This article was co-authored by Mallika Sharma and by How.com.vn staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA. Mallika Sharma is a Certified Leather Care Technician and the Founder of The Leather Laundry, a niche spa service for luxury leather gear in India. Mallika specializes in leather cleaning, coloring, repairing, and restoring for shoes, handbags, jackets, wallets, belts, and sofas. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh Business School. Mallika is a certified Professional Leather Care Technician and trained with the globally reputed leather care company, LTT in the United Kingdom.
There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 88,137 times.
Cats will use practically anything as makeshift scratching posts—and that includes your nice leather furniture! Feline friends may damage leather with a swipe of their claws, but most cat-scratched leather is caused by kneading (also known as their adorable habit of “making biscuits”). While cat scratches on leather can be an eyesore, they can be fixed with this simple guide to make your leather sofa look as good as new!
Remove Cat Scratches from Leather
- Wipe down the scratched area with a leather cleaner. Trim away any loose fibers with a pair of scissors.
- Apply at least 7 thin layers of leather glue with a sponge and let each layer dry before applying the next one.
- Gently sand the scratched area, apply leather filler, then sand again. Apply liquid and spray leather colorant before sealing it in with a leather sealer and finisher.
Steps
How to Fix Cat Scratches From Kneading
- Clean the scratched area with a leather wipe. Use a leather cleaning wipe or apply leather cleaner to a dry rag. Use small, circular motions to clean the leather surface of any dust or dirt.
- Trim any loose fibers with scissors or a lighter. Use a pair of scissors to snip off any loose strands around the scratches. Get as close to the base of the pilling fabric as possible, but be careful not to further cut or puncture the leather.[1]
- You can also use a lighter on the scratched area, as the heat of the flame will loosen the scratched leather.[2]
- If using a lighter, be careful not to get the flame too close to the sensitive leather.
Advertisement - Apply leather binding glue in 7 light layers. Pour a coin-sized amount of leather binding glue to the sponge. Dip a sponge into the leather glue and spread a thin layer onto the leather. Let each layer of glue dry completely before you apply another one.
- For the best results, apply at least 7 layers of glue to the scratched leather.
- Leather glue helps seal parts of the leather that were punctured by the cat scratches.[3]
- Gently sand the scratched area with a fine sandpaper. Use a soft, 1200-grit sandpaper. Use smooth and circular strokes to sand down the area where you applied the glue.[4]
- Apply very gentle pressure as you sand the leather so as not to rough up the material.
- You want the surface to be as smooth as possible so that the leather filler won’t look lumpy when you apply it.
- Use your leather cleaning wipe or a clean rag to wipe away any leftover dust from the sandpaper.
- Apply heavy leather filler with a palette knife and let it dry. Dip a palette knife into the leather filler and spread a thin layer onto the cat scratches. Allow the filler to dry for at least 25 minutes.[5]
- You may have to wait several hours for the filler to dry before proceeding to the next step, especially if you’re working in an environment with a lot of humidity.
- Inspect the scratched area and apply an additional layer if any punctures, holes, or deep scratches remain uncovered.
- Spread the filler as smoothly as possible so that the leather doesn’t look messy or rough.
- For a more precise application, dip a sewing needle in the filler cream and apply it gently to the surface. Use the side of the needle to smooth out the cream.[6]
- Sand the damaged area again. Use another piece of gentle (1200-grit) sandpaper to smooth and buff out any inconsistencies on the filler’s surface. This helps to keep the surface of your leather as smooth as possible, so the finished repair looks natural and authentic.[7]
- Apply the leather cleaning solution again to remove any sandpaper residue. This step is crucial so that the colorant can adhere to the leather.
- Apply liquid leather colorant. Pour a coin-sized amount of the liquid leather colorant onto a sponge. Use small, gentle motions to sponge a thin layer of colorant over the dried filler.[8]
- Let the colorant dry completely before moving on to the next step. Use a hair dryer at a low heat setting to speed up the drying process.
