Cats Climbing Curtains: A CATastrophe Waiting To Happen?

Climbing is instinctive for cats and they are well structured for climbing; they have strong backs and muscular legs which give them the ability to climb very high – couple this with a retractable set of claws and you have a prime climbing machine. Cats pursue high points such as desks and tables so they can study their territory and avoid any predators. They also search for warm and light places, perfect for an afternoon nap! Make sure you don’t leave any tasty treats around as this can encourage cats to climb on counter-tops.

This video shows a funny assortment of our feline friends trying to climb curtains. As humorous as it is letting your cats climb your curtains it can cause a lot of damage to the curtains in the form of holes, rips, scratches to the curtain pole and adult cats may be too heavy for the curtains to hold. Not only can it damage your curtains it could also cause your cat to hurt itself. Always make sure you use a sturdy curtain pole that is fitted properly to help prevent any injuries. To discourage your cat from climbing curtains there are many methods you can take. Cats do not respond well to punishment and it can make them unsociable or fear you, leading to more behavioural problems. Taking this into account it is more beneficial to make changes to the environment so the cat does not want to climb the curtains.

Tie back curtains– moving the curtains out of the way whilst they are a kitten can help prevent them from climbing curtains in the future. Poles Direct provide a wide range of accessories to help keep your curtains looking stylish whilst being tucked away.

Provide other climbing options – cat towers, trees and even castles provide cats with an alternative to climbing your curtains. They allow cats to assess their surroundings from a higher point and it can also to keep their nails healthy as they can wear them down whilst they climb. These products are readily available so there is bound to be something that is suitable for you and your cat. If you catch your cat climbing your curtains remove them and place them on the climbing tower.

Make the curtains less appealing – adding adhesive tape stripes to the bottom of curtains should make climbing the curtains an unpleasant experience, an extreme measure for the most serious of offenders. You can also buy sprays that are designed to be sprayed onto surfaces to discourage cats from climbing them.

Loud noises – if you are there when your cat climbs your curtains you can create a loud noise such as clapping your hands. This will help your cat to associate climbing curtains with an unpleasant noise which will put them off doing it again. You can also buy motion detectors which will go off whenever your cat tries to climb.

Grow out of it – a lot of kittens do naturally grow out of this and, if not, using a combination of the above methods should help to keep your cats away from your curtains.

You can avoid a ‘CATastrophe’ by ensuring you have your curtain pole, curtains and accessories correctly installed. One of the most common reasons why poles and curtains can fall down is incorrect installation, and so it is vital that you measure and install curtain poles correctly. You can use our measurement guide to ensure your curtain poles are correctly measured: http://www.polesdirect.com/pages/measurement_guides/