Pets can brighten up your life. Yet, the troublesome furballs also damage your furniture. So, protecting your outdoor furniture from pet damage is crucial.
First, you can train your pet to eliminate its pesky habits. You might get durable, pet-friendly outdoor furniture that your furry friends can’t damage too.
Thankfully, we offer numerous styles of patio furniture made of sturdy materials. If you already have a beloved patio set, furniture covers and barriers might extend the life of your furniture.
Do you want to find out more? Keep reading to find out how to keep pets off your outdoor furniture.
How to Choose Pet-Friendly Materials for Outdoor Furniture
If you’re on the hunt for new outdoor furniture, mind your furry friend’s destructive habits!
Naturally, you’ll want the furnishing to be stylish, but you should consider the durability of the furniture’s material as well.
Luckily, we offer plenty of styles made from pet-friendly materials. Not only will your fur baby safely enjoy some outdoor time, but you’ll also have the chic patio of your dreams!
When choosing pet-friendly outdoor furniture, you need its material to have the following features:
- Resistant to scratching and chewing
- Durable
- Mildew and water-resistant
- UV-shielded
Materials to Look For
Here are the best materials for outdoor furniture:
Wood
If you want gorgeous outdoor furniture, teak wood would be the right choice. Wood offers a sleek look, while also being durable and pet-friendly.
Teak furniture is ideal if you’ve trained your furry friends not to scratch the furniture. However, you can still enjoy the lovely coloration of the wood if your dog is untrained.
You’ll need to maintain the wood regularly by waxing it. Alternatively, you can just use furniture covers until you properly train your pets!
Since wooden furniture can be pretty uncomfortable, you can customize sophisticated cushions made of durable, fade-resistant Sunbrella fabric.
Wicker
Wicker is the most popular outdoor furniture material for a reason. It’s durable, water-resistant, and easy to clean.
While wicker can be made of natural, organic fibers or synthetic resin. Synthetic wicker is more suitable for pets and outdoor use. That’s because it’s more tolerant to moisture and heat exposure.
The best part about wicker patio furniture is that there are numerous styles to choose from. You can get sectionals, dining, or bar sets. You might also make your furniture more comfortable by adding removable cushions.
Metal
Metal is indestructible. Your tiny friends won’t be able to scratch or bite it!
You might think metal would rust when you put it outdoors. Yet, you can find rust-proof metal furniture, such as our aluminum or iron patio furniture.
In this case, the metal is powder-coated, offering UV stability and corrosion protection.
Composite
Do you want low-maintenance furniture that offers the same stylish look as wood? You can get all that and more with composite.
Composite furniture is made of recycled plastic. So, you’ll also be saving the environment!
Since this patio furniture is made of plastic, your furry friends won’t be able to damage it. It’d take a large, aggressive chewer to vandalize this type of furniture.
Materials to Avoid
On the other hand, some materials are just not suitable if you have pets. You should avoid the following:
Sling
If you’re looking for outdoor furniture that’s easy to clean, sling would be perfect. Unfortunately, this material isn’t pet-friendly.
This trendy material is basically mesh fabric. Your furry friend’s claws can easily get stuck in the fabric, tearing it.
Additionally, even if your pet is well-trained, it might jump on the furniture. Since sling material typically won’t tolerate heavy weights, it’ll break.
Rope
Woven rope furniture is undoubtedly stunning. It’s also resistant to weather elements.
Still, this material isn’t suitable if you have pets. Rope furniture is an invitation for scratching, especially if you have cats.
How to Keep Pets off Your Outdoor Furniture
It’s crucial to train your pet to stay off your outdoor furniture. Though some patio furniture is pet-friendly, a well-behaved animal will help the furniture last longer.
Here’s how you can train your pets to stay off your outdoor furniture:
1. Use Positive Reinforcement
If you have a dog, the first thing you’ll need to do is teach it the “off” command. When you catch your pup on the furniture, sternly say “off.”
You might need to use treats to prompt your dog to move off the furniture. Once your pet jumps off the furniture, reward it for the good behavior.
As for cats, you can do the same training exercise. Keep in mind that some cats are stubborn, and might refuse to stay off the patio furniture.
2. Get Your Pet an Alternative
Your pet wants to be around you. That’s why it might jump on the furniture in the first place. You can prompt your furball to stay off the furniture by offering a more comfortable alternative.
Get a comfortable bed for your pet and put it on the patio. This way, your fur baby can stay close to you all the time!
3. Be Patient and Consistent
Consistency is the key to training your pet. It’s completely normal for your pet not to follow the command after the first time. Be patient and keep going!
4. Choose Pet-Friendly Furniture
Accidents might still happen even if you’ve spent months training your pet. For this reason, invest in pet-friendly furniture. Moreover, pet-friendly furniture is more durable in the long run.
Covers and Barriers for Outdoor Furniture
If you already have your beloved patio furniture set, you don’t need to replace it with a pet-friendly one! Instead, you can use outdoor furniture covers and barriers.
Using furniture covers can significantly increase its life. It’ll also help keep your pets off of it.
Additionally, this is an excellent way to store your furniture during the colder months.
Generally, you can get either vinyl or polyester covers. The main difference is that vinyl provides more water resistance.
On the other hand, polyester covers are less likely to trap moisture, which can cause mold.
Lastly, the covers and barriers should be the correct size. Luckily, we offer numerous high-quality covers that can fit sofas, chairs, tables, and lounges.
Don’t forget to get cushion storage boxes! These can help save space and keep the cushions organized neatly.
Conclusion
Asking: how to keep pets off your outdoor furniture? Training your pets to stay off the furniture can go a long way. You’ll have a well-behaved pet and a stunning patio!
There are certain materials, such as wicker and metal, that your fur baby won’t be able to damage. Additionally, these materials are pretty durable and resistant to weather elements.
If your patio needs renewing, we recommend investing in pet-friendly outdoor furniture. You should also consider furniture covers, as they’ll further protect your outdoor furniture.
So, what are you waiting for? With our pet-friendly outdoor furniture, you and your furry friend can enjoy some fun in the sun!
Todd is a co-owner of Patio Productions and has worked extensively in the furniture industry since 2002, when he started a company that designed and manufactured bathroom vanities. He now has a hand in all online business operations, including keeping tabs on industry trends and making sure Patio Productions remains an innovative leader in the outdoor furniture space. He lives just outside of Denver, Colorado with his wife, two boys, and two dogs. They live on a lake where they can make the most of the outdoor lifestyle. His favorite patio furniture sets are his Harmonia Living sectionals.
