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Many people have cats as pets. Cats might be fluffy and adorable, but they can be destructive and cause havoc in the home. If you are sick of your cat climbing up curtains and ruining them, then the solution is to get cat proof curtains.
Very often a cat tree is placed by a window and that is a perfect spot for a cat tree: it enables the cat a view outside.
But this also means that if you have curtains on your windows, that those curtains will be VERY near cat’s claws. Not to forget how a little kitty loves to climb up curtains or play hide and seek behind them.
So if you are a cat owner then you need to pay special attention and choose carefully your curtains.
So how do you find cat resistant curtains? I have done research on this topic and below is all the useful advice I could find around – gathered in one place.
I have also included a few examples of curtains that would work best for homes with cats.
Best Cat Proof Curtains With Analysis Why
To find out what are the most cat resistant curtains I had to first find what are the best cat scratch proof materials. Once you are aware of the characteristics of a certain material then you can make the best informed decision for this problem.
Before I start please note that when keeping a cat home it is important to keep your cat’s claws trimmed regularly – for the obvious reasons 🙂
Microfiber Curtains As Best Curtains for a House With Cats
Microfiber is a synthetic material that is made of extremely tiny fibers which are also very soft, light and durable.
Microfiber is the dream fabric for cat owners. Here is why:
- Microfiber is a cat claw resistant fabric: the material doesn’t have any loops on the surface, it is smooth and there is nothing to cling on, it just slips under the claws. It simply dows not have the kind of texture cats love so it ill not be attractive to them
- Very durable and strong material that does not wear and tear easily: it holds the color for a long time and even if your cat climbs up the curtains they will hold up to the challenge
- Easy to clean and does not stain easily: a wet towel and a bit of dish soap will do the job, not to mention that you can wash the curtains and have them fresh as new.
- Does not attract lint or dust so it is perfect for cat owners and avoiding cat hair on your curtains
- Looks very rich and luxurious and this material is great for keeping shade in the room or protecting your privacy
Microfiber Cat Friendly Curtains
If you are looking for durable curtains on a budget then these room darkening curtains will do a great job. They have so many benefits to them, I will try to summarize them below:
- The most important thing is that they are made of microfiber so they will resist any cat easily
- They act as weatherproof shield: prevent cold or hot weather from affecting the room, so in the summer they keep a room cool bit in winter they keep warmth inside and prevent draft
- The material is thick and very soft to the touch
- Provide privacy and nice room decor
Did I mention these are not expensive at all? Even if a cat does damage them (which would be hard because of the cat proof material) you will certainly not be overthinking them.
If you want to block out the sun as much as possible go for a darker color and you will be satisfied with the results.
I would recommend them for sleepers who don’t like waking up to pitch-black darkness (like me), they block the sun enough to make your sleep comfortable and pleasant but still provide little light for the waking up not to be confused with the dreams (especially if they are bad dreams you’ll be relieved to see a bit of light in the room and be able to orientate yourself).
Velvet Cat Proof Window Curtains
Velvet is one of the most resistant materials against cat claws. It is because velvet has a very tight weave that leaves no space for their claws to get into it. It is just not suitable for the main purpose cats scratch: grooming their claws.
This means a cat will ignore velvet when searching for items to scratch on. It may even serve as a protection against cat scratches as it is highly unattractive to cats in this regard.
I believe all cat lovers love (or will love) velvet – it is soft, gives a warm feeling and looks luxurious – everything cats give us! And the most interesting thing is cats and velvet, as a home material, go along very well, both practically and aesthetically.
These velvet curtains besides solving the problem of a cat destroying curtains will also give a beautiful and luxurious look to your room. I just love how gorgeous they look, don’t you?
One thing I spotted right away is the curtain length: you know how cats love hiding around so these will create a great hiding place for your cat 🙂
Here are the great things you get with these lovely velvet curtains:
- They darken the room very well and depending on the color that you choose: the dark colors will provide more privacy and blackout but the lighter ones create a beautiful atmosphere
- Add softness and warmth to any room, create a cozy feeling
- They will provide reasonable insulation from outside temperature, sound and sunlight
- Velvet is a material that is durable, practical and easy to clean: you can wash the curtains in a machine on delicate
- Most important for cat owners: they are cat claw resistant curtains
I truly believe that you will absolutely not make a mistake by getting these velvet curtains, both for cat claw protection and for an awesome look in any room.
