"your friendly furniture store"
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20th Oct 2021
Closing at 4.30pm on Friday 29th October
We will be closing at 4.30pm on Friday 29th October for staff training, our normal opening times will resume on Saturday 30th October.
13th Oct 2021
How to stop cats scratching furniture

How To Stop Cats Scratching Furniture


Why do cats scratch furniture?

Cats make great pets, they are loving and playful, however it’s probably fair to say few things are as frustrating as their perpetual furniture scratching antics.

It is however important to recognise that this is completely normal behaviour, in the wild they will scratch trees and other resistant surfaces.

They do this for several reasons.

Firstly, cats are active animals, by scratching they can stretch and exercise their muscles and joints, helping them keep in good physical shape.

They also use a resistant surface to remove the husks from their nails to reveal their sharp claws underneath. This is necessary for hunting and their survival (if they were in the wild).

In the process of all this scratching cats release pheromones from their paws, this marks their territory and a spot which they will return to continually to scratch. Unfortunately, in the home this can mean a certain piece of furniture becomes a target to a barrage of claws.

Another reason for this behaviour may be boredom, cats love to play and are naturally inquisitive so may investigate different textures around the home.

Finally, some cats may scratch due to anxiety. It is important to note that this can be no fault of the owners but be caused by other things outside of the home, such as loud noises from a busy street.



How to stop furniture scratching?

One of the best ways to stop furniture scratching is to prevent it before it happens.

When you get a new cat or a piece of furniture you should introduce your cat to a scratch post and encouraging them to interact with it through toys.

Some of the best scratch posts are made from sisal fibre, this material provides a resistant surface like the tree bark they would usually scratch in the wild.

Some of these come with toys attached or part of a cat climbing tree, these may be best utilised to relieve boredom scratching.

We do however understand many of you are here because this scratching behaviour is already established. To overcome this there are several things you can do.

Firstly, like when trying to prevent the behaviour, a scratch post should be introduced to the home. This may best attract your cat’s attention if it resembles the size shape and texture of an already attacked piece of furniture. For example, a cylindrical scratch post may be used to divert attention from a table leg, or a scratch mat may be best suited to reduce carpet clawing.

These scratch posts and pads should be placed in the area where the cat is already scratching as it may be easier to transfer their attention.

A synthetic pheromone solution such as Feliscratch by Feliway could be applied to the new scratch post as it will replicate the scent of territorial scratching and encourage the cat to investigate.

Efforts should also be invested in removing the natural pheromones that the cat will have excreted onto the targeted piece of furniture through their paws. To do this clean the scratched section of furniture thoroughly. Again, specialist cat products can be brought to help with this process, although it may be cheaper to start off by trying hot water and soap.

If this fails a last resort may be to protect the piece of furniture with a scratch cover that can be attached to it. For example, there are a variety of specialist covers available on Amazon that strap to the arms of a sofa, protecting it while still allowing a cat to scratch that area.

Alternatively, other scratch covers such as those made from Perspex or double-sided sticky tape may be used instead as the texture of these will not provide the resistance cats look for and should therefore discourage them from this area.

If a sticky cover is used it is recommended that this is weak enough not to damage a cat’s paw pads.

Finally, if these behaviours appear to be anxiety related then it may be best to consult a behavioural specialist or vet to get to the root cause of that anxiety.
19th Jul 2021
19th July 2021
We are open normally and no appointment is needed. Following the Government announcement yesterday regarding the easing of some of the rules on the Covid pandemic, customers are no longer required to wear a face covering, and this is now at your own personal discretion.

Staff are no longer required to wear face coverings, but if you would prefer your sales person to wear one we would be happy to oblige. Hand sanitisers are still readily available and our large open-plan floor space means that social distancing is easily viable.

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to get in contact.
10th Mar 2021
Planned Re-Opening on Monday 12th April
We would like to thank customers for their patience during what has been a very difficult period for retailers in general. The Government has announced that homeware stores will be able to re-open on Monday 12th April.

At the present time deliveries are continuing and collection is possible by appointment from our warehouse on Burton Street for orders that have been placed and paid for. Staff are available on the phone during our normal opening hours to give advice, provide updates on existing orders and take new orders, and we are processing website orders.

We have put measures in place to ensure our stores are as safe as possible for our customers and staff when we re-open. Sales desks are now fitted with screens, we have hand sanitiser stations and staff are wearing visors. In line with Government guidance face coverings will be required unless exempt. No appointment will be needed. We are looking forward to seeing customers back in-store soon!
15th Sep 2020
Thank You For Your Support
Thank you for your continued support in these difficult times. We continue to focus on all the usual safety measures, such as, hand sanitising, spraying our display upholstery with a specially designed treatment that kills 99% of bacteria, wiping down surfaces, getting the social distancing message across with signage and educating people on the correct safety procedures.

