Take It From a Cat Lady: This Bouclé Article Couch Is the Answer to Your Cat-Scratch Woes

The delivery was easy enough—the Article team had a super easy system for scheduling, with both text and email updates that allowed me to choose my delivery window. Better still, they stuck to it, giving me a heads up about 30 minutes out.

I had seen a disgruntled review about the delivery on the site, so I held my breath for a disaster, but everything went smoothly—the guys brought the item inside the room, taking care not to bump it against my chandelier and set it right where I asked.

Right out of the box, I knew I loved it. This thing was luxe. It looked far, far nicer than similar options I saw on Wayfair around the same price point, and it felt both plush and sturdy to my hand. My boyfriend Kevin, who was tasked with putting the legs on (something he accomplished in about 15 minutes) was a bit more skeptical. “It doesn’t seem like a couch you want to lounge on,” he mused. After settling back into it that night, however, he conceded that it was indeed comfortable enough to sprawl out on—provided he had a footstool.

Is it the cushiest thing I’ve ever sat on in my life? No—if it’s a sink-back-into-it-and-melt kind of feeling you’re after, this is probably not your pick (although the company does have leather options, another semi-durable fabric that’s been cat-tested by moi, that look like they’d probably fit the bill—this one’s even called Nirvana). It’s plenty comfy enough for daily use, however, with more than sufficient padding at both the back and seat, and I find myself gravitating to it even when I’m not watching television just to work.

Now for the real test: the cats. Like a moth to a flame, my 17-year-old feline Stink hopped right up onto the back of the couch—and unleashed her claws to claim it. “NO!” I cried, diving to stop her. I was too late—she had already sunk them into the creamy fabric. Prepared for heartbreak, I frantically scanned its surface, looking for the shredded material that would inevitably crush me…but none came. Try as I might, I could not discern the spot where her sharp little hooks had pulled up fabric and where the natural tufts were lifted. I could have wept with joy.

In the days that followed, she tried a few more times, and each time, the results were the same—the tiny bit she managed to snag before I caught her was not discernible to the naked eye, even upon very, very close inspection.

Beyond that, my other senior cat, Sullivan, also gave the couch his seal of approval. With no unstable pull-out cushions for him to wobble between, he took to this Article couch like a fish to water, sprawling his expansive (and I do mean expansive—he’s a 20-pounder) rolls across it like the finest of cat beds.

It was official: Kevin and I had been voted off the island, relegated to couch use only when the small creatures that rule our lives deigned to give us a sliver of space upon it.

In case you couldn’t tell, after the claw test, I was ready to marry this thing, and two weeks in, I still feel the same. There are no visible cat marks, and what’s more, while I’m still slightly terrified to eat on it due to the precariously cream hue (in Bissel Little Green we trust), we—the cats included—have managed to keep it clean thus far.

Given my colleague’s recent experience with bouclé, which saw her Kardiel Puff sectional taking a serious beating after three months of daily use and transferring dye from her roomates’ jeans onto its seat (gasps entirely appropriate), I was a little scared I might have gotten myself in over my head, but the Kayra appears to be going strong, despite the fact that it’s not made of performance fabric—even with tiny paws crossing it daily. There was a minor chocolate chip incident, but I followed the company’s instructions to spot clean it with a mild solvent and the issue was resolved. (Professional cleaning is recommended for heavy soiling, so I’ll be reporting back after more time goes by.)

I love it enough that I have since bought the matching ottoman, ($299) which of course, Stinky has also taken over.

The high legs make it a breeze to sweep under (no more surprises of what lurks beneath on my next move!) and of course, there’s the obvious: It looks absolutely stunning in my living room.