Blackout And Cat Claw Proof Curtains
These window coverings are one of the highest quality curtains that you can possibly get. At the time I was writing this post they had a rating of all 5 stars – which should tell you enough of their quality and how people have been truly satisfied with them.
First of all let me emphasize that for achieving maximum blackout effect it is best to choose darker colors.
- The curtains are easy to open and close as they have a grommet design (this means the curtains have rings embedded in the header, which enables easy slide over the rod)
- The material is made from polyester, thick and soft but not too heavy so you’ll hang them easy and they will slide easily across the rod
- Polyester is a synthetic material that is easy to clean and can stand a lot of wear and tear and is one of the best pet proof materials
- The curtains definitely block out the light, here is what one cat owner said and there is a good advice to use velcro on the edges to achieve complete darkness during the day
- Many people have said the curtains reduce the noise and what is better than a quiet, dark room when you need to rest – even during the day. The funniest review was from a cat owner whose camera went into night mode when the curtains were closed!
- Many buyers were totally satisfied with how true and gorgeous the colors are in real
- These curtains will help a lot with reducing the amount of heat from the sun
- Easy to maintain as they are machine washable
Blackout curtains are very popular, especially in warmer areas where the sun is blasting during the day. They have proven very efficient in reducing light and heat and for cat lovers, they are a perfect choice as they are thick and therefore cat scratch proof curtains.
Anti Cat Curtains Made From Bamboo
These bamboo curtains are a great alternative to use instead of blinds or standard curtains for cat owners. That is because the bamboo material will be highly resistant to cat’s claws. You can check how this cat owner is very satisfied with the product and how well it is resisting cats.
Even though they are made of such hard material as bamboo they are designed to hang easily, you can see on the picture above they will simply slide on the top.
They create a natural shade from the sun with good darkening abilities.
Please note that as they are made of bamboo they tend to be a bit heavy so you need a rod that can sustain them.
Once you get them they will last you as long time, since they are of high quality and people have loved them.
Although a bit unusual, these bamboo drapes are very beautiful, very elegant and very rich looking, they will certainly add a natural touch to your home.
How to Stop Cat Climbing Curtains
Besides maintaining your cat’s claws I have found online a genius idea on how to stop your cat from climbing the curtains:
It is as simple as using a curtain tension rod – if your curtain hangs between two wall surfaces.
How does this work? The tension rods use spring tension (as the name suggests) to hold the curtains in place. Here is a really short video that explains it:
You can install the tension rod in such a way that it only holds the curtain, so not very tight, and any additional weight or pressure will pull down the rod and the curtain. The cat, and especially a kitten will get scared and it will learn not to repeat the action. So it probably needs to happen a couple of times, until the cat learns not to play with the curtain and then you can install the rod with full tension to properly hold the curtain.
I have found a very good tension rod that you can use for this purpose:
People have been very satisfied with this product, mainly for these characteristics:
- The tension rod can hold heavy curtains and weight is not an issue as you can see in this extreme case
- Preserves the walls as the ends are made of white rubber so no damage is done to the walls
- Easy to install
- The curtain rod comes in different lengths and white or black color so you can choose your match
A useful tip for keeping cats away from your curtains: cats really love to play with dangling cords, they are like magnets to them. So if you have a dangling cord whether from your curtain or from your blinds make sure it is hidden and tied high above so it is not tempting to your cat.
Another thing you can do to protect your curtains from your cat is to put a scratching post next to the window: cats really love looking out the windows (especially if you live in a small apartment) so a scratching post with a resting platform will provide an interesting distraction from the curtains. And a scratching post will be much more attractive for grooming those cat nails than the curtains.
What Material Not To Use For Cat Scratches
I would strongly advise against materials that are with loose-weave like linen. There are some truly beautiful curtains made from linen but they will not stand a chance against your cat’s claws. The open space in the weave is perfect for catching a cat claw and tearing down the curtain.
Another fragile material prone to destruction from cat claws is silk – cat claws will go through it like knife through butter. I know it looks so elegant but in this case you need to choose your priorities – which of course will be the cat 🙂
To my big surprise there are curtains made from leather and leather just marks so easily and the marks are quite visible which will of course ruin the pleasure of having leather curtains in the first place.
Also, avoid curtains that have additional elements on the edges like tassels or small decorative balls as they will be very attractive for playing for cats and especially kittens.
Just a random everyday pic: my Puffy matches the colors of my apartment perfectly 🙂
