Best Couch Covers for Cat Owners: Protect Sofas from Scratches & Spills

Couch protector covers can be a magic bullet when it comes to combating the two most common frustrations of the cat + furniture combo: scratches and spills.

They’re not exactly a necessity for everybody (and if they’re not for you, I’d recommend checking out other types of cat scratch furniture protectors that may work better), but I can think of a lot of cases where you’d want to have one on your couch, even if it’s just for a few weeks while some unfortunate health issues (like UTI’s or digestive issues) are being resolved with vet prescription kibble/medication.

If you happen to have a cat at home who has his fair share of litter related accidents – whether that’s because he doesn’t “clean up” straight after using the loo all the time or because he’s recently had a UTI flare up and every so often doesn’t make it to the box, couch protector covers can work miracles for keeping your couch urine free.

(As a heads up, if you’re trying to get out already existing urine smells and stains, I’ve heard Nature’s Miracle Advanced works wonders, though I thankfully haven’t yet had need to test it out myself).

Similarly, if you have a cat who throws up every so often – either because of hairballs or digestive issues you’re working on resolving with a new, sensitive stomach cat food – and astonishingly manages to do so on the same sofa every single time?

Preventing that liquid from getting onto the fabric in the first place is much easier and cheaper than trying to deep clean furniture afterward.

Then there’s that second major issue – scratching. It can be incredibly frustrating living with a cat who’s obsessed with clawing up human furniture.

Some cats intuitively seem to get that certain places are better off left unscathed, and only take their claws of mass destruction out gently on carpets, rugs, and other easier-to-replace items.

But many, many cats will initially take their claws to couches and sofas until trained – and yes, that often includes all of your favourite upholstered pieces.

You absolutely can and should train your cat to stop scratching up human furniture (here’s how), but even if you’re gradually making progress on the road to your cat’s scratch addiction recovery – it’s in your best interest to protect your sofas and couches in the meantime.

Oh, and for those who already have a roughed up sofa, there are even couch covers that do that job making them look new flawlessly.

A slew of options available these days fully cover any shape and size of couch, are form fit, and come in a bunch of different colours and patterns to make old, comfy couches you don’t want to entirely replace look new.

I’ve stuck these in a separate section so if that’s the kind of thing you had in mind or you’re curious about how good these look, scroll down to the second list in this post.

All in all, couch covers for cats actually come in a lot of different varieties, and as such, do quite a lot of different jobs pretty darn well. They can help you prevent and recover many cat-related issues; it’s a wonder they’re not talked about more.

Best Couch Protector Covers for Cat Spills & Scraches

1. LAMINET Thick Crystal Clear Heavy-Duty Water Resistant Sofa/Couch Cover

In case you’re just looking for a run-of-the-mill clear plastic couch cover that you can throw on as a temporary measure to prevent spills (and claws!) from touching fabric at all, Laminet’s heavy-duty sofa cover seems like a solid bet.

Lots of reviews from pet parents state how they’re plain relieved to have found this product. Laminet’s protector cover comes in a variety of different sizes, fit for armchairs, recliners, love seats, sectional sofas, and more.

Need to cover a lot more than just couches? Laminet provides clear plastic furniture proctors for tables and dining room chairs as well.

One well-loved alternative that’s along exactly the same lines – the Kitty Cat Protector Plastic Couch Cover For Pets.

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2. PetSafe ScatMat Indoor Pet Training Mat for Dogs and Cats

If the absolute only reason you’re interested in couch covers is to keep your cat from scratching the sofa up, this pet training mat may do the trick better than any cover on this list.

It’s essentially a see-through plastic mat that, if stepped on, will deliver an annoying, yet completely safe little shock to your furry, letting him or her know the space is off-limits.

I definitely think it’d make an excellent training tool, and could even come in handy if you’re trying to train your cat to keep off counters as well.

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3. Sofa Shield Original Reversible Couch Slipcover Furniture Protector

Trying to protect your furniture from scratches, litter accidents, sun fading, and general wear and tear?

