As most cat owners know, cats love sharpening their claws on just about anything other than the dedicated furniture you buy for them. My two cats managed to turn two accent chairs and a sectional into dump-worthy eyesores in the space of several years. Which is why when I heard about Interior Define’s “cat-friendly” fabrics, I knew I had to try one of them. Interior Define does sell premade furniture, but is best known for offering the most customizable built-to-order couches—25 styles with over 150 fabric options, 35 styles of legs … the list goes on. You can even choose lengths and widths, sit depth, and cushion fill material. Customers have access to a free consultation with a design expert (either virtual or in person at one of ID’s 14 brick-and-mortar locations), and unless you’re a professional interior designer, I highly recommend this. Even as someone who has bought multiple couches, I was immediately overwhelmed by having to choose options—like tapered vs. stiletto legs—that I hadn’t previously considered.
Regardless, I pushed through to choose the Sloan sectional in onyx cat-friendly performance velvet with oiled-walnut legs. Now for the downside of having a couch built by Interior Define: the wait. Given that the couches are built to order in China or Vietnam, delivery can take two, three, or even four months. (Mine took four.) Reasonable, but still worthy of consideration if you’re in need of a couch quickly. All of ID’s made-to-order couches come with white-glove delivery.
As for the finished product, the seat and back cushions—for which I chose a standard down blend—are firm. Not uncomfortably so, but firmer than I’m used to. I also wish I had selected a wider depth (40 inches rather than 36), as the cushion length feels noticeably short. Otherwise, despite some groans and squeaks after seven months of heavy use (including a couple of tween sleepovers), the couch is still beautiful and sturdy. The best part? The cat-friendly performance velvet works. Both of my cats despise the fabric’s tight weave—they tried sharpening their claws a few times but quickly gave up and now use their long-neglected scratchers. After nine months, the Sloan still looks pristine, which to me was worth the wait. —Kat Merck
Eight month update: The cushions that see regular use have softened and are visibly flatter than the others, and the frame makes a few squeaking/groaning sounds in frequently used areas. It's showing about as much wear as our previous couch did at this time, from Ashley Furniture, so I'd say quality is on par with your average mass-produced piece. The benefit still lies in the customization—and the scratch-preventative fabric. The Sloan continues to be cat scratch-free and is the only piece of furniture we own (including pieces made of soild wood) that they won't at least attempt to sharpen their claws on.