue onto each of your cat’s claws. And they fall off after about six weeks of nail growth, so it’s not a one-time-fix. I did it with my little girl one time and then said “Fuck it!”…so she destroyed the corners of my couch, chair and all four corners of the ottoman. I was a moron to blow an annual bonus on furniture from Pottery Barn, so she shredded around $2600 worth of furniture…serves me right! After that, I went with leather and micro-suede…or the faux versions from IKEA…and they were more comfortable and much sturdier than the crap I paid 3x more for at Pottery Barn! She never put the first nick in it… I hat to put her to sleep six months ago and now I wish she was here to shred it all to confetti…☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-upholstery-material-to-withstand-cat-claws/657556.md?page=1)