You come home from a long day at the office, plop down on your sofa, and turn on the TV. Right away, you hear the jingle of tags as you watch your dog come in and snuggle up to you on the couch. You look at him and tell him you love him as he moves his head onto your lap. We can’t deny it – whether its our spunky pup or mischievous cat, the furniture in our living room isn’t just for us, it’s for our four-legged companions, too.

We want them to feel as comfortable as we are when we’re home. But, we also want to take care of our furniture and living room. Here, we’ll share some of the best pet-friendly living room furniture and how to pet-proof your home.

Choosing the Best Pet-Friendly Living Room Furniture

Everyone enjoys the living room. This special gathering area is where we have family movie time, where the kids lie all over the sofa with the dog, and where you find your cat relaxing while you’re away. The living room is the control center of the house and needs to be in style while keeping your pet safe. Below are a few pet-friendly living room furniture options to keep everyone comfy.

First, you need to think about the type of fabric. With pets, accidents are inevitable, as are scratches, pet hair, and other fabric-ruining mishaps. Below are some different pet-friendly fabric options that are stylish but resistant to the wears and tears of our pet companions:

1. SoMo’s Smart Solutions fabrics are stain-resistant fabrics that combine yarns and chemistry to create the perfect blend of soft and durable material. These worry-free fabrics can withstand the challenges of everyday life, from pets to kids to that evening glass of red wine.

2. Leather can be a good choice for pets that shed because fur can easily be swept off. Just watch out for those pesky claws! Leather can be repaired, however it can be costly to do so depending on the severity of the damage.

3. Microfiber, a synthetic fabric, is a dream because it doesn’t rip or scratch easily. It comes in a variety of colors and is soft to the touch, making it comfy for the whole family.

Second, let’s talk sofas. To keep your pet happy and your home clean without sacrificing style, check out these collections of motion sofas and chairs. They’ll provide you with style and comfort all in one.

4. Silver Screen, a collection with both recliners and sofas, has fabrics that can stand up to any unpredictable mishap from pets or kids. The pieces have hidden cupholders in the arms and are great accents to any living room design.

5. Fandango is a customizable reclining sofa collection with power features and cushions filled with memory fiber to provide that “body hugging” feeling. They come in a variety of fabrics and leathers that are durable, stain-resistant, and can take on the many ups and downs of everyday life.

6. Cagney sofas feature distinctive curved-end styling, power headrests, fully cushioned chaise-pad ottomans, and a Wall Hugger feature that makes for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Tips for Keeping Your Living Room Clean with Pets

Lastly, before purchasing these new pieces of furniture, here are some ways to help maintain and protect your pieces from our four-legged companions.

*Get some pet-friendly furniture for your pets. Find a dog bed that is as comfy as your sofa and lie near it. This will teach your dog to feel comfortable and will persuade him to spend less time on your furniture. For cats, invest in various scratching posts. Scratching posts and cat towers will help keep the kitty occupied and more importantly, off your furniture.

*Get your pets groomed or groom them yourself. Regular baths will help keep shedding to a minimum. In addition, make sure your groomer cuts your cat or dog’s nails or do it yourself with a pair of nail clippers with a quick stop. These quick stops make sure you don’t cut the animal’s quick, which is where the nerves are in the nail.

*Get some slipcovers. Slipcovers come in all colors and sizes and help bring style and design to a room, but these covers also help when you have pets. With a slipcover, if a pet rips, tears, or damages the cover, you can wash it or replace it, which is much more affordable than getting a new piece of furniture.

*Guard against scratching. Next, if slipcovers aren’t enough, try guards. These are clear or colored strips of plastic that prevent dogs or cats from scratching the furniture. These strips are like scotch tape, so when a scratch happens, the claw is stuck on the tape and not the sofa or chair. They are easy to remove and don’t damage the furniture. If you have a kitty that just can’t help but scratch up your couch, try nail covers that protect both their claws and your furniture (a much better option than declawing a cat).

*Get some training for the pets. With training, you can help your pet understand that the furniture is off limits if you don’t want them lounging on your sofa. You can use a bitter apple spray on the furniture (be sure to test for color-fastness first) to keep them away or train them with clickers and positive reinforcement. There are a variety of ways to teach your dog/cat to keep off the furniture if you wish to do so.

*Finally, keep the furniture clean. With fabrics, you may need to vacuum once or twice a week, depending on how much your pet sheds. Leather is easier to vacuum and you can sometimes sweep the hair off. Cleaning stains is a bit more difficult. Before buying any cleaning solution, make sure it is pet safe. There are excellent pet-friendly companies out there like Fizzion, Nature’s Miracle, and more. Just make sure to read the reviews and do the research so you don’t risk any harm to you or your fur babies.

Our furniture and pets can live in harmony if we don’t let one take control over the other. If we do our research ahead of time, we can make sure our style is still pet-friendly. Our pets are family and deserve to be comfortable too. By buying the right type of fabric, investing in preventative measures, and training your pets, you can all curl up on the couch together and get some much needed relaxation time. Learn more about different types of fabrics and which one is best for your furniture!