My cat isn't a window watcher, so I can't help you personally, other than to offer some suggestions.

Don't go with vertical blinds if you can help it - they're just not very attractive in my opinion. Is it possible to have 1 or 2 windows that you pull up for him to sit at? The other ones, I'd put down sticky paper or tin foil or something else he finds repulsive to repel him from going to those windows.

Another idea is woven wood or fabric roman shades. Those you can pull up so he can see out, but at night or when you want privacy, you can let them down. The cat could probably squeeze behind those without causing damage.

Just to make you feel a tad better, my friend had a cat who always sat in the window behind the mini blinds too. That wasn't a problem, it was the fact their BEAGLE thought he was a cat too, and would jump up on the back of the couch and nose his way under the blinds too. It was so funny because the blinds would be sticking out like 10 inches from the girth of this beagle. Every now and then he'd lose his balance on that 4" windowsill and fall back onto the couch.

Needless to say, their mini blinds were not in pristine condition - many bent slats!

I have real wood blinds. My cats seem to know how to get behind them. I do raise them when it's nice out and open the window so they can get air.

Would getting a feline solarium help? If you have curtains the cat could gently push them aside and enter the solarium to hang out.

With six indoor kitties, sometimes the blinds do get disturbed, but I still insist that the little boogers can be trained to stay out of the blinds. Well, at least they only do it behind my back now -- they know they aren't supposed to. I've never had an issue with my faux wood blinds breaking (although I did have a cat that just loved to chew on the blind cords -- that's another story!). Most of my windows are covered in blinds, but I've got a couple of windows where I've used cafe-style curtains on the lower half, and I guess it helps them to have those windows uncovered (they look out the top part). Could you perhaps designate a window or two that's kitty friendly (either by leaving the wood blinds pulled partially up, or by choosing another kind of window covering), and then try to teach him that it's a "no-no" to go into the blinds on the other windows?

I do understand that sometimes these things are easier said than done! ;-)

We have two indoor cats who love to do this and I can confirm training works wonders.

All the house humans are trained to raise the blinds so the cats can do their thing.

I am trained to yell at them whenever I hear rustling, thuds or blinds rattling wildly.

Hope this helps.

Ann

PS One of our cats likes to get behind the blinds on our FRENCH DOORS. I believe it is more than a coincidence that this cat is referred to by my husband as 'the short, fat, idiotic one'.

PPS My husband brought that cat home.

My cats have certain windows that they prefer to look out. When I close the blinds on those windows there is always a "cat gap" of about 5 inches, where I leave space between the bottom of the blind and the window sill. I figure that it's only 4 windows and better to work with the cats than to try and change them. They vastly prefer curtains, because they can stick their little heads in between the two panels and see out very well. And I'm very impressed that AuntJen has trained her cats!

Sigh. I even have a "cat gap" on the table in front of the living room windows, where there is a cat-sized space between the lamp and the book rack, just the right size for a cat to sit while he's watching what's going on in the street.

Four cats live and rule here at Rosemary Cottage.

We have two-inch white faux wood blinds in every window. We simply raise them a bit to let the cats have a place to peek outside.

Just saves on our blood pressure ....

Jan

Angel,

I have seen my cats fall off a piece of furniture while sleeping or completely miss the counter they are trying to jump up onto and none of them have ever broken. I think you'll be fine with the wood blinds, cats are very resilient and don't break often.

-Pam

(LOL - I couldn't resist!)

In our house the humans are wimps and the cats rule. We have curtains, because I like how they look and the cats like how they work. DH doesn't care as long as the bathroom and bedroom windows are covered so that he isn't on display.

I'd definitely avoid vertical blinds. Aside from not liking the look, they'd get dirty. We all have body oils - even the cats. The slats would be a pain to clean.

I like the idea of roman shades. Blinds with wider, rigid slats might be fine. Depends on the cat. Some are dainty and tidy; others are like bulls in a china shop. Some are also amazingly smart at diabling or removing things they don't like.

I just had a sadistic thought if you have deep pockets. You've seen those windows will blinds sandwiched between the panes? Well ...

I have had many cats, many house and mini blinds. That is not a good combination but the 2-inch wooden slat (or faux wooden slat) and shutters do the trick. They can get between the window and the blinds/shutters without any trouble or they can see amply without getting behind if you open them up or raise them just a bit.

I have faux wood blinds and 2 cats. My cat has figured out how to get behind the blinds whether they are open or not pretty well. He did snap one of the slats and I just super glued it back and you can't even tell. I also have plantation shutters and he likes to open those to look out as well. I would suggest just leaving one of the window's blinds up for your cat to look out of - I think it would be mean to deny the cats the ability to see the outside world - they need the visual stimulation.

I always leave my wood blinds raised about halfways in my kitchen for the kitties. In the living room I have a nice cat tree in front of one window, and that particular blind is usually raised all the way. The two boy cats would chomp on the wood slats if they given the opportunity, so it's always been this way.

