Best Ways to Protect Your Furniture From Your Cat or Dog

No piece of furniture is entirely pet proof, but some are certainly more so than others.

With couches and cushions, zippered cushion covers and washable or wipe-clean fabrics are easier to deal with than more delicate coverings that require professional cleaning.

How about tables, chairs, cabinets and other items? The key is durability. An active dog can easily break a flimsy table or knock over shelving that isn`t properly secured to the wall.

When you shop for and/or assemble furniture, make sure it is strong enough to stand up to the weight of your pet. A particleboard bookshelf in a home with a Great Dane, for example, is iffy. The same shelf in a home where the only pet is a seven-pound cat? Totally appropriate.

And regardless of the size of your pet, be sure to use the proper hardware and tools when assembling any piece of furniture. This will help ensure that your furniture is stable and therefore less likely to sustain damage.

Oh, and be aware that dogs can break non-tempered glass, so furniture with glass accents (think: coffee tables) might not be your best bet if you have a dog. Broken glass can injure your pet; in this situation, the loss of the table is secondary.

Silk, velvet, linen, suede and tweed are unequivocally the worst fabrics to have in your home if you own cats and dogs. Not only are these fabrics delicate and/or prone to snags, most of them don`t stand up to water or the enzymatic cleaning products normally recommended for cleaning up pet messes.

Instead, opt for microfiber or leather. Microfiber is durable and easy to clean. And although leather can get scratched, overall it`s pretty resilient. And in the case of an accident, you can quickly wipe it up from a leather surface. You can also easily remove pet hair from microfiber and leather with a vacuum or handheld pet hair remover tool.

Even if you have pet-friendly furniture, here are some practical measures dog and cat owners can take to keep couches and chairs, et al., clean and damage-free.

You can put them on any piece of furniture your pet likes to hang out on. When the blanket gets soiled or covered in fur, you can just shake it out and toss it in the washing machine. Plus, because there are so many colors and styles to choose from, it won`t be hard to find a few that match your décor.

Water- and stain-resistant furniture covers are also an option. Also, be sure to regularly launder all washable items, like the cover you got for your couch. This will help keep those lovely pet odors (wet dog, anyone?) from taking up permanent residence in your furniture.