Pet Friendly Fabrics For Friendly Pets
Furniture isn’t just for humans; pets often love laying on a couch just as much as their owners, to the owner’s joy or pain. This can create some worry, as the fabric on your furniture will be put under more daily stresses, accidents, and scents. When furniture shopping as a pet owner, you should keep this in mind. But what fabrics are best for your dog or cat to be lying around on? Which ones hold out against the nails, tails, drool trails, and added stress? We’ll give you some insight into the ways that fabrics and pets interact, along with some benefits and drawbacks to different pet-friendly fabrics so that you can shop for the best lounging spot for both you and your furry friend.
Synthetic materials
Other than pleather, synthetic materials are a great start to pet-friendly furniture. While pleather won’t hold up to the nails of larger dogs and is difficult to repair, synthetic fabrics tend to be more durable than their organic counterparts. They can deal with the gnawing, clawing, and added pressures of any cat or dog. They also tend to clean a lot easier than their natural counterparts, making any accidents less of an issue. It’s pretty easy to apply upholstery protection sprays onto synthetic materials that repel scents and moisture from sticking around too long. This helps with the longevity of the furniture as well as decreasing the amount of daily maintenance you might need for synthetic materials.
Leather
Leather actually holds out against minor scratches quite well. While it can’t weather any major types of damage, the way that leather incorporates those minor scratches from teeth and nails into the aging of the leather can actually improve its look over time. As well, any accidents are easily wipeable, and any scents from those accidents won’t ever easily absorb into the furniture. If your pets have any favorite spots on leather furniture, the patina that most top-grain leather gains will be further emphasized. One thing to watch out for is cats. Keeping their sharper nails trimmed dull can help prevent smaller holes left by their claws. If you’re looking to keep your leather looking absolutely new, this might not be the best choice for you. But the additional use from pets adds to that aged look that many leather owners love to see.
Outdoor Fabrics
At first, this seems odd. Why use outdoor fabrics indoors? Most outdoor fabrics are built to beat the weather; they’re extremely durable. If they can handle rain, sleet, snow, and hail, they can hand your Pitbull. They tend to be mold and mildew resistant, which helps with their longevity in case of any wet accidents. They also are produced with less absorbent material, meaning that any accidents won’t absorb into the furniture. Cleanup with outdoor fabrics is much less time-consuming and more effective because of this. If your pet brings the outdoors with them inside, outdoor furniture would be more than ready to handle it.
Low-Pile Fabrics
Any fabric with a 3-D texture is labeled as a high-pile fabric. They are often soft and artsy, but creating such a high pile also weakens the fabric. In contrast, a low-pile fabric, such as velveteen or microfiber, is one that is uniform and almost 2-D in nature. These fabrics, because of their tight weave, tend to be much stronger and can handle more stress. Claws also have a tough time creating permanent holes in them, making low-pile fabrics a big fan for any cat owners. While the claws might still go through the fabric, the density of the low-pile causes the hole to basically fill in once the claw comes out, meaning that holes will rarely be a problem.
Which fabric is for me and my pet?
What kind of pet you have might alter your fabric options for your future furniture, as well as which ones you might be more inclined to purchase. Pet-friendly fabrics are varied and serve different purposes. Just as different pets have different needs and requirements, so will the fabric on your furniture when pet and furniture meet. Finding the right one for your specific situation will save you lots of hassle in the future. Large or small, fur color, how much they shed, propensity to create accidents, and general activity are just some of the factors to consider when shopping for furniture with a pet in the house. Whether you’re browsing for a new couch or have a larger kind of fashion project in mind, let Pittsburgh Furniture’s knowledge and expertise handle it for you! Our staff can help you find exactly what will fit your human and pet needs.