Anti-scratch fabric: protecting furniture from cats
A few words for pet owners whose furry friends love to scratch, chew, and soil furniture.
If your cat really wants to, they will turn any fabric into a rag. Of course, this assumes their claws aren't trimmed. Most vulnerable to cats and dogs are faux leather, leatherette, and tapestry. Less susceptible are flock and jacquard.
As I've noticed, an animal's habit of scratching furniture depends not only on their training but also on how satisfying the fabric is to scratch. The better a pet's claws sink into the fabric, the more enthusiastically they will ruin your interior. If you are buying furniture or want to sew a sofa cover but don't want your furry friend to turn it into a rag, buy anti-scratch fabric.
Anti-scratch fabric is a material with enhanced durability, manufactured in such a way that a cat simply cannot sink its claws into it. By "anti-scratch," manufacturers usually mean flock or sheared velour with a high-density backing. There is no single formula for this fabric. It is simply a designation that the material is more resistant to claws than others.
Ideally, you should buy the fabric in person rather than online. Anti-scratch fabric is noticeably denser and more solid in its structure than regular fabric. It is much harder to pull a thread on such a surface. This is visible to the naked eye, which you cannot say about photos on the internet.
Note: regardless of what kind of furniture cover you use, train your pet to use a scratching post; that way, you have a much better chance of preserving your interior.
Good thing, I'll have to try it. Mine knows the scratching post perfectly well and doesn't ruin anything on purpose. But when she races around the apartment and flies under the sofa, the upholstery still takes a hit. I'll have to think of an original way to apply such a patch. By the way, does anyone have any ideas?