Also want something that’s washable and doesn’t attract pet hair? Sofa Shield’s reversible couch slipcover and variations of this product are likely the ideal fit for you.

These sofa “shields” strap on to couches, and are easily removable and replaceable with a clean slipcover whenever the couch cover gets dirty or looks less than fresh.

They come in a variety of sizes that include: chairs, futons, love seats, recliners, sofas, and over-sized sofas.

They often also come in a variety of different colours and have different prints and patterns on them, so you can match them to your sofa, find interesting designs to add some visual appeal – whatever you’d like!

These types of sofa protectors don’t cover the front portion of couches that many cats love to scratch, so you may want to combine them with couch corner scratch posts or sofa corner safe guards (which I’ll be showcasing later in this list), but they do the trick for the general vicinity and cover up most of the sofa in a way that’s quite durable and easy to maintain.

Variations on Sofa Shield’s reversible couch slip cover you may want to have a peek at before making a final pick include: the Deluxe Reversible Quilted Furniture Protector, the Link Shades Anti-Slip Couch Protector, the Home Fashion Designs Reversible Pet Protector, the H. Versailtex Sofa Slipcovers, and the Gorilla Grip Slip-Resistant Furniture Protector. Want a bigger list? Check out my fleshed out article on cat scratch guards for furniture.

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4. Sofa-Scratcher Cat Scratching Post & Couch-Corner Furniture Protector

If the only place your cat is scratching is the couch corner, don’t fight your cat’s instincts – install a scratch post onto the corner of the sofa instead!

These things are sleek, hard-wearing, look easy enough to replace if they ever do get scratched to a pulp, and come in so many different colours, you’re likely to find one you’d like aesthetically on your sofa.

Definitely not the traditional furniture protector, but when you have a cat who likes to scratch corners, it’s probably the easiest surefire way to make both you and your cat a lot happier around the house.

Like the idea? Want to look through similar options? Check out my full article on couch cat scratchers.

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5. Mambe 100% Waterproof Furniture Cover for Pets and People

Weren’t really looking for something that could attach onto your couch or sofa?

Prefer something more or less like a waterproof blanket that you can easily place and move from one sofa to the next? Mambe’s 100% reversible waterproof furniture cover may be closest to suit your needs.

Find this product suits your needs and want one for the bedroom as well? Mambe also makes this furniture cover for beds as well.

Looking for a budget alternative? Check out the PetAmi Waterproof Dog Blanket for Bed, Couch, Sofa or the PetBed4Less Premium 100% Waterproof Silky Soft Throw.

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6. OstepDecor Multi-Size Pet Dog Couch Square Soft Quilted Furniture Protectors

These non-slip furniture protectors are a lot more unique than most. They’re quilted, look hella comfortable for humans to sit on, come in a bunch of different sizes, and be used to protect pillows as well.

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7. Furniture Defender Cat Scratch Sofa Guard

Not interested in getting couch corner scratch posts, but want to prevent your cat from being able to shred the front portion of the couch in a way that’s a lot more discrete? Try clear-plastic furniture scratch guards.

Are they completely invisible? Absolutely not, but I don’t think you’ll manage to find a product that prevents scratching in the corners of sofas that is completely invisible or discrete.

Alternatives to this sofa guard you may want to look into before committing to a particular product: Sofisti-Cat Cat Scratching Deterrent Tape, Cat Scratch Guard Furniture Protectors, Laminet Original Deluxe Pet Scratch Shields, and Couch Guard The Cat Claw Protector Pinless Self-Adhesive Protector Pads.

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8. MTR Pet Repeller Furniture Pad Sofa & Couch Mat

This last option is another beneficial one in case you’re trying to train your cat to keep off the couch, or another surface really. Many cats dislike the sensation of the mat and so will avoid hopping onto it, but as a heads up, some do actually seem to thoroughly enjoy lounging around on it. I guess if it doesn’t work out as a repeller mat, it may work well as a waterproof cat bed? 😉

Form Fit Couch Protective Slipcovers to Make Old Sofas Look New

1. Chunyi Jacquard 1-Piece Polyester Spandex Fabric Slipcover

These stretch-fabric slipcovers that go over the entire sofa are a lot better looking than I imagined they’d be.