- This recoloring process can sometimes reveal more scratches that need repair.
- If you find more cat scratches that you want to fix, apply another coat of filler, sand it down, then reapply the colorant.
- Apply leather color spray to the treated area. Spray the spray-on colorant over the scratched area in single layers. Apply at least 4-5 thin layers of spray-on colorant to get a full, vibrant color on your treated leather area.
- Let each layer dry completely before you add the next one. Check the directions on your colorant bottle to find a specific estimate on how long it will take to dry.
- Leather color spray enhances the initial layer of liquid colorant that you added.
- If your leather is multiple colors, layer different shades of colorant to reach your desired shade.[9]
- Apply leather sealant with a clean sponge or airbrush. Paint at least 2-3 layers of leather sealant onto the scratched surface. Let each layer dry completely before adding the next layer.
- The sealant will protect and increase the vibrancy of the leather colorant.
- Apply a leather finishing product. Place a coin-sized amount of leather finisher onto a clean sponge before rubbing it on top of the leather. Use short, circular motions to achieve a smooth and even finish.
- Apply 4-5 thin coats of finish to build up an adequate protective layer.
- Ensure that each layer of finish has dried before you add another one.
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do I get cat scratches out of leather?Mallika SharmaMallika Sharma is a Certified Leather Care Technician and the Founder of The Leather Laundry, a niche spa service for luxury leather gear in India. Mallika specializes in leather cleaning, coloring, repairing, and restoring for shoes, handbags, jackets, wallets, belts, and sofas. She holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh Business School. Mallika is a certified Professional Leather Care Technician and trained with the globally reputed leather care company, LTT in the United Kingdom.
Certified Leather Care TechnicianUse a needle to place a good filler cream gently on the scratched surface. Even out or buff the cream with the needle, then allow the cream to settle and dry on the scratch for a few hours. Finally, touch the cream up with matching colour, and you're done!
Video
Things You’ll Need
- Leather cleaner or leather cleaning wipe
- Scissors
- Clean rag
- Clean sponge
- Clean paintbrush
- Leather binding glue
- 1200-grit sandpaper
- Palette knife
- Leather filler
- Liquid leather colorant
- Leather color spray
- Leather sealant
- Leather finish
- Airbrush (optional)
Tips
- Even with the above steps, your leather couch may never look the same as it did before the cat scratches. However, repairing the cat scratches on your furniture can at least improve the look or make the damage less obvious.Thanks
- While some people recommend olive oil as a DIY treatment to fix cat scratches in leather, experts advise against it. Leather will absorb any liquid applied to it, which can leave the leather looking worse than before.Thanks
- Purchase a leather repair kit if you don’t want to search for each individual product at the store.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://findingmandee.com/2023/08/21/how-to-dye-leather-furniture/
- ↑ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5LGz_vw6HM&t=0m14s
- ↑ https://www.mohawk-finishing.com/mhk_cds/color_chart/Leather%20Product%20Guide.pdf
- ↑ https://findingmandee.com/2023/08/21/how-to-dye-leather-furniture/
- ↑ https://findingmandee.com/2023/08/21/how-to-dye-leather-furniture/
- ↑ Mallika Sharma. Certified Leather Care Technician. Expert Interview. 14 December 2020.
- ↑ https://findingmandee.com/2023/08/21/how-to-dye-leather-furniture/
- ↑ Mallika Sharma. Certified Leather Care Technician. Expert Interview. 14 December 2020.
- ↑ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5LGz_vw6HM&t=1m24s
- ↑ https://findingmandee.com/2023/08/21/how-to-dye-leather-furniture/
- ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-stop-cats-destructive-scratching
- ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/trimming-cats-claws
- ↑ https://pangopets.com/cat-pheromone-sprays/
- ↑ https://www.seniorcatwellness.com/stop-cats-scratching-leather-furniture/
About This Article
Reader Success Stories
- "Helped my cats not destroy my stuff. Clear and useful!"
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.