10-06-2012, 09:02 PM
mattkime wrote:
Still, durability in furniture varies widely and i'd like to verify that i'm getting something durable.
My cat is drawn to the odor of leather and will destroy leather shoe sitting out on the floor. She likes to sit on leather briefcases and has scratched mine incidentally with her rear claws. I'd expect a leather couch to get damaged whether or not she deliberately clawed it.
She's also clawed my fabric couch quite a bit over the years. (Mostly when she wants my attention while I'm sitting on the couch.) I managed to make this couch last more than a decade by installing thick fabric panels on each arm where she's most prone to scratch, but she also uses her claws to pull herself up on the cushions and -- after a decade of this behavior -- it has added up to the cushions becoming very ragged along the front edges.
In retrospect, I think I should have been using one of those protective covers designed for dog and cat owners and I'd recommend one to others. Leave it on for day-to-day and take it off when there are guests coming. It worked for my sister when her lab decided to take up residence on the leather couch.