Sofa vs Pet - Tips to ensure sofa wins

Playful paws and tiny teeth are all very cute until they get to your prized sofa. If you want to avoid being chewed out of thousands of dollars, these are our best tips on getting your sofa to last. While you will still have to bust out the vacuum cleaner, clean-up will be easier with these nifty tricks! 

1. Pick the right fabric and colour

Even if pets don’t lounge directly on your furniture, you know their fur will still magically end up trapped in everything you own. To increase the fur-resistance of upholstered furniture, always:

1. Opt for smooth, flat-surfaced textiles with a tight weave. Synthetic blends and leather are less likely to trap pet hair and also easier to clean.

2. Choose anti-static fabric, which is less likely to attract loose pet fur in the same way standard fabrics do. Because anti-static textiles can also repel pet fur to some extent, cleaning is less of a headache, especially if you have long-haired pets.

3. Pick the right colour by matching your upholstery to your pet. This better disguises trapped fur. Have multiple pets? Use the fallback option of grey, which can masterfully disguise stains and fur in different colours.

2. Avoid tufted styles, piping and fringe

Furniture with tufted buttons, piping and fringe details to pets is like snacks to humans. Try as you might, the temptation can sometimes prove overwhelming. For dogs, and especially cats, buttons and fringe are likely targets for scratching, ripping, or chewing, and are best left of your upholstered design for durability.

Blafink suggests: The Sermillon Sofa or the Perel Curved Sofa for a sleek, pet-friendly look.

3. Opt for removable cushion covers or a slipcover

Accidents can happen even with the most well-trained pets. Think of removable cushion covers as insurance against accidental hairballs and the like. See a stain? Take off the covers to launder, stat!

4. Chew toys and scratch posts are mandatory

The hard truth is that preventing your furkids from ruining your furniture requires a combination of training, redirection, and making smart design choices. Our experience with pet owners over the years has taught us:

1. Puppies will almost always chew furniture legs whether it's made of metal or  wood. The good news is they usually grow out of it.

2. Both cats and dogs need alternatives to the shiny forbidden toy that is your sofa. Redirect unwanted behaviour by giving dogs appropriate chew toys and cats scratching posts to satisfy their natural instincts. Remember that pets get bored too, so offer more than one option in multiple areas of the house.

3. Mentally stimulating your pets through regular play and exercise can help to reduce destructive behaviour stemming from boredom or excess energy.

5. Clean regularly

Baby wipes, a vacuum cleaner, and a lint roller are your must-haves when it comes to upholstery maintenance. See a stain? Blot immediately with a baby wipe, and rub hard to remove as much of the stain as possible. Remove pet hair as part of your regular household cleaning schedule — the longer pet fur sits, the deeper it can become embedded in fabric. Removing regularly and frequently will make clean-up much easier in the long run.

READ MORE: 8 Tips to cat-proof your sofa