A cat who has chosen your sofa arm is not going to be talked out of it. The realistic options are covering the sofa or replacing it, and a tightly woven jacquard throw is much the cheaper of the two. A dense weave gives claws nothing loose to hook into, so they slide across it rather than dragging threads out the way a knitted blanket or a loose-weave cover does within a week.

The pattern is woven rather than printed, which is why it survives the machine rather than fading after three washes. Sizes run from 140 x 180cm up to 180 x 420cm, so the same throw covers a two-seater or wraps a large corner sofa with enough left over to tuck in properly. That tucking is not a detail: a throw that stays put is one a cat cannot work their way underneath, and a throw that slides off gets abandoned in a fortnight. Tasselled edges finish it, and the whole thing is machine washable, which is more than can be said for the sofa.

• Tightly woven jacquard rather than a printed fabric
• Sizes from 140 x 180cm up to 180 x 420cm
• Bohemian patterns including red coconut tree and black rose
• Tasselled edges
• Machine washable

Two corrections worth making. It does the opposite, and it should, because it exists to protect the sofa rather than to become the new scratching post. Put a proper sisal post nearby or your cat will simply move to the next uncovered thing. And scratch-resistant is not scratch-proof: a cat working the same spot daily will mark it eventually.

Who it's for: Anyone whose cat has already started on the sofa and wants it covered in something that looks deliberate rather than defensive.