Cats enjoy climbing, and your new drapes or curtains appear to be an ideal climbing element for your feline friend. You’re left with a ripped and tangled mess that’s nearly difficult to salvage, and your cat is content to rest on the very top of your curtains.
What can you do to keep your cat from climbing the drapes, given that this is a natural behaviour for cats? The good news for you and your curtains is that we are here to give you a brief guide on How to Stop Cat From Climbing Curtains. Your curtains and cat will both appreciate it!
What Is the Purpose of Cats Climbing on Curtains and Window Screens?
For any feline you own, there is an instinct to climb vertical spaces since it provides them with a clear perspective of their surroundings, makes them feel more secure, and is just plain fun for them. Cats are known to climb at some time in their lives, and draperies or drapes are easy targets.
If your cat is ill or wants to get away from you, they’ll most likely look for a high spot to hide. Although you don’t want your cat to do this, it’s technically damaging behaviour, but can you blame them for doing something that’s in their nature?
Is it necessary to prevent our cat from climbing?
Climbing is an automatic action for cats, as we’ve seen. Because it wasn’t designed to cause damage, it won’t scale your drapes or climb your walls. They can also use the vertical gaps to hone their innate behaviour.
Fun and enjoyment are also provided for them by them. Cats enjoy playing with toys, but they also enjoy running around and discovering new locations.
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Cats, which are known for their territorial tendencies, need to climb where they like to feel at home. We risk restricting cats’ instincts to express themselves if we keep them from climbing.
Obesity, behavioural issues, and depression are all possibilities due to this. Scratching furniture, meowing constantly, or even ripping off their hair are all examples of bad behaviour. Stopping a cat from climbing is not a good idea for these reasons.
How to Stop Cat From Climbing Curtains
It’s better to help cats with behavioural issues now that we know you shouldn’t prevent them from climbing. Redirecting their climbing activity and providing enough environmental enrichment are two ways we might do this. As a reminder, here are some pointers:
#1) Rods of Tension
Curtain tension rods rely on the spring tension to keep curtains in place. A cat trying to scale the curtain rod will be startled by the weight of the rod and the curtains it dangles from.
She discovers that attempting to climb the drapes is a bad idea. In the unlikely event that your feline companion is amused by the chaos of the pile of curtains, this approach will not work.
#2) Provide a Second Option
Kitty would likely like to remain in a position that affords her an elevated view of her indoor environment. Pull her away from the drapes and set her on a climbing post with a built-in perch, Whenever she starts climbing them.
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If she wants a view of the outdoors, place the pot near a window. It may take her some time to realize that the drapes are not meant to be used as a ladder.
#3) ALARM FROM THE MOTION DETECTOR.
When your cats try to climb your drapes, a motion detector will sound an alert to scare them away. We hope this surprising noise will scare the cats away from attempting it again because cats don’t like surprises or unexpected noises!
#4) Switch to Vertical Blinds
If changing from horizontal to vertical blinds is all that’s needed, there’s no need to teach your cat a new trick. Unlike your curtains, they are nearly impossible for your cat to climb, shred-proof, and allow your cat to gaze out of the window, making them ideal for pets.
Various styles and sizes are available, and they are easily opened to bring in more light throughout the day. Cats are excellent at finding new perches, so you can relax knowing that yours will, too.
#5) Surprise!
Cats despise being caught off guard. Use a water bottle, a loud noise (money in an empty cola can, for example), or a quick “No!” to frighten Felix if you see him practicing his tree climbing skills on your curtains. He’ll be happier if you point him in the direction of a cat tree. As long as you’re home to catch him, this tactic will work.
#6) Install a perch for your cat.
If your cat spends her entire life indoors, chances are she’ll try to have a glimpse at the world outside by climbing drapes and blinds. Installing a cat perch on your window sill is a simple way to save your curtains and keep your cat happy.
