Most of our pet-owning customers arrive with the same question, phrased one of two ways: Will my dog destroy a leather sofa? or Won’t my cat’s claws shred it in a week? They wonder whether leather furniture is great for pets or if it should be avoided entirely.

The honest answer in both cases is: probably not, if it’s real leather and you take a few simple measures. But “probably not” deserves the longer explanation, because there’s a meaningful difference between how leather and fabric behave around animals — and a couple of places where leather doesn’t automatically win.

Kalin Clark is an interior designer at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and originally hails from Orlando, Florida.

Hammary is a North Carolina-based furniture brand specializing in occasional tables, accent furniture, entertainment centers, and home office pieces. Founded in 1943 and still part of the La-Z-Boy family of brands, Hammary is known for eclectic designs, mixed-material construction, and collections like Hidden Treasures that bring globally inspired personality to a room. If you’re looking for accent and occasional pieces that go beyond basic, here’s what makes Hammary worth a closer look.

American Drew is a North Carolina-based furniture manufacturer that has been building wood bedroom, dining room, and living room furniture since 1927. The brand is known for solid hardwood frames, real wood veneers, traditional-to-transitional designs, and GREENGUARD Gold certification. If you’re shopping for well-built American-made casegoods, here’s what you need to know.