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By Mary Carol Garrity

Protect the spots where your furry friends sleep.

I noticed that my cats always dozed on the same seats, so I started covering those chairs with washable throws. My favorite decorative blankets are matelasse coverlets because the more you launder them, the softer and cozier they become. They look darling folded into thirds, then draped over the seat, right where your pet snoozes.

If your cat jumps on your coffee table, or if you have a retriever with a powerful tail capable of clearing a display in two wags, make your tabletop accessories low profile, simple and durable. In place of a conventional coffee table, use a beautifully upholstered ottoman that doesn't need any accessories other than a tray holding a few books. Build more elaborate displays in inaccessible spots like on your mantel or on the shelves of bookcases.

You can also focus your decorating energy on dressing your walls in fabulous art, an area your pets cannot touch. When you're collecting art for your walls, add in some whimsical pieces that pay tribute to your furry friends. My friend, Cynthia, showed her wry sense of humor when she hung an ornately framed reproduction oil painting of a hound over her dogs' food dishes.

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