Catproofing

Writer/filmmaker Jean Cocteau once said: "I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul."

We love our felines, it's true. Ninety million cats now live in American homes, as opposed to 73 million dogs.

What we don't love, though, are the shredded couches, stained carpets, fur-covered upholstery, and smashed tchotchkes that often accompany cohabiting with kitties.

Is decorating with cats at best an exercise in decorating despite cats? Must we trade style for Mittens' company?

No, both feline and decor experts assure us: Happy owners, happy cats and beautiful homes can coexist. It's just a matter of figuring out what it is about our possessions that attracts cats in the first place.

The cat's-eye view. If you've ever looked up to see your cat peering down at you from the top of the refrigerator, you know Fluffy considers the floor just a springboard to a more interesting place.

That goes double for an indoor cat - your domicile is his entire world. The cat spends more hours in your house than you do. He thinks he's the owner and you're the staff.

Cats tend to favor some rooms over others - often preferring one room in warm weather, another when it's cold - and certain pieces of furniture over others. Learn their preferences and adapt your decorating to minimize scratching, fur and accidents.

Determine which rooms are most visually stimulating for kitty - which have the most views to the outside - and aim to keep the furnishings in them simple and the accessories pared down.

Inquisitive kittens and young cats get into all kinds of trouble. Cat furniture, like play towers and scratching posts, are safer and more interesting than, and the perfect distraction from, your sectional or settee.

As they age, cats slow down, eschewing high or unsteady places, staying closer to the ground, and seeking warmth, comfort, and the shortest distance between two points. This is when cats welcome a cozy bed (ideally, one designed just for them) or a throw to lounge on (look for fleece or lambskin).

Fur-niture and fabrics. Doug Reinke, owner of Host home-furnishings stores in Old City and Chestnut Hill (www.hostinteriors.com), says fabric selection is the first concern customers with pets have when looking for new upholstered pieces.

"Look for a tight-weave, dense fabric with texture. [These] are more difficult for a cat to scratch and don't show fur as obviously as pure light or dark tones," Reinke says. "If you can pull any threads with your finger, then your cats can, too."

For color, he suggests sticking with neutrals: creams, beiges, grays - they'll show fur less than primary colors will. Textures with tone-on-tone patterns also camouflage fur.

Velvet, chenille and mohair are all cat-hair magnets, he says. But, like other slick or slippery surfaces, leather doesn't attract most cats.

"Go for a slightly distressed finish; you can touch up scratches with a wood stain marker in the same color," Reinke says. "Blot it with a damp cloth, and it will blend right back into the leather."

For sofas, get tailored slipcovers, he advises. "White denim can be washed, bleached and stain-treated." Cotton or cotton-based slipcovers are launderable; not so linen and silk.

"If you want a fully upholstered piece, stay away from cotton completely," Reinke recommends. "Go for a man-made fabric, such as a poly, rayon or viscose. And if you treat for stain resistance, it should wear like iron. Or go with wool-based blends. . . . they're inherently stain-resistant."

Four on the floor. Wood is the most catproof flooring, but it can get scratched. And if it gets soaked with urine, it will have to be refinished.

Dark carpets show fur; light carpets show stains. Pick your poison. Berber carpets, flecked with different colors, make stains less noticeable. InterfaceFLOR and other companies sell great-looking carpet tiles that can be pulled up and replaced.

Sisal and jute rugs are no-nos; accidents just soak into the fibers, and there's no getting them out. One natural fiber Reinke recommends is sea grass.

"It's really smooth, and not as absorbent. You can vacuum it, and it's easier to clean" than other woven fibers.

To hide stained carpets, throw rugs are just the thing. Get washable cotton or the new indoor/outdoor kinds that can be laundered or even bleached. Again, busy patterns will mask fur and stains.

On the inside, looking out. Shades are safest for windows that cats like to sit in. Skip cords - they can tangle around a cat - and go with shades you can tug.

Window blinds can be dangerous, too, because of the cords. Put a cleat up on one side of the window and wind the cord around that. Or get cordless blinds that raise and lower with a touch.

Drapes that puddle on the floor are an invitation to nap on or climb, so go for fabrics that don't snag. Tassels, fringe and tiebacks look like toys; use them at your own risk.

Louisa Alexander and partner Lori Horwedel run City Kitties, a Philadelphia area cat-rescue organization (www.citykitties.org). Seven indoor cats have the run of their house, so they turned to Ikea for simple cotton drapes.

"With blinds, I was worried about cords; they're a choking hazard, and some cats like to eat string," Alexander says. "Drapes are safer and, for us, more aesthetically pleasing."

A few small adjustments. If Whiskers can make an object roll, drop, unravel, slide or bounce, she will. Accept that top-heavy items will be toppled, dried flowers nibbled, and every seashell, pebble or glass bead tossed out of its decorative bowl. And whatever you do, don't display your collection of Waterford wineglasses near the window with the bird feeder.

Sharing a home with cats is great motivation to declutter, streamline and prioritize. Because if you don't, your cats will do it for you.