Until we brought a homeless cat into our home, our furniture was safe. Even our other cat did not scratch it. Our new cat, however, over the course of the past 1-1/2 years, has shredded one side of the front of the sofa. So we're gearing up to purchase a new sofa--by May, at the latest. Is it true that ultra suede is the best fabric in such situations? Not actually a fan of such fabric, but even less of having to buy a new sofa every year. The cat will not be rehomed (she had been abandoned, after being kept in a basement for 3 years to chase out the rats, was very sick, missing half her fur, etc.--so she's here to stay). We don't want leather, so I'm looking for alternatives. Also, I just recently read that flame-retardant chemicals have turned out to be dangerous and will no longer be used in the production of furniture--anybody know if this is true? Any and all advice appreciated.