Cat-resistant window treatments

Joan M

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Does anyone have ideas for cat-resistant window treatments? My front window, which has to be covered at night for privacy, has a wide pull-down cellular shade. I love it. Evidently my cat doesn't. Mia has learned that she can stretch up and claw it down, even when I put it all the way up. It now has several long horizontal tears on the street side, and it's only a matter of time before it either has too many tears and is unusable or she pulls the whole thing down.

She was a neighborhood feral but shows absolutely no interest in going back out, so it's not because she's trying to get outside. I don't think she does it at night after I've gone to bed. At first it was only occasionally, but now she is starting to do it almost every time I take the dog out for a walk. I think she's miffed that we've gone out - she wants us to be inside with her, maybe because she knows it's safe. When she sees us coming back, she'll push aside the shade and be waiting right by the door, meowing and ready to rub against the dog and escort us back into the living room.

She pulls on the edges of the throws that I have on the furniture, so I'm afraid curtains would be shredded. I have regular shades on my bedroom window, and I'm hoping she doesn't do something to them, too. Has anyone else had this problem and come up with a workable solution?
 

nancyjoel123

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I buy blackout curtains on clearance, and replace as needed (usually every four months). That way, my kitties can open the curtain and look outside whenever they want (or even sit in the window if they want) and I still have privacy.
 

danteshuman

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Those curtain panels on a rod. Fairly cheap & you can buy black out curtains. Plus you can spray every 2 weeks or week with a no scratch spray. That or old fashioned (& tacky) plastic hanging panel blinds.They are nearly indestructible for cats & kitty can look out. Not sure what they are called but here is a picture.
 

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fionasmom

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The old fashioned tacky plastic ones :p are called vertical shades and I have them on both sliding glass doors in the kitchen. They are indestructible and easily cleaned. I agree that replacing the window covering with something else is the best way to go.
 
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Joan M

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Thank you for your replies. I had almost resigned myself to a roller shade, which I don't mind in a bedroom but on my living room bay window, I'd rather have something nicer. I hadn't thought of vertical blinds/shades. I have those on my kitchen patio door, too. Putting them on my windows will make it feel like an office, but maybe I can look around and find something along those lines that are a little more...homelike. She would love them because you're right, she can look out any time and she's often there, sitting on the ledge. What we put up with for our cats!
 

danteshuman

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You can add a valence to the shades to make them more home like. You can always hang sheet curtains behind or over your shades but expect them to be shredded.... & that you will need to replace them every 2-12 months.

Another option is the decorative window film. Besides mirror, they have stained glass, rice paper & lots of motifs. That way you still have some privacy but it lets the light in.
 

flybear

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if you are looking for permanent privacy ... there are window films too that are one way ... you can look out but not look inside ... or they come in stained glass design , frosted ... we have them in bathrooms and even after 14 years ... it looks great
 

Hellenww

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