I have two indoor kitties, but since I don't like window treatments that cover the windows, they have plenty of windows to look out. Mine like to go on the deck. It's like a kitty holiday for them. Since it is 10 feet off the ground and no stairs, they feel safe but can still enjoy the trees and birds.

I think it's very sweet that DH wants to select window treatments that the kitties
will like. That being said, keep lobbying for the faux wood blinds - they are much more attractive.

I don't have a problem with my cats going behind the window...hello!!!..they're cats and they love to bird watch. I have faux wood blinds and I leave one of them up and the rest of them 1 inch up so there is no banging...I don't care if they go behind them and they haven't broken any blinds...

I have JCP 1" basswood blinds. One of our kitties has learned how to nudge himself underneath them. However, he sometimes gets a little too eager and he has broken some slats. Since I ordered standard size and not custom, I kept several of the slats for when this happens. All I need to do is unthread the lift cords and replace that slat. So, I recommend keeping extra slats if you have them!

On two of my windows I leave the blinds raised up a bit so any of my 7 cats can look out the window. The other windows are not easily accessible to the cats.

In my post-divorce apartment, my cat did more mini-blind damage than my (at the time) 2 yr old.

I did the "cat gap" as well, and that did the trick.

Now that I've bought a house, I will not have any kind of blinds...not just for cat & kid, but for aesthetics.

Also, cat was drawn to the mini-blind cords if they were hanging down loose.

i have vertical blinds but pull them when the sun is up, you can pull them up just a few inches for the cat if you like, it works for Mitzi

FYI, vertical blinds bend and get misshapen, as well. My dtr bought a house with verticals that were a mess from the previous owners dog leaning on them.

Cats are definitely trainable, but it takes a lot of effort on your part. So much so that it's more like the cat is training you! My cat NEVER goes in the garbage or my bedroom, or jumps on the tables. He'll lay across the threshold of my br, but he never, ever enters the room. He's the nicest, gentlest old cat in the world and I love him, but I like not having fur in one room of the house!

Alfie was an adult rescue when we got him, all 22 lbs of him, and it took a couple weeks of diligence to train him, but that was years ago and he never forgets.

I just keep mine raised enough so they can sit in the window when they want. They trained me well. LOL

One of the reasons I went with Hunter-Douglas Silhouettes is because cats like to chew on slats, both vertical and horizontal.

dilly, they can't get their claws in the Silhouettes? What about the constant rubbing on the sides to get into the window. They don't get hairy or dirty? You know how cats love to mark with the side of their mouth? All that spit makes dirt. LOL

That is a good point. Almost all my cats were front declawed, so snagging their nails in the Silhouettes was not an issue. The cats that were not, did no damage either. The blinds are rather smooth and tightly woven so they are rather difficult to snap I think. (Sheer curtains are another matter with cats I found out.)

They never got hairy or fuzzy. The Silhouettes seem to repel dust, hair and fibers, amazing as it sounds!

My cats did not do the rubbing with their cheeks on the blinds that they did on the doorways. Every cat is different though, so YMMV.

Interesting to know what a universal issue this is. I have an assortment of shutters, drapes, roller shades. If the cat canÂt see out one sheÂll move on to another. Daytime most are open anyway. Night time I donÂt want strange cats looking IN and upsetting her. She seems to go along with that. Most of the drapes are on windows that go all the way to the floor. She is more likely to pick those to look out of: not sure if it is the ease of getting behind the drape or the laziness of the cat who does not want to jump up to see out.

Not a cat issue, but it may affect you tooÂI have heat registers in front of almost EVERY window. Verticals would be swaying in the breeze all the time and clacking together. IÂve seen it in other peopleÂs houses. That would bother me, enough reason for me to avoid them.

DonÂt want to sidetrack, but IÂm curious about the wood blinds and faux wood. I didnÂt know the blind slats could break! Is there an advantage one kind over another? IÂm considering some for a box bay window: is weight an issue (raising and lowering). I got some real wood "trim on the spot" ones for daughterÂs bedroom at HD. I was unhappy with the rough wood edges on the one end, but did not get around to sanding all those ends. Not sure if that is an issue if you order them.

About the vertical blinds--if you have a cat who likes to bat things around and will attack anything that moves or that can be moved, that cat will love the vertical blinds. Depending on what the verticals are made of, a cat could do considerable damage. So consider the habits of your cats and what they like to play with.