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Alternatively, you might construct a cat tower for her to perch atop. Cats will no longer climb the drapes if they can rest on these kitty fittings.
#7) Deterrents
Each panel of the curtain should have strips of aluminum foil tacked to the bottom foot or so, preventing the cat from climbing without touching the foil. There is a good chance cats will learn to avoid foil and curtains because they dislike texture.
She shakes a can partially be filled with coins ascent, generating a startling sound as she begins her ascent. To avoid making eye contact as you make the sound, you should avoid looking at her.
If your kitty is a young one, try to keep the curtain ends out of her reach for as long as possible until she loses interest. There is an alternative solution in vertical blinds, which are more difficult for a cat to climb and are not as claw-friendly.
#8) Aluminum Foil
You may keep your cat from shredding up your drapes by covering them with aluminium foil or double-sided tape. Place aluminium foil at the bottom of your draperies to deter your cat from attempting to climb up them.
Put strips of double-sided tape in your drapes where your cat regularly climbs to halt this behaviour. They’ll do anything to prevent having their feet stick to something.
#9) Cat-Proofing
If you’re looking for a strategy to keep your cat from ruining your curtains, vertical blinds are the answer. Felix cannot scale them, but he can push them aside to see what’s going on outside the window. Curtains can be looped onto a rod to prevent them from being reached by a cat.
#10) Keep your cat busy with toys.
Your cat may be climbing up the drapes because she is bored and has nothing else to do in the house. To avoid this, provide your cat with exciting and mentally challenging toys, such as feather toys, treat puzzles, and food distributing toys, to help prevent boredom and destructive behaviour in the future. In addition to balls and catnip toys, these playmates can keep Kitty occupied while you’re away.
How do we keep cats from crawling up our legs?
Cats can get up on people’s thighs all the time. It may look funny to a kitten the first time they encounter it. On the other hand, a cat with sharp claws and a propensity for clinging to our legs could destroy our clothes as well as cause us harm.
It can be highly inconvenient if this tendency becomes ingrained in your life. Most of the time, the cat jumps on us as we’re holding food in our hands. When they climb up our legs, we may unintentionally reinforce their behaviour.
Keeping our cats from climbing up our legs is critical. You should give no food to them if they get too close while preparing it. When we’re in the kitchen, we need to make sure they don’t try to climb our legs, which can be dangerous for both of us.
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We should also refrain from yelling at the cat or scolding them for doing this. This type of punishment might lead to behavioural issues. We should, of course, avoid attempting to knock them down, as this could result in serious harm.
FAQs – How to Stop Cat From Climbing Curtains
How do you deter cats from climbing curtains?
To prevent the cat from climbing up without touching the foil, affix strips of aluminium foil to the bottom foot or so of each curtain panel you use. There is a good chance cat will learn to avoid foil and curtains because they dislike texture. While climbing, she shakes a can of pennies, generating a startling sound.
How do you cat-proof a window?
It would help if you used double-sided tape to prevent cats from leaping up on the windowsill. You can use thick mesh or pet screens to cut and place into a screen frame or just tape to your ordinary window screen.
Will indoor cats jump out of windows?
Despite their propensity for athleticism and agility, cats are prone to mishaps, such as slipping and falling from high places like balconies and windows. They can’t jump from a safe height. Known as the “righting reflex,” cats can do acrobatics in mid-air to ensure their feet fall first, but this is not always successful.
Conclusion
When your cat develops a taste for scaling your delicate drapes, you’ll find yourself in a whirlwind of confusion and strife. If you’re worried, don’t worry. You can use tiebacks, vertical blinds, and aluminium foil strips to keep your furry baby out. Installing a motion detector alarm, spraying a pet deterrent solution, and giving your cat with interactive toys are all good options as well.
After reading all of the above tricks we hope, you know How to Stop Cat From Climbing Curtains? If there is another brilliant idea in your mind to stop cats from playing on curtains, share it with us.