The Best (Worst) Couches for Pet Owners

If you’re planning to adopt a dog or cat, you don’t just get one, and everything would be fine and dandy and would automatically go as you have imagined it. Before becoming a pet owner, you have to assume responsibility.

Remember that dogs and cats can’t easily be tamed, and it will take time for you to train them to do what you want them to do. Also, the canines especially, don’t want the idea of being restraint constantly and taking away their freedom to roam and play. The bottomline here is that the potentials owners are the ones that have to adjust for them to able to live in harmony with their adopted dogs or cats.

Aside from the food and monthly expenses on grooming and veterinary cost, you also have to be conscious of the items or furniture in your home. And one of those considerations you have to look into is your couch since you’ll go to be spending a lot of time in there with your pets in front of the television.

In this article, I have listed some of the best (worst) couches for pet owners you have to bear in mind if you’re contemplating adopting a canine or feline companion in your home. It’s in this way that we would prevent stress and unnecessary expenses. So without further delays, let’s begin…

The Best (Worst) Couches for Pet Owners

I have categorized this topic into two divisions—the best and the worst. I will explain first the no-no in couch selection. These are the factors that pet owners should avoid. And as a result, it should help them save time and money.

Of course, a couch is essential in every home. And for the recommended couches section, I will detail some of the things you have to consider first before adopting a pet. Let’s continue and find out…

The Bad

The following are some of the factors to consider if you own a dog or cat at home—

Look for loose threads and open weaves in the fabrics

Check your couch or other furniture or interior in the house that is made of fabric if they have any loose threads. The reason why you have to do so is that your pet may likely see it as something they can play with.  If you fail to address this, then it can totally ruin your furniture if you were not able to see it earlier.

Once your feline or canine companion is able to snag or bite the thread or fabric, then it may destroy the interior edges of the furniture—say goodbye to your couch! Well, it’s fun for them, needless to say, but it’s a source of stress for us, right? On the other hand, an unnoticed open weave in your couches’ fabric causes your dog to dig more. Therefore, it makes the damage even worse. This can become very problematic, especially if the furniture is expensive!

The best solution I can offer is for you to inspect your couch once in a while if there are any damages. Or, a telltale sign is if your pet is constantly roaming or playing near your furniture. This is especially true in dogs because they like to dig stuff.

Suede couches

I know suede looks good in your living room, but it’s a pain if little accidents happen. Accidents like spilling water or your favorite beverage on the couch. Well, yes, you can still clean the mess eventually, and everything would be alright. However, it is stressful and extremely inconvenient if such events happen often. And you could expect them to happen as often as possible if you have your playful Labrador always roaming and running around the house.

You might be thinking of restraining them. But this is not recommended because most breeds of cats and especially dogs, don’t want their freedom being taken away from them. Canines like to move from there and fro and neglecting them this important matter may have serious consequences. You may place slipcovers or have the most durable suede couch in the world, but I’m sure you don’t want to clean the mess every unexpected event, right?

In my opinion, it is for the better if you leave suede couches alone and look for other types of sofas.

Fabrics made of velvet and silk

If you’re a pet owner, I believe that it is important to refrain from buying expensive couches and other furniture made of fabric. You don’t want your pet to get into it and ruin your costly furniture. This is especially true for high maintenance furniture like velvet and silk.

The problem with them is that they are stained and break easily. Imagine your dogs or pet cats playing on top of them. Even if their nails are properly groomed, they are still capable of causing damage to any of your furniture. Also, they can still bite on them and mangle your throw pillow or silk-made sofa.

It doesn’t matter if it’s made of wood, steel, or fabric; it would still leave a mark if they attempt to scratch them. I’m sure that you don’t want the prospect of stress if they indeed destroy your high priced couch.

The Good

Some of the best couch ideas are as follows—

Couches made of leather

The common consensus you’ll hear from experienced pet owners is to get a leather couch. And there’s a good reason why they prefer your furniture made from such materials. The overall aesthetics of leather may not please everybody, but it is something to think about, especially if you’re a pet owner.

The reason why they are ideal for people with dogs or cats in their household is that genuine leather is very resistant to scratch; also, they are easy to clean if spilling occurs. In choosing which leather couch to avail of, be very particular with the grade of the materials used. Authentic leather is tough, but those that are soft and synthetic leathers are weak on scratches and may cause damage easily.

Also, take note that there are manufacturers who would say that their furniture is genuine leather, but it turns out that it is a mix of other materials. So be on the lookout for this! Of course, there would be the occasional scratches or spilling of drinks on the couch as the result of your play dog. But in most cases, you can easily clear those unwanted marks easily and in just a few minutes.

Whenever a newbie pet owner asks for my advice, genuine leather is always on top of my list.

Stiffed fabrics

Another important factor to consider is that the fabrics of the couch should be tightly weaved together. As I explained earlier, the dogs especially like to dig up something even if they are not particularly looking for something.

And to minimize them from causing damage to your living home area furniture, then opting for fabrics with tight weave should disable your pet from digging. And if you’re for the best and most durable fabrics in the market, then let me introduce you to my go-to online merchant—the Yorkshire Fabric Shop.

Place slipcovers

Placing slipcovers are more than improving the interior design of your living room area. Using them on your couch should lessen cleaning time and at least minimize the damage. This is especially true if you are a pet owner and can’t restrain yourself from buying silk and suede couches or already have the furniture before you had your dogs or cats.

But again, I strongly recommend that you refrain from using them as much as possible. Generally, slipcovers shouldn’t be pricey but never compromise the quality of the fabric. Always stick to the ones that you are certain could protect your fabric in the long run.

If you’re already using leather, then it would add an extra layer of protection and keep your mind at peace even if they run back and forth inside your household. And the good thing about placing slipcovers is that you can focus on playing with your beloved dogs or cats without having to worry about anything else.

Outdoor interiors

You can also put your furniture outside of your house—in the patio or veranda perhaps. By doing so, you give your pets the freedom to run and play about without focusing on your expensive sofas. But you also have to take note that by putting them outside, you now have to be aware of the weather as well.

So generally, I don’t feel like recommending them, especially if you’re living in tropical regions. For example, the weather in my country is very unpredictable. But anyway, it’s stylish if you decorate your outside interiors with them once in a while.

Final thoughts

I hope my content has provided you sufficient information about the best (worst) couches for pet owners. The reminders in this article aren’t hard. Yes, they are a joy to have in your household. But it won’t always be that way.

So be sure to take note of them if you’re contemplating adopting a pet to save you from a lot of stress. Well, I guess we’ve tackled sufficient concerns here! Thank you for the time!