If you are the proud owner of a furry feline, you know they can get up to a lot of mischief in the run of a day. Though our fave feline companions bring a lot of joy to our lives, they can also wreak a lot of carnage; particularly when it comes to your blinds. Many cat owners wonder what started the war between cats and window treatments. Since the answer to that question is destined to remain a mystery, cat loving families must apply themselves to finding a solution to a different problem—is there a way to keep both your blinds and your cat safe?
The Problem with Blinds and Cats
Window treatments are a necessity in any home. They help to block out excess light while promoting privacy and heat retention. Blinds, in particular, are a simple way for families to promote energy efficiency in the home. But blinds also enhance the style and décor of a house, allowing families to personalize a space with window treatments in different colors, materials, and designs to promote a space that feels uniquely like home.
Cats, however, view window treatments in an entirely different light. Those same blinds that keep excess heat and glare out of your home obstruct your cat’s view of his neighborhood, a nuisance which must be worked around each day. Cats typically don’t deal with frustrations well. Natural problem solvers, your cat’s solution to your blinds preventing him from surveying his kingdom is to claw, bite, scratch, and otherwise destroy the window treatments you so carefully selected as the perfect accent piece for your living room. While mangled blinds might suit your furry friend just fine, it leaves you back where you started…with too much sun exposure and heat in your home.
What can a homeowner do to keep their cat and their window treatments safe?
The Best Window Treatment Solutions for Families with Cats
With so many different window treatments available for homes today, families are spoiled for choice when it comes to the right blinds for each room of their home. There is no question that certain types of blinds are more friendly to life with a cat than others.
Here is a list of some of the different options to help your cat and your window treatments to learn to live in harmony in your home:
- Hide blind cords
Cats find cords immensely amusing, often believing they are toys placed there for their entertainment alone. If you opt to install blinds with cords in your home, it will be necessary to design a system that keeps the cord safe from your cat’s attention. If your cat can’t see it, chances are far greater that he will not attempt to play with it.
Keeping cords hidden is about far more than preserving the integrity of the blinds. Cats that like to play with cords can loosen the fixtures which hold the window treatment in place. Should the blinds fall, the cat could become seriously injured.
Many cords also operate on a pulley system. While playing, your feline friend could easily get their head caught between the two cords in the pulley, potentially asphyxiating themselves.
- Strategically placed carpet remnants
Cats find the backing of standard carpet pieces unpleasant to the touch. By gluing a small strip of this material along window ledges, you increase the odds that your cat will avoid close proximity to your window treatments at all.
Preventing access to blinds is a great way to ensure your cat remains safe from harm.
- Double-sided tape
As exceptionally clean animals, cats hate anything their paws will stick to. Double-sided tape is a particularly effective strategy for keeping your blinds and your cat safe since your fave furry feline will go to great lengths to avoid having to place their paws on the carefully placed sticky substance.
- An “Only Cats Allowed” window
If you happen to have a window in your home that doesn’t need a window treatment, it can be an excellent idea to leave that space open for your cat to enjoy. Though it may not mean your fave furry friend will leave your other blinds alone, it will provide an easy alternative that might ensure better longevity for the window treatments in your home and safety for your cat.
- Deterrent sprays
Cats, like dogs, are sensitive to fragrances. There are many different scents that cats will walk a mile to avoid. Citrus scents are particularly off putting to kitties, making them an excellent selection for a product to generously spray on your blinds, draperies, and window sills to keep your cat at bay.
- Go completely cordless
Cordless window treatments and blinds tend to be far less appealing to cats. From traditional pull-down blinds that are formed from a single piece of fabric to roman shades and more, there are many attractive options you can choose from that will be resistant to damage from a cat with a penchant to see out the window.
Vertical blinds are also an excellent option to consider. Though designed to function on the traditional pulley system, the fixture sits at a high enough angle to be far from the reach of most kitties. But since vertical blinds will move to accommodate cats getting ready to do their daily surveying of the neighborhood, there is no sense of frustration which typically precedes an attack on your blinds since the blinds move to allow the cat access to the window.
For a more permanent solution, families can consider shutters. The wooden construction of the shutters is very durable, meaning cats cannot easily cause any damage to them, and you also need not fear your cat becoming injured as they are sturdily fastened in place. Shutters can be installed on the inside or the outside of the home and add a quaint charm to any property.
- Curtains
Since curtains are easy for a kitty to paw aside to get a better view, they are an excellent option for families looking for some window dressings that won’t succumb to damage from nails or paws. The one drawback to curtains is kitty claws can snag fabric, potentially injuring a nail. If the nail becomes embedded enough, the anxious cat trying to free itself could pull the curtain rod completely down, potentially injuring himself.
To prevent this from happening, choose shorter curtains that are more challenging for your cat to reach or keep them open during the times of day when your cat likes a room with a view.
- Wooden Venetian blinds
Venetian blinds come in several different materials from wood to metal and even to plastic. While metal will bend from abuse over time and vinyl will crack and break, wooden Venetian blinds are up to the task of taking a beating from persistent kitty claws. Should the wooden slats become damaged over time, they can be removed and replaced at very little cost.
Though traditional Venetian blinds do come with cords, child-safe mechanisms are available to help prevent your cat from being able to play with the controls. Instead of a cord, these blinds are equipped with a long metal chain which can be kept out of the cat’s field of vision and access by a plastic hook attached to the wall.
Has your cat declared war on your window treatments? Consider our top tips for helping your kitty make peace with the blinds in your home.
One Response
I agree with most of this advice with the exception of wooden venetian blinds being durable. The slats are very thin and brittle. My kitten had snapped several slats on all 6 of my wooden venetian blinds within a couple of months – an expensive mistake on my part, but great fun for kitty!