If you have cats, and you have blinds, you’re likely ALL too familiar with the battle to keep the two safely separated. Your cat poses a threat to your blinds (tiny teeth marks, slats broken by paws trying to clear their window to the outside world…). Your blinds pose a threat to your cat (head stuck between slats, paws and claws tangled in a dangling string…). What’s a human to do?!
Before you give up your blinds, your cat, or both, try these tricks to keep your cat out of your blinds and your blinds safe from your cat:
1. Set up a perch for your cat in front of a window with an unobstructed view (a window without blinds).
Give him an appealing alternative to the view that requires ripping through blinds to see. Extra tip: Rub catnip on the perch to make it extra appealing.
2. Startle your cat when he jumps on the window sill.
You could startle him with a loud noise (try putting spare change in a coffee can), or with water from a spray bottle. If you’re consistent, your cat will begin to associate the window with the unpleasantness of the loud noise or spray bottle.
3. Spray a citrusy scent or rub a mentholated balm along the window sill.
Most cats despise the smell of citrus or menthol, and will go out of their way to avoid it.
4. Apply double-sided tape to your window sill.
Your cat will hate the way it feels on his feet. After a few sticky encounters, he’ll stop visiting that window.
5. Place a carpet runner, bottom side up, along your window sill.
The “spikes” will annoy your cat without hurting him, and he’ll hate the way it feels on his paws more than he likes looking out that window.
6. Give in to your cat and keep the blinds up and out of his view.
As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, and give your cat a view.
7. Periodically replace the damaged slats.
They’re relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. Eventually, however, this can add up.
8. If you can’t beat your cat, and you don’t want to give in to his destructive, view-seeking ways, out-smart him.
Invest in high quality blinds or shutters that are tough enough to withstand the abuse of his paws, claws, and teeth, like faux wood blinds or Normandy shutters.
Tired of fighting to keep your cat out of your blinds?
Ready for a more cat-friendly window treatment?
Give us a call today at (270) 441-2305. Also, make sure to like us on Facebook! We’d love to be a part of your next home renovation project!