With cats, its all about opportunity and attraction. A tight weave - eg smooth chintz upholstery fabric that would be hard to get a claw into - is best choice. Sheets - microfiber or high thread count. Another part of the equation is you have to provide them with a suitable place where they CAN scratch. You cant just say "dont do this," you have to provide them with an alternative. Rough textures attract them - so you need to have the only rough textured things in your house be things you WANT them to claw. I have two big ugly weathered gray sawhorses in my house and the cats have them torn to shreds. I was using them as sawhorses when doing some work and the cats took right to them, so rather then mess with success I just kept them in the house. They are tall enough so they (the cats) can stretch out full length and they dont wobble - which is important for a scratching surface. Also train kitties to accept nail trims, starting at a young age. They are not "sharpening" claws so much as they are wearing off the excess claw (they grow like fingernails) so if you keep the nails trimmed there wont be such a need to do as much clawing.... though they still like to do it for esthetic reasons (its like graffitti for other cats to see and admire LOL). They can be trained over a period of time by first starting out with touching the paws, then workng up to a foot massage ... at some point they will realize that they LIKE it.... from there you can sneak in the clippers and start trimming.

Oh no...not even close. Comparing B-Y to La-Z-Boy is like comparing 3-day old hamburger to an Angus Prime Steak. B-Y is made in Cherryville, North Carolina La-Z-Boy is made in China B-Y uses maple frames La-Z-Boy uses pressboard and even reinforced cardboard as frame components. B-Y uses Leggit and Platt mechanisms (best, lifetime warranty) La-Z-Boy uses a made-in-China unit. The list goes on and on..... Duane C.

I researched this very subject myself bc I have several cats and would never declaw them. I ended up buying a leather chair & half w/ottoman AND an invisible fence type device to place under the set. The collar boxes are a bit too big and cumbersome (even though they only weigh a few ounces) for the cats, but they were ok, AND they only wore them for a little while. They got the message to stay away from the leather. One cat is a little more rambunctious and she still wears the collar when I'm gone. I've used electronic fences in my yard also for my dog and potbellied pigs and I don't think they're cruel, as some people will protest. If you have one, you'll understand this. I like the set-up I have for my chair bc it's not some unsightly stuff I have to place on top of my furniture and it's moveable and can be used elsewhere if need be.

Lukkiirish, I am lucky in a way. I don't get tired of furniture I like. Once I get a room to look the way I want to, it stays that way. As long as the furniture looks good, ie., not worn out or ugly, I'm happy. My tastes have changed over the years, but even those changes are at least a decade apart. It's the same with colors I like -- except that I usually like them for years before they become a popular color, and then I tire of them. I'll be perfectly happy to live with this living room for a very long time, as long as I get furniture I like and use colors I like. I do have a yearning to get a chair upholstered in bright orange, but I am talking myself out of it. I never liked orange until this year, and I think it is just a phase bought on by seeing orange furniture in beautiful rooms in magazines. I don't have any decorating talent at all. I should have because I feel unsettled if a room does not look well put together. The room I have to work with is ugly all by itself, to me, but I am going to do my best to make it look its best. Thank goodness for helpful people like you -- I'd be lost in a quagmire of questions otherwise. This is the first time I've been able to start with a clean slate and buy furniture I actually like a lot. Luckily, my living room is small, so I won't have to spend a fortune. You know, I have wondered about the leather and microfiber questions for years, which is why I finally decided to just ask here. I appreciate your help!