They come in a slew of different sizes, colours, and some varieties (like the ones I’ll be showcasing below) even come in different patterns or pretty fabrics.

If I had a sofa that needed a makeover, I’d grab a couple different colours of these.

I’m one of those people who absolutely loves changing the look of my space, but hates replacing furniture since I feel it’s wasteful and pretty eco-unfriendly.

If I can make do with what I have, I typically will, especially if it’s much more inexpensive to give a piece of furniture a face lift than it is to replace it with something else.

Alternatives you may like to look into before deciding on a form-fit protective couch slipcover that’s right for you: the Sure Fit Stretch Pique Sofa Slipcover, the MAYTEX Piped Suede Sofa Furniture Cover/Slipcover, and the Subrtex Spandex Stretch Sofa Slipcover. Or…

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2. Home Fashion Designs Form Fit Slip Resistant Twill Furniture Protector Cover

I know buying furniture with fabric patterns printed onto it isn’t all that common, but I feel like if you’re getting a couch cover anyway, it’s a lot less risky to experiment.

I absolutely adore these Home Fashion Designs patterns. They look modern and fresh, and I think they’d make a living room look ever so cheerful.

Really dig the idea of grabbing one of these to try even before my furniture gets a bit worn down! Adorbs.

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3. Great Bay Home Modern Velvet Plush Strapless Slipcover

I love the look of velvet. It’s a great fabric, hard-wearing, comfortable, and I adore the way the texture catches the light. It always feels very expensive looking to me.

There’s something about the texture that isn’t caught as well in the product pictures as it seems to be in all the review pictures, however, so if you want to understand why I loved the idea of velvet slip covers for sofas enough to bother to list this as a separate option, look through some of the customer images for a proper peek.

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4. SCEDGJDVXBB Plush sofa slipcover Sofa cushion covers furniture protector

If you’re into the shabby chic look, or really like bohemian interior design like I do, this style of couch protector cover is likely to be up your alley.

I think its stunning, personally, and considering how easy it is to put on and take off, I think I’d probably have 2-3 different coloured ones to switch through by season if I got bored with the look of a room, and wanted to protect the furniture in the meantime.

Straight up adore this one, and really hope a lot more couch covers start going this route aesthetically, cause that would be awesome.

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5. FORCHEER Stretch Sofa Cover 3 Cushion Printed Couch Slipcovers for Living Room Furniture Pet Pams Protector

Yes, obviously, I can’t get over prints for couches, but again, if you’re going to get a slipcover for a couch anyway, why not take the risk?

Also I adore prints on pet blankets and things like bedding for their ability to hide pet hair so stinkin’ well!

You’re not going to notice cat fur on a busy pattern even remotely a fraction near how much you’d notice it on a minimalist, single colour, sometimes even if the colour matches your cats fur pretty closely.

Love the look of this particular slipcover, though there are plenty of other amazing looking patterns, so maybe take this as an excuse to spice up the look of your home? Silver linings 😉

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6. Floppy Ears Design Extra Wide Simple Faux Suede Microfiber Sectional Couch Cover Protector

If you have a massive sectional sofa and really don’t want to be buying a single slipcover for each and every portion of the couch you’ve got, this sort of throw-on yet completely covering pet cover may be best for you.

Love this idea and want one for a two or three seat couch, rather than a behemoth sectional? Floppy Ears Design makes this type of cover in smaller couch sizes too.

Thoughts on Couch Covers for Cats?

Have you ever tried using a couch protector cover to prevent or resolve cat-related issues? If not, have you ever thought about it before?

If you have, which issues were you trying to resolve? Did the protector cover you bought end up doing the job?

What do you think of couch protector covers in general? Do any of the types I mentioned above look like better options than others? Do you have any to recommend or advise other pet owners to stay away from?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments!