KenmoreGal2

We used those for a few months. Our cat absolutely hated when we put them on her, then she'd try to bite them off, then her claws would get caught in rugs and things because of the small space between the end of the claw cover and the actual claw. We gave up.

I just replaced a king sized duvet (not quilted) because it had tiny little holes in it. I suspect they were claw holes. I keep a quilted throw draped over the back of my sofa. I've been doing this for 2 years now and have had no damage to any of them. Maybe your friend can at least put one quilt out that way. The only part of the quilt that's even able to be damaged is the part laying on the very top of the sofa.

sinceresissy

I have not had the problem of my cat clawing a quilt. I made special little quilt beds for each of my three cats and sometimes they liked to lay on them but mostly my cats liked a rather small cardboard box - one that they could barely fit in and they laid in those plus they would claw those instead of anything else. I did have one cat that clawed the sides of my furniture but the other two loved to claw up cardboard boxes. When I brought a new box home it would be the treat of the day. Each one would try it out. There was a hierarchy to it all. The cat that was here first ran the show. The second cat that came to live with me was the first cats mother but she bowed to her daughter. The third cat to come was a feral male cat and he would try to be top dog but the first cat cowed him back. The first cat had her claws removed (not by me) and that did not stop her from being top cat. I never had any problems with quilts and cats except when I would lay a quilt out on the floor to pin or trim here one of them would come to plop on the quilt.

YukonViv

We have always had a cat, our latest of eight years is polydactyl and each paw has min. Two extra toes. He can open anything! Anyway, he loves my fabric, loves sitting on quilts while I work on them, etc. He has never damaged a quilt and mine are everywhere even left behind one the floor if the kids forget to pick them up. Between the cat and the dogs they will snuggle into anything. I have to laugh as I am looking at my little corgi/chihuahua cross curled up in her bed and she has a scrap of fabric in there with her. Anyway, back to the cat, he scratches wood and carpet only, the quilts he just snuggles.

applique

I gave my DD a hand pieced, hand appliqued, hand quilted blue ribbon bed quilt. Then she got s dog and two cats. When she sent the picture of them piled on top of the quilt I couldn't help myself. I asked her to turn the quilt over while I made a soft throw of faux fur to cover it with. The next winner, a white wholecloth with channel trapunto all hand stitched went to my sister. She returned it recently after her incontinent dog stained it and the quilting was ruined by frequent washing in the machine. Now I just sell them and never see them again or worry about them!

Snooze2978

I have a cat with back claws and I made a quilt for the back of my sofa as the cat would go up there after she was finished eating to knead on it. I noticed my sofa fabric was starting to get a little frayed so decided I'd rather have the quilt frayed than my sofa. So far I haven't seen any damage to the quilt plus when I put my lap quilt over me while I watch TV at night she comes to lay down on it with me. No damage on them either. I just throw it into the wash about once a month to rid it of kitty hair, etc.

mommaB

I no longer have cats in the house (I hate cat boxes), but my daughter does. When she moved and got some new furniture she was able to train her cats to not scratch it like they had done to the old stuff for years, by consistently squirting with a water bottle. It took 2 days. No more scratching. Cats are trainable for the most part, but it takes patience and time and mostly consistency. Like it is for most of us, me included, out pet's issues are due to our lack of discipline with them and ourselves!

willferg

Perhaps she could find a scent that her cat doesn't like (and that she does) and spray it on a throw and see if it keeps the cat away. I'm thinking lavender or maybe orange scented, or something.

My cat has never bothered any of my blankets, and he has wicked sharp claws.

JanieH

Your friend could try laying sheets of aluminum foil or bubble wrap on her bed. Most cats do not like these and will learn not to jump up on them. My cats hate the smell of vinegar and I finally had to resort to misting diluted (with water) vinegar on my new couch to keep them from scratching it. Of course, I tested it in an inconspicuous place before doing that to make sure it would not harm the upholstery. Another scent many cats do not like is citrus but be careful because too much can cause bleaching of colors. The vinegar smell lasts a long time and with their super sensitive noses they can smell it long after my family and I can no longer. I usually dilute it 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar. A friend of mine had to make a solution that was a little stronger for her cats. We teased her that they must have sinus problems and couldn't smell as well.

There are also special mats you can buy from pet stores and Amazon that you attach a battery too. They will give a "shock" to the cat when they jump up on them. There are usually 3 different settings. I tested it on me first to make sure that it would not harm my babies. Even the strong setting was okay but I kept it always on the lightest one knowing that the cats were probably more sensitive to it than me. I had a problem with me cats getting on the kitchen counters. It only took about 2-3 times before they learned not to jump up on them. They are kind of pricey but I weighed the cost against my stress level of constantly shooing them. I tried the water method but they thought it was fun!

caspharm

I also trim my cats claws and make sure that I have plenty of scratching posts around. I also have plenty of beds for them.

Notwendy

One of my four cats has an odd habit - he rubs his cheek on the surface and then bites into fabric, papers, carpet, etc and rips upwards. We put in industrial carpeting so he would quit leaving bald spots in the carpet. All our blankets have holes so I don't put a quilt down without covering it fully with something else. The other three just shed upon, but don't shred, fabric.

Needless to say I don't leave fabric out on tables in between sewing sessions. The few times he has gotten ahold of my fabrics is my fault for leaving it accessible.

All four climb the furniture and scratch in various spots other than their posts (just upholstery, not wood). Just comes with the territory. Furniture isn't worth fretting over for us (but woe unto them if the books are damaged - Ha!). I guess everyone has different levels of what they can live with and what they can't stand.