An ottoman storage bench occupies an unusual position in a home with animals: it is simultaneously the most useful and the most exposed piece of furniture in the room. Useful, because it absorbs the volume of leads, towels, toys and blankets that a pet household generates. Exposed, because it sits at the exact height a dog uses as a step and a cat uses as a scratching post, and it is upholstered rather than hard surfaced.
Our conclusion, from what we observe and recommend as a UK furniture retailer, is that owners who succeed with these pieces treat them as working furniture and specify accordingly: tight woven upholstery rather than loose weave or velvet, a lid that either latches or is comfortably weight bearing, and a frame rated for a person sitting on it rather than a decorative box. Get those three right and the piece survives. Get the fabric wrong and it becomes the item in the room that always looks worn.
Owners tend to ask which fabric is best for pets, and the question is slightly off target. The variable that predicts damage is how the fabric is constructed, not what it is called.
A claw does not tear woven fabric so much as it hooks a raised thread and draws it out. That means anything with a loop, a long pile or a slack weave is vulnerable: bouclé, loose linen, chenille and looped textures all present something to catch. A tightly woven flat fabric offers no purchase, and the claw slides across it. This is why a plain tight weave in a mid tone will typically outlast a more expensive textured fabric in the same room.
Velvet is the case that confuses people. A short dense velvet pile actually resists snagging better than a loose weave because the fibres are packed and cut flat, and it wipes down well. Its weakness is different: it shows pressure marks and shading where an animal repeatedly lies, so it will look used rather than damaged. Whether that matters is a matter of preference.
Colour and pattern do practical work here too. A mid tone with some visual texture in the weave conceals hair between cleans far better than a flat dark or flat pale surface, and dark fabrics show light hair as clearly as pale fabrics show dark hair. Matching the fabric tone loosely to your animal’s coat is a genuinely effective tactic. These considerations run across our ottomans UK range, and the same weave logic applies when choosing seating from our modern fabric sofas UK selection.
At 40cm to 45cm high, an ottoman bench is close to standard seat height, which also makes it a convenient staging post for an animal getting onto something taller. Most owners discover this rather than plan it.
It can be turned to advantage. For an older dog, a short legged breed or a cat with reduced mobility, a stable bench positioned beside a sofa or at the foot of a bed reduces the jump height significantly and takes strain off joints. That is a real benefit, provided the piece is stable enough to be stepped on without tipping.
Stability is the specification that decides it. Look for a bench with a rated weight capacity intended for seating, a rigid timber or metal frame rather than a fabric covered board box, and feet that spread the load. A lightweight storage box with a padded top will slide when an animal pushes off it, which is both a damage risk and an injury risk.
Lid design deserves the same attention. A hinged lid that can fall shut is a hazard around an inquisitive animal, so a slow hinge, a stay or a lid heavy enough to remain open on its own is worth seeking out. In a household where the ottoman stores chews or medication, a lid that stays closed under a paw is the point of the piece. Buyers wanting a firmer, more furniture like option often look at our blanket box UK range, where the construction is typically more rigid than a soft topped ottoman.
The table below sets out upholstery and placement choices against the pet behaviour they need to withstand. It is built from material properties and standard furniture dimensions rather than any statistical estimate.
| Household | Upholstery to choose | Placement and specification |
|---|---|---|
| Cat that scratches furniture | Tight flat weave or short dense velvet; avoid bouclé and loose linen | Position away from doorways; provide a scratching post nearby as an alternative |
| Large dog that sheds heavily | Mid tone tight weave close to the coat colour | Place in the main route so it is used deliberately; brush weekly with a rubber tool |
| Older or short legged dog | Hard wearing tight weave with a firm top | Use as a step beside the sofa; confirm a seating rated frame and non slip feet |
| Puppy or kitten stage | Wipeable faux leather or tight weave, replaceable later | Store chews and medication inside; specify a slow hinge or stay on the lid |
| Rented flat, limited storage | Neutral tight weave that suits any future room | Foot of the bed or under a window; keep 60cm walking clearance around it |
Specify the frame before the fabric. If the bench will be sat on or stepped on, and in a pet home it will be, it needs a rigid frame and a stated seating capacity. A decorative storage box will not survive that use, however good the upholstery looks.
Choose a tight flat weave and run your fingernail across a sample if you can. If it catches, a claw will catch harder. Pick a mid tone rather than a flat black or a flat cream, and lean towards your animal’s coat colour so shed hair reads as texture rather than as mess between cleans.
On placement, hold 60cm of walking clearance around the piece, which matters most at the foot of a bed where the bench narrows an already tight route in a typical UK bedroom. Keep the bench off the direct path from a cat flap or back door if you can, since that is where wet paws land.
For maintenance, vacuum the upholstery with a brush attachment weekly rather than waiting for hair to embed, and use a rubber grooming tool to lift what the vacuum leaves. Deal with accidents by blotting rather than rubbing, since rubbing works the liquid into the weave and the padding beneath. Check the manufacturer’s cleaning code before applying any product, and never use a solvent cleaner on a water clean only fabric.
Where the pet load is heaviest, larger enclosed pieces earn their place. Options across our modern storage furniture UK range and our foot stools UK selection cover the smaller and larger ends of the same idea. Everything is available at Furniture in Fashion.
This report was compiled in September 2026 from our editorial assessment as a UK furniture retailer, the known behaviour of upholstery constructions including woven, looped and cut pile fabrics, standard furniture dimensions for ottoman and bench heights, and the circulation clearances we apply to bedroom and living room layouts. UK housing context reflects tenure and dwelling type as recorded in the English Housing Survey. The report contains no proprietary sales data, search data, customer data, survey fieldwork or panel research, and no statistics on pet ownership or furniture damage are asserted because we could not attribute such figures to a genuine named public source with certainty.
Journalists, interiors publications and websites may cite this analysis, published by Furniture in Fashion in September 2026. Please credit Furniture in Fashion as the publisher and link back to us. The report reflects our editorial judgement on upholstery and furniture specification in homes with animals and does not claim to measure pet ownership behaviour.
A tight flat weave, because a claw finds nothing to hook. Avoid bouclé, loose linen, chenille and any looped or long pile texture. A short dense velvet also performs well against snagging, though it will show pressure marks where an animal lies regularly.
Yes, and for an older or short legged dog it usefully reduces the jump onto a sofa or bed. Confirm the piece has a rigid frame with a stated seating weight capacity and feet that will not slide, because a lightweight padded box will shift underfoot.
Vacuum weekly with a brush attachment rather than letting hair embed, then lift the remainder with a rubber grooming tool worked in one direction. Check the manufacturer’s cleaning code before using any product, and blot rather than rub any liquid spill.
Keep at least 60cm of walking clearance, which is most important at the foot of a bed where the bench reduces an already narrow route. Also allow for the lid to open fully without hitting the bed or a wall.
Generally yes, because chews, small toys, cables and medication are kept out of reach behind a lid. Look for a lid with a slow hinge or a stay so it cannot drop on an inquisitive animal, and one that stays shut under a paw.
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