Leather furniture and couches look great and are an addition to any family room around the house, because of the durability and quality that the leather gives the sofa.
But will a leather couch work with your cat?
Leather couches can be a problem with cats (because they scratch), but there are some precautions you can take e.g having a cat scratcher to distract your cat away from the couch.
This is the short answer to this!
In this article we will answer all of your questions regarding cats and leather couches and how to fix and prevent scratches within the leather. Let’s go!
Are Leather Couches Good For Cats?
Because of the way they are designed and produced, leather couches are technically a good match if you have cats because they are durable, soft, and don’t tend to absorb bad smells.
However, though it is comfortable for cats to sleep on and can be easily cleaned of fur and fuzz, leather will suffer a lot from a cat’s claws.
Scratches on leather show easily, so even minimal damage caused when your cat is stretching will be very visible.
If you do have cats and choose to purchase leather furniture, you’ll need to take some extra precautions to keep it in the best condition.
Cats are drawn to furniture no matter the material, so it is possible to have a leather couch if you also have a cat, but it is not the best fabric to pair with these pets. Leather is not bad for cats in any way, but you will definitely notice any damage that they inflict on it.
Some companies that produce products for cats actually make miniature leather couches for your cat to sit and lie on.
If you think that your cat would enjoy one of these, it could be the perfect way to get the best of both worlds: your cat will have extra space to enjoy and it won’t come at the cost of your own leather couch.
Do Cats Destroy Leather Couches?
Cats are famous for their destructive talents, so much so that you may feel that no couch will be safe in a home with them!
But, despite their reputation, cats will not necessarily always destroy leather couches.
It is in their nature to scratch, but you can train them out of that behavior.
Despite being able to train a cat and teach them proper behavior towards furniture, you should still be cautious because it won’t take a cat very long to destroy a leather couch by scratching it.
You can stay on top of cleaning your couch and keeping it free of cat fur, but it doesn’t take a lot of scratching before your couch is ruined.
To stop this from happening so that you can enjoy your furniture with peace of mind, you should work on teaching your cat not to scratch your couch.
How Can I Protect My Leather Couch From My Cat?
One of the best ways to train cats not to destroy your leather furniture by redirecting their attention towards something else, such as a scratching post or a sheet of cardboard.
You can also keep certain rooms in your house restricted from your pets, though a lot of pet owners don’t like to do this because the animal is not as free to roam inside as they please.
To find an alternative, you could buy some pieces of pet furniture so that your cat has their own area to enjoy in the house.
Another easy way to prevent a cat from destroying your leather couch is to invest in some coverings, like throw blankets, to stop your cat from making contact with the couch itself.
If the cat’s claws are blocked from the solid leather by a different material then they will likely lose interest in being on the couch in the first place.
You could choose a leather furniture cover so that your cat gets to enjoy the feel of leather without potentially ruining the couch underneath.
Some cats may also chew or drool on leather, which can also cause damage to a couch. A covering will solve this problem, though you’ll have to wash it quite frequently.
Stimulating your cat more with things like playtime will engage them and stop them from getting bored and chewing on items of furniture, especially if they have toys to chew on instead.
One thing that every good pet owner will already know is that you should never even consider declawing a cat (which involves removing the last bone in each of a cat’s toes to prevent claws from regrowing) to stop them from scratching your furniture.
Cats scratch by nature and you should work on teaching your cat not to destroy your furniture rather than resorting to a cruel practise that is not recommended as a resolution.
Declawing also encourages other behaviour problems, such as more biting, so it is not in your cat’s best interests or your own to have them declawed.
Do Cats Like The Smell Of Leather?
Some cats like the smell of leather, while others don’t.
Every cat is different, so you’ll have to work out your cat’s preference, which shouldn’t be too difficult because cats that do enjoy the smell will want to spend lots of time on or near leather items.
You can buy specialist sprays for furniture that are designed to put cats off the scent and stop them from wanting to chew on the furniture.
A cat that does like the smell of leather would benefit from you purchasing some leather cat toys for them to play with.
Covering up your leather couch will help to hide the smell a bit if your cat enjoys the smell of leather, and the toys will provide a different outlet for your pet to focus on.
If your cat doesn’t enjoy the smell of leather, they will choose to keep their distance from a leather couch, so you shouldn’t have many issues with your cat potentially destroying it.
Can You Fix Cat Scratches On A Leather Couch?
Cat claws are sharp and very precise, so any cat scratches on your leather couch may look impossible to get rid of.
Luckily, there are ways of fixing them, such as with a leather repair kiTo use one of these, you’ll have to scrape off the loose edges around the scratches and then fill in the depressions in the material with a leather filler before spraying on a leather dye that matches the colour of your couch and applying a leather conditioner to moisturize the area.
And despite their sharpness, a cat’s claws aren’t very long, so though your couch may suffer from a lot of scratches, they will be fairly small individual marks.
If the scratched area is somewhere that is mostly unnoticeable, you can always drape a blanket or place some pillows over it to hide the area.
Having more objects on your leather couch may also help to draw your cat’s attention away from the leather and have them scratch at something else.
If the scratches haven’t made any indents in your leather couch, it should be even easier to fix them.
You can use a Q-tip with a bit of olive oil on the end and gently massage it into the scratched leather, repeating the same process with extra oil if all the scratches don’t come out the first time.
Make sure to wipe off the material when you’re done to get rid of the excess oil and stop the couch from getting greasy.
What To Put On A Leather Couch To Stop Cat Scratching?
Couch coverings, like throw blankets or sheets, are probably the easiest and cheapest ways to stop a cat from scratching on a leather couch.
They might choose to scratch at the covering, so it won’t prevent scratching altogether, but it will block the cat’s claws from coming into contact with the delicate material of the couch.
Placing your cat’s scratching post quite close to the couch may entice them away from it and get them to scratch it instead.
While anti-chew sprays are great for putting your pets off chewing or drooling on your leather couch, there are other preventative items that you can buy to stop a cat scratching the material as well.
Cat scratch tape is a double-sided sticky tape that can be easily stuck onto a material like leather and then removed whenever you like. If your cat tends to scratch specific areas on your couch, apply some of the tape to those areas and the cat should start to leave them alone because of the sticky feeling on their paws.
There are also sprays designed to keep your cat away from pieces of furniture. A cat scratch spray will make your cat believe that they have already marked the area as their territory, which should cause them to leave that area alone and not scratch at it.
Cat deterrent sprays are available to buy online, but you can also make your own at home with ingredients like vinegar, essential oils, or peppermint.
One of the best ways to stop your cat from scratching your leather couch is to keep them continuously engaging and occupied with fun and exercise.
If your cat knows to focus their attention (and their claws!) on things like toys, you won’t need to hide your leather couch under coverings because the cat will choose not to scratch it.
Of course, you should always take some precautions anyway because cats can be unpredictable animals when they want to be, but a cat that isn’t bored or feeling neglected will have less behaviour problems, which include biting and scratching household items.
