These are attractive chairs but are darker than the picture. They're very firm but comfortable and not very large (great for our townhouse). The seat cushion has velcro on the bottom to keep it in place. The seat cushion is also longer than it is wide, which I like. We also have 2 cats and were afraid the fabric wouldn't hold up against their claws. We've only had the chairs for a few days but our one cat tried scratching one chair already and the fabric didn't show a single mark! He has also jumped on the arms of the chair and slept on the seat. So far not any sign of damage whatsoever! The fabric feels very thick and dense, which is exactly what we needed with the cats. I will say we clipped their nails a couple days before the chairs arrived, but if you have cats you know those little fluff balls can still do some frustrating damage regardless. So far the chairs have been perfect for our needs.