I only have faux wood blinds in my bathroom and they don't mess with them. They sit on the window sill in the LR and by the patio doors in the DR. I do have a problem with their hair sticking to my drapes. :) I'm forever running the sweeper and lint roller over things. The drapes in the master bedroom stay closed but they managed to get up at the window. I consider myself lucky with the three that I have. They're pretty good about things.

shees, can I trade 3 of mine for your 3? LOL You have the best behaved cats. You don't have a torti do you? Those are the lunatics of the cat world. Some people will say there's isn't, but deep down inside they all are crazy. It's the gene they carry. LOL

We have 1 indoor kitty, and faux wood blinds (2 inch slats). He gets between the blinds and the window all the time. I usually feel bad for him and raise them up so he can stretch out a little more.
We haven't had any problem at all with them breaking. They seem like they would be hard to break, even if I tried to do it purposefully.

moremoremore- I don't mind that the cat gets behind the blinds to look out (I want him to look out). The blinds stay open during the day, but he still goes thru the slats to get next to the window. I just wondered how easy the slats would break before we spent $$. Some cats go around the blinds, my cat goes thru the blinds, that's why I was asking. (he's our peeping Tom)

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts!!

Hi, I'm new to ivillage, but I wanted to let u know i do animale rescue mainly kittys so we found using the wood or faux wood blinds mounted to the out egde or wall area works the best, most blinds come with mounting instructions to mount them this way. Home depot has some good prices made to order blinds, or there r a couple of other site on the web.Good luck. Liz

Hmm, never saw a cat go through the blinds! I do think you may have some breakage as the wood blinds do not give like the mini blinds do. On the other hand, he'll have more viewing space with the 2" blinds. Have you tried showing him how to sneak around the ends? He's making it so much harder on himself!

LOL- Why on earth going through the blinds LOL....That has got to be quite a sight! My cat wouldn't be able to get his fat belly between those slats. I now understand the problem. Man.

I would line the insides and outsides of the slats with double sided tape for a while. It won't take long for kitty to not want to go through them and will go around instead!

Ha! This thread reminds me of:

{{!gwi}}

Well, there are two types of blinds I can recommend NOT to use with kitties--
We had verticals (about20 years ago), not sure if they still make this kind but they had a skinny chain on the bottom to keep them together--well our kitties would weave in and out of them, the chains came off and they were a mess.
Another time we had an apartment and metal mini blinds came with it. Or kitties would get in them and not only make a racket with clanging the blinds, they would chew on them and make dents in them. We replaced them all before we moved out so we did not get hit with a hefty fee from the landlord.

My cat snapped the faux wood 2 inch blinds about 4 inches in - right where there is a hole for the cord to go through that enables you to open and close the blinds. It probably is because I have very large orange kitties - 16 and 19 lbs - or it could be that my blinds are not as well made as some others on the market. They were custom, but not a brand name - they are made local to me. I just super glued it and you can't even tell. I also have verticals on my triple slider and the cats don't bother them at all. They just sit between the verticals and the window - in fact one is there now. I would like to begin the process of drapes, but didn't think about the cat hair showing on the drapes until now...I will have to take that into consideration when I'm choosing a color. LOL.

krisfl - I know what you mean, my cat is 15 lbs. He means the world to us. I'm looking for new bedding and having to keep the color in mind because he likes to lay on the bed. I'm also looking for machine washable instead of dry clean only. Good luck with your drapes.

We have indoor/outdoor cats. When it rains or snows, they poke their heads outside and then come back in to complain. "It's raining. DO something!"

Anyway, we put a radiator cover/window seat in under one window and the cat loves to wrap herself in the nice warm curtains that puddle on it and watch the street life go by.

Is there any way that you could create a "designated cat window"--i.e. make one space so attractive with curtains and a good space for watching (maybe put a bird feeder directly outside) that your cat would leave the other windows, with the blinds, alone?

How about wood shutters. They're wonderful and I'm pretty sure the cats can't go through them or break them.

Runninginplace, your comments really made me laugh!

I was just thinking about the shower curtain rods that arch out away from the tub, and why not make curtain rod similiar to leave space for kittys and still have drapes.
{{!gwi}}
Or use the Bed Crown concept to hold a drape out for kitty's.
{{!gwi}}
Along dillydally's solarium, wouldn't this fireplace screen make a cool outdoor window cat space?
{{!gwi}}

We mostly keep our blinds up, so can't advise there. When I had curtains and cats, I occasionally tossed them in the dryer with a damp towel - on low or no heat. That worked great at pulling the cat hair and dust out of the curtains. Can't give you more details - it's been nearly 30 years since I've had curtains or drapes!

A quick note about wood shutters too....I have plantation shutters on my bathroom windows and the cats know how to open them up. We picked shutters because we needed the privacy, but it isn't good when you are showering and a cat comes in and just opens up the shutters. I've learned to keep the door closed! :)

kris, LOL, those sly kitties! Nothing like stepping out of the shower to a surprise open window, huh!

But can they get behind the shutters? Though I don't have a cat, I'm curious to know now.

Bigdoglover, they can not open the actual shutters, but just flip down the louvers. They can not fit between the louvers, so they can't get behind them. They try to cram their heads between the louvers when they see lizards out the window. :)