Keep Cats Out of Blinds: Safe, Simple Strategies for Protecting Your Home

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard or old place mats

• Double-sided tape

• Aluminum foil

• Empty soda can

• Rocks or pennies

• Spray bottle

Warning

It's not only annoying to have little bite marks and breaks all over your blinds, it's also dangerous for your cat. She can swallow indigestible pieces of plastic or fabric, requiring an emergency trip to the vet. The cord on the blinds also can wrap around her and choke her. Because blinds are dangerous, until Fluffy is trained, keep her out of any rooms with blinds when you're away.

Tip

You might not realize it, but those blinds might be Fluffy's only source of entertainment. If you train her to stay away from them, she'll just find something else to play with. Make sure she has scratching posts and toys to play with to keep her occupied.

Because cats often like to be up high and look out windows, consider getting her a perch and leaving one set of blinds open. This way she'll still get her front-row seat to the outside world, but she won't be making a mess of your blinds.

Cats, especially the young and frisky, will use your entire house as a playground. The blinds make sufficient chew toys to relieve any pain associated with teething, plus they're fun to bat at. More importantly though, they tend to block the view of the outside world and need to be pushed aside. Your feline pal knows what's out there: birds, squirrels, chipmunks and, of course, the ultimate enemy, Fido from next door. It'll take patience and persistent training, but you can teach your princess to behave nicely around your window treatments.

Make Them Less Appealing

Step 1

Move the couch, high table or shelving unit several inches away from the windowsill. If furniture is too close, Fluffy will be more likely to cozy on up to the windowsill and make a mess of your blinds.

Step 2

Cut several pieces of cardboard or old place mats into long strips. They should be the width or your windowsill.

Step 3

Line these strips with double-sided sticky tape on one side. Add just a few small strips on the other side to secure them in place on your windowsill. You also can try to tape down a few pieces of aluminum foil. It creates a noisy unpleasant texture when Fluffy walks on it.

Step 4

Watch and observe Fluffy the next time she goes to play in the blinds to make sure she doesn't get too startled or hurt herself. Cats don't like sticky or unpleasant textures, so that should be enough of a deterrent to keep her away.

Step 5

Repeat this process for all windows that your purr-pal likes to play in. You can use this method on your floors too if she's getting into vertical blinds.

Step 6

Test the waters after a week or so by removing the unpleasant sticky surface. You can always put the tape -- or foil -- back down if she starts getting comfy next to that window again.

Make Them Scary

Step 1

Make a noisemaker using an empty soda can filled with just a few small rocks or pennies. Tape up the top. Alternatively, fill a spray bottle with water and adjust the setting to a stream spray.

Step 2

Leave your can or spray bottle nearby when you're relaxing on the couch, keeping it hidden from your mischievous friend. When Fluffy goes to approach the forbidden blinds, briefly shake your noisemaker or quickly squirt some water in her direction.

Step 3

Avert Fluffy's attention every time you see her gallivanting in the blinds. She'll start to learn that the blinds are scary for some reason, or that she miraculously gets wet in that spot.