Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: lau200 on April 25, 2011, 13:57:52 PM
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i am looking at redecorating the house thanks to the many claw marks in my wallpaper, and so i thought i had better make the whole house more cat proof. the wallpaper will be replaced by paint, any carpetted floors will be removed and laminate flooring put down but i am at a loss with what to do with the blinds. we currently have these (as modelled by leonie)
(http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/lau2010/DSCF7889.jpg)
but the plastic chains connected one to another have been snapped, the weights are forever being knocked on the floor, the colour just highlights every mark (very difficult to wash) and the blinds themselves are often pulled down as the cats brush past them or charge through them. these blinds are everywhere throughout the house, and cost us several hundred pounds 18 months ago, so i am looking for something that will be suitable for every room but also reasonably priced so that if i have to replace them i won't mind so much.
any ideas? thanks
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I have wooden blinds and as long as I don't put them down they're fine :evillaugh: I do have to wind the chords out of the way as Little Miss likes to chew on them but I really like them actually. Trouble with cats is they don't like not having access to the windows and much shoving of slats ensues if I ever put them all the way down, I just have to let the neighbours peer into my lounge and try and keep the curtains pulled over the bedroom (also moved by them to get access to the windows).
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i think the lack of privacy is what worries my partner :scared:
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I have same blinds as you Lau but mine are cream.
I had been meaning to ask you how you got all the plastic bits off bottom and weights cos wanted to remove them to stop Franta tangling himself up, dinr want to break them cos reaaly want to move.
There are only cutrains on 12 ft of kitchen windows but have to keep much of curtain closed to stop nosey neighbour looking in.
Nets are useless too cos they get claw holes in and get ripped.
Sorry no idea, I would love just not needing any more than curtains but peeps are so nosey!
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with mine the plastic chain just pops off each blind and the weight then comes out the side, as it is not attached to anything then. i'm not sure whether it is the same for all of them though :)
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We have bamboo blinds and make sure that the string is securely out of the way of the cats.
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i thought about getting a darker colour but the cats would still pull them down and sadly we have had a few casualties when the blinds have fell down into the litter tray and somebody has then used the litter tray and got the blind :rofl:
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:rofl: :rofl:
To be honest I think the blinds you have are probably the best type. especially if the plastic is off and weights out.
I dont know how mine are fixed at top cos didnt put them up. you cant see through them and if you want you can pull to one side and leave a curtain across.
On my front bay window I just have a peice on white silky material across cos I dont like the blinds closed and dont like peeps looking in. Its attached by velcro and Leonie used to sneek under it so she could look out the window.
It doesnt look fantastic but it keeps my privacy cos next door used to drive in front and then he used to lean out of his car trying to look in!
Franta likes the blinds to be between him and the window, obviouslt likes his privacy too lol
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I`m in the same dilema. When I moved here the front windows had blinds with the plastic strings and weights. They are now well and truely past it, thanks to the foster cats - who stay in the front room when I have windows or flap open for my lot.
I am wondering about shutters. I think they might be more durable, and less likely to being damaged. The cats could use them as some sort of ladder if they wish.
Dont tell them :naughty: but when I redecorate this summer they are having the back bedroom instead, and NO cats (or dogs) in sitting room when I`m not there to supervise climbing!
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I have wooden venetian blinds in every room - they are relatively cheap if you get them from Ikea or Dunelm.
They work pretty well with the cats. I have the down all the time, open in the day and closed at night. The cats do shove them out of the way and get between the blinds and the windows but this has never pulled them down or damaged them. The only damage done (mainly by Soap) have been a few chewed corners and some chewing of the wooden togs at the end of the string. One lot have been up for over 6 years now and the other about 3. They are also very easy to clean :)
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We have wooden blinds in our lounge, never ever would I have them again with cats, Jess has chewed the ends and Milo has chewed the cords up!
In fact we replaced our bedroom ones this past weekend with curtains as I'm fed up of them being chewed.
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I have metal venetian blinds which hang down to about 12 inches from the bottom so that the boys can dit on the window sill and see through the window. Main problem is the cord that hangs down the side - easy for them to get tangled in that so need to make sure it's quite high up - and don't have any major problems. Mosi does play with them but he'd play with anything that was in the window.
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I have roller blinds on my windows. The ones that pull down and are spring loaded to return to the top when you give them a tweak (they fit with the 1880s style of the house). We call them Holland blinds but no idea what you call them in the UK. They are great for privacy at night, but during the day as they are raised, they do not give any privacy at all so when I find something suitable I will be hanging lace in the lower sash to block people from peering in the house when I am out and about. The cats are generally pretty good with these, though the ring on a string that pulls them up and down could be tempting for a playful cat. Smidgen will shove his head up under the bottom of the blind when he wants to look outside at night, but this does not seem to cause any damage.
You can get modern ones that are fixed to a track at the sides which allow light in, and a view out, but privacy when people look in the windows. The reverse, obviously happens at night so they need to be supplemented by curtains if you require privacy. They would be good with cats as they are fixed into their tracks at the sides and so can not be pushed or pulled around.
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The vertical blinds you have are the best, but take the heavy pvc ones, next time, they can be cleaned, and don't need weights or chains.
These are the ones they have at the cat rescue centre I got Catweazle and Tosca from.
(http://www.stores.be/images/300mm.jpg)
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Always make sure the string of the blinds ( the bit where you open and close them ) are out of the way of the cat the same goes with the string with toys hanging fromt hem that they put n scratching posts :Crazy: a cat can easily get tangled up and strangle themselfs , the new things ive bought for the cat im getting next week ive removed the strings etc from them and i will be making sure all my blinds are safe again just like i did when i had my cat x
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I would previously have said roman blinds were good with cats, keeping the pull cords out of the way of course. That was until I tried to raise the one at my landing window only to find it wouldn't go up. Further investigation showed a certain Luna had been on the windowsill and chewed through each of the strings at the back that run through the material so it goes up and down!!