Mario Buatta thinks dogs have a place in the home as a decoration.
“Dogs and cats love to tear up curtains, cushions, chew on chair legs or arms and scratch up woodwork and wood floors,” the internationally known interior designer said. “That’s why all my dogs are framed artwork and hang on the walls.”
No one wants to live in a museum, but keeping a residence looking neat and fresh can be a challenge if you share it with pets.
Dogs in the home are a relatively new phenomenon, according to “Living with Dogs” by Laurence Sheehan (1999, Clarkson Potter, $50).
In 1900, dogs bred for sport were kept in kennels. Herding dogs lived with their flocks. Farm dogs lived in barns or in doghouses nailed together out of scrap lumber.
After dogs became more common as family pets in the prosperous years following World War II, they were still largely relegated to back yards. They began to make inroads indoors as early as the 1940s, first infiltrating the kitchen, then making incursions on the den, and, by the 1990s, even taking up residence in our bedrooms, Sheehan writes. Today, most pets have full run of the house, where they might be tempted to gnaw windowsills, and shred drapes and furnishings.
If housebreaking lessons and behavior modification aren’t enough, there are ways to create an interior that is forgiving (paw- and chew-proof) of the family pets.
The most obvious deterrent is barricading rooms with a closed door or child-proof gate.
“Don’t forget that if your pets live in the house, it’s their habitat, too,” Buatta said. “But if you don’t want them in a certain place, do not create temptations for them. For instance, placing a sofa in front of the window is an invitation for a dog to get a better view or a cat to nap in the sun.”
Textures, such as tactile wall coverings like grass cloth, and nubby fabrics including corduroy and rough knotted weaves, just beg a cat to come and knit away. A painted surface, which can be easily touched up, is a better choice for cat owners.
“Leather is great for heavily used rooms,” said interior designer Steven Mommrow, co-owner of Moose Creek Ltd. in Albany and Lake George. “Cats can puncture it, but it won’t tear away. Distressed leather is even better because you won’t notice the punctures.
“Cats love to scratch on vertical surfaces. So you might want to get a chair or sofa with leather arms and back with fabric cushions.”
In addition, “Slipcovers are an easy alternative” he said. “Just pop them in the washing machine when they need it.”
According to interior designer Cecil K. Pollen, owner of Tassels in Lenox, Mass., if your pet prefers the same cushion on a chair or sofa, you may want to make a cushion cover for it with an elastic edge to secure it in place. This will deter a small dog that likes to bury bones or toys under the cushions, Pollen said.
“I have a client whose small dog always gets sick on the same dining room chair,” Pollen said. “So we made a plastic-lined seat cover for the chair. A waterproof baby diaper can also be used under the fabric.”
Consider using Ultrasuede. It only comes in solid colors, but spills won’t penetrate immediately and it is washable.
“Fabrics treated with stain protectors will not prevent the fabric from being soiled,” Pollen said. “All it does is to give you time to clean it up.”
But attack the problem right away; after a day or two stains are difficult to remove, even from treated fabric.
“One way to keep a pet off of your furnishings is to give them a chair of their own,” Buatta said. “Cover it in the same fabric and let them know that that is their comfort zone.”
Cats may not scratch up a floor like a dog, but they do love to scratch on anything that has a texture to it. Try hanging clear plastic strips on the front of sofa arms and along the backsides of upholstered furniture to deter scratching.
Cats also shy away from anything sticky. Apply double-sided tape to problem areas, but remember to peel it away when you’re expecting company.
“An easy way to keep cats from scratching is to cover their favorite areas with sheets,” said Mommrow. “They aren’t as interested in smooth surfaces.”
“If you do have upholstered furnishings, you might want to get extra arm protectors in the same matching fabric and flat pieces to lay over the back of the chair or sofa,” Mommrow said. “Cats love to rest on something high.”
Mommrow also suggested cat-proofing with window shades or shutters and rustic or other styles of furnishings with wooden frames and an upholstered cushion or back. Avoid wicker and rattan.
Buatta said to avoid using costly fabrics if your pets don’t behave. “You almost have to treat pets like you do children,” Buatta said.
Here are other tips:
– Keep priceless items out of the way.
– Don’t put valuable items on low tables if your cats like to bat things or if your dog might chew valuables or knock them over with his tail.
– Select a smooth velvet-cut pile instead of textured carpets — a lure to felines.
– Forget about beautiful soft pine floors if you have a large dog. Dogs will gouge it up faster than you can say wax, especially in front of sliding glass doors or windows, where they may be taunted by squirrels and other small animals.
– Consider slate, granite or limestone in heavy traffic areas in front of doors or for the foyer. Marble, however, is porous and might stain.
If all else fails, there’s always the Scat Mat from Contech (800-767-8658). The battery-operated, touch-sensitive mat emits a shock (tingling jolt) that will quickly and safely repel your pets and train them to keep off counters or furnishings or stay out of certain rooms. Once they learn, there will be no need to turn the mat on; just seeing it in place will deter them.