Delivery teams are still wearing masks, hand sanitising, proceeding with care and asking customers to socially distance when we deliver.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation products are taking longer to deliver in the furniture industry as a whole. Machinery has been moth-balled to spread out workers, some workers have not returned due to the international travel situation, some factories have had temporary shut-downs and supplies of raw materials have been interrupted. This is combined with a pent-up demand for furniture following lock-down that has left manufacturers with a lot of orders to fulfil following factories re-opening in July. With many lead times being extended we are grateful to our customers for their understanding during this time.
28th Jul 2020
Thank You For Your Support
We will always be grateful for the support our customers have given us during this difficult period. We have had a steady, socially distanced, flow of customers coming through the doors since we opened on the 1st June.

We have been very careful to make sure customers are safe. We have the usual hand sanitising stations, we have been wearing masks where needed, we have ample signage, we are communicating our safety measures with customers and we have treated all our sofas and beds with a special sanitising spray. Due to the nature of furniture shopping, our lower profile location and the large size of our furniture stores, social distancing has been easy for us. It is easy for customers to keep 2 metres apart from others.

Our delivery team are wearing masks, socially distancing from customers and following store guidelines to keep customers and themselves safe.

If you are wishing to visit please be assured you are in safe hands.

Our stores are open normally between 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4.30pm on Sunday. However please contact us if you would prefer to book an appointment for between 4.30pm to 5.30pm (Monday to Saturday), where there will be no other customers present in the store.
21st Jul 2020
Re-opened 1st June
Good news! Following the Government's notice in mid May that homeware stores could re-open on Monday 1st June 2020, we opened our shops on that date.

Throughout the closure, we have been working hard to make sure our stores are as safe as possible for customers and employees. We now have social distancing signage, hand sanitiser stations and are using a specialist sanitising spray for sofas, beds and other upholstery. In addition, we have launched an individual appointment system and ‘virtual walk around the store’, bookable by appointment. Contact us for more details on this or check on our website.

We are open as usual and no appointment is necessary between 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Appointments are available between 4.30pm to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

Added to this, the location of both our stores means that our customers will benefit from lower congestion than might be found on a busy retail park, shopping centre or high street, and our large stores are well laid out for social distancing. In our experience, customers seeking to purchase large household pieces tend to do so on an annual, rather than weekly basis, so our expected footfall is significantly lower than is found in numerous other retail outlets. This makes it straightforward for us to implement social distancing measures.

We have disposable face masks available for customers who do not bring their own, and the Government has stated that face coverings must be worn in shops from Friday 24th July 2020 unless the visitor has an exemption from wearing them. If you need a face mask please ask a member of staff for one on arrival.

We are very excited to be welcoming our customers back into store and hope to see you soon!
23rd May 2020
Planned Opening On 1st June
To All Our Loyal Customers:
We thank you for your patience in these challenging times. Our intention is to open our doors to customers on the 1st June, in line with the current easing of lockdown restrictions. Clearly, we will always act in line with government policy and whilst we hope that we will be in a position to open our doors to the public on this date, should the guidance change, we will not risk our staff or customers. We are aware that some retailers are re-opening prior to this previously stated date but we are using this time to finalise our safety procedures to ensure that we are in the best possible position to serve you safely. We ask that you both understand and respect our decision in this matter.
23rd May 2020
Virtual Tour
Our experienced sales team are available to help you shop in our showroom in new ways and at a time that suits you*

We would be delighted to “walk you through the store”, to offer advice, to help you make decisions and to process your order.

How it works – Contact us by phone (0114 2332222) or click here to set up an appointment with one of sales team.
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UPHOLSTERY & DINING
39 Burton Street
Sheffield
S6 2HH
0114 233 2222
 
Monday to Saturday 9.00am - 5:30pm
Sunday 11.00am to 4:30pm
Holiday Opening Times
BEDROOMS & FLOORING
Lowther Road
Sheffield
S6 2DQ
0114 233 2222
 
Monday to Saturday 9.00am - 5:30pm
Sunday 11.00am to 4:30pm
Holiday Opening Times
Registered: E. Barker & Son Ltd
Reg. Office: 39 Burton Street, Sheffield, S6 2HH
Reg No: 254789
VAT No: 172 4086 69