Pets and Furniture

Pets have a special way of pulling on our heart strings. Whether it’s your favorite dog Max or your cat Jolene, it’s pretty safe to say that they are part of your family. A recent statistic said that over 65% of American families have pets! If your pets are indoors, you probably spend a lot of time together watching TV, cooking dinner, taking afternoon naps, and even nightly snuggles and snores. However, as a pet owner, how can you love on your pets and your furniture equally? Do you have to sacrifice the kind of furniture you get simply because you have a pet? Not any more!

Slipcover Furniture 

In fact, there are more households now than ever before with indoor pets. Some families have multiple indoor pets! The trick is to pick out the right furniture in the beginning. For example, a slipcover sofa is super easy to wash. So, if Max comes in with muddy paws and you can’t stop him from jumping on your favorite sofa in time, you’re good to go! Just remove the slip cover and wash using the directions on the tag. In the meantime, you can replace your slipcover with a new, fresh one.

Invest in Training 

To avoid muddy paws on your furniture in the future, it might be a good idea to invest in some training. For example, if your pet is used to climbing on your furniture anytime he or she pleases, try teaching them to wait for a command or approval to jump. After all, it is your house, not theirs. Teach them to refrain from choosing when or where they nap on your furniture. Reward them with a treat or praise for looking to you for permission before jumping. This can save a lot of headache and a lot of laundry in the future. Plus, your guests may appreciate this as well. Just because we are pet lovers doesn’t mean that our guests are as well. In fact, some of our guests may even have allergies to pets and pet dander which is found on furniture they are allowed to lay on.

The same thing goes for feline pet owners. If you have constant issues with your cat clawing or tearing up the arms or bottom of your furniture, this can be frustrating and devastating to leather furniture. Cats claw and use a nursing motion to sharpen and even help shed their claws when new ones are forming. While this natural act cannot be eliminated with out declawing which is very harsh, you can add a fun area to your home just for your cat to meet these needs! Try adding a climbing station or a scratching post to a less-frequented corner of your home. This gives your cat a place to do his or her thing without leaving your furniture as the focal point.

Come See Us!

The good news is that you can still have nice furniture and own indoor pets. No more sacrificing one for the other any longer. If you would like to learn about our slipcover inventory selection, give us a call or stop by our showroom to see them for yourself. When you come in, be sure and say “hi” to our four-legged employee, Charlie. We look forward to seeing you soon!