How to Stop a Cat From Climbing Curtains: 11 Helpful Tips
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Cats love climbing different things no matter how many times you try to stop them. Whether it’s your new curtains or furniture, you’ll always find your cat over them or swinging on them. That’s natural for almost every cat breed for different reasons.
On the one hand, your cat may seem happy sitting above, but your curtains will be mangled or shredded up. In worse cases, you may not be able to restore them. That’s a bummer, especially when you’re on a budget. So, how can you stop your cat from climbing the curtains?
Several tips can help you do so, which are even tried and tested by many cat owners. These tips won’t only save your curtains but also help your cat adopt healthy behaviors. So, let’s learn about 11 tips to stop a cat from climbing the curtains.
Why Do Cats Climb?
Before stopping your cat from climbing curtains, you must know why they even do so. What makes them climb things out of nowhere? According to Dr. Carlo Siracusa,1 climbing curtains is entirely normal for cats regardless of their breed, age, and gender.
So, whether you have a low or moderate-energy breed cat (Persians) or a high-energy one (Abyssinian), your cat will climb every vertical and horizontal object. These include curtains, furniture, carpets, and even trees.
Climbing is only an issue with cats because owners don’t expect this behavior from their pets. It can be damaging or unwanted for your home. If cats are given unlimited access to spaces with curtains, they will likely damage them because it is in their nature. So, it’s better to offer them opportunities to channel their energy in an acceptable way.
The 11 Tips to Stop a Cat From Climbing Curtains
You can stop your cat from climbing curtains and teach them an acceptable alternative behavior. Below are 11 helpful tips for forbidding your cat from climbing different objects in your home:
1. Choose Vertical Blinds
The best way to stop your cat from climbing curtains is to remove all the temptations from your home. This means you can replace your home’s curtains with vertical blinds. They act the same as curtains, but your cat won’t love them as much.
Vertical blinds allow your cat to peek outside and enjoy watching birds. The best part is that these blinds are available for almost every window size. You can also open or close them quickly to allow the sunlight to enter your home during the day.
Over time, your cat will become accustomed to this change. Soon, they will find another object to climb.
2. Offer Your Cat a Window Perch
You can save your curtains from being a victim of your cat by providing them with an alternative perch. They simply need a place to climb and peek out the window to see what’s happening outside.
If your cat starts to perch on your vertical blinds, you can save them by attaching a perch to the window. The good thing is that installing perches is relatively easy, and you can open the blinds anytime during the day. This way, your cat will always have a place to see outside instead of coming in contact with the curtains.
Window perches are available in multiple sizes, designs, and styles. So, you can get one depending on your needs.
3. Add an Alarm
If you tend to spend most of your day outside, you can’t be present in your home to stop your cat from climbing the curtain. That’s when installing an alarm can help you startle your cat from climbing curtains.
For instance, you can add a small motion detector alarm close to your curtain. Alternatively, you can install a door alarm near your curtain, which goes on and off every time your cat comes close to the blinds.
4. Contact a Professional Veterinarian
If climbing the curtains is a new behavior, it’s possible that they are feeling stressed or anxious, and you might need to take them to the vet.
A vet will perform tests to diagnose your pet’s issue and find the best treatment. The problem will most likely be your cat’s behavior or mental health. Depending on your vet’s treatment, your cat may start feeling better and leave your curtains alone.
5. Use Aluminum Foil on the Curtains
Cats don’t like the texture or sound of aluminum foil. So, you can apply it on your curtains to prevent the cat from touching or perching on them. The best place to use aluminum foil is the curtain’s bottom. This way, the cat won’t have enough grip to climb further above.
You can also use double-sided tape instead of aluminum foil to stop this behavior in your cat. Just like the aluminum foil, cats also don’t like the sticky feel of the tape on their feet. Thus, they won’t prefer coming close to your curtains altogether.
6. Opt for Tension Rods
Tension rods hold the curtains until someone puts weight on them. When this happens, the rod allows the curtain to fall to the ground. Similarly, when cats try to climb a curtain, the tension rod automatically lets the curtain fall on the ground along with the cat. This way, your fluffy pet won’t have enough time to damage your curtains.
7. Spray Citrus on Your Curtains
If you are into DIY methods, try making a citrus spray to prevent your cat from going close to the curtains. That is because cats do not like the smell of citrus, including lemons and oranges, since it is too sensitive for their noses.
The best way to make the spray is to buy an orange or lemon essential oil and add a few drops in water to prepare a deterrent. Of course, the spray may be pleasing to your nose, but your cats will hate its smell.
Simply spray the mixture near and on your curtains regularly, and ensure the odor is strong enough to keep your cat away.
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8. Provide an Alternative
If all the above tips fail and you’re clueless about what to do next, try buying a kitty tower with high perches to give your cat an alternative to climb on. This will keep them away from your curtains. You can also get kitty towers attached to walls and ceilings to save space in your room.
The next time you see your cat climbing the curtains, put them on their new kitty tower. Since these furry animals are curious, they will start exploring the tower instantly. Over time, your cat will realize that towers are much higher than curtains and a safer option.
9. Offer a More Stimulating Space
You can also train your cat to stop climbing curtains by creating a stimulating environment. Of course, this tip requires more labor and hard work, but it will benefit you in the long run.
Since cats usually climb curtains to keep themselves occupied, you can offer them mentally stimulating cat toys to stay busy. They can be boxes, balls, wool, and hanging toys, but ensure they’re within your cat’s easy reach.
10. Appreciate Your Cat’s Good Behavior
Pets love when owners appreciate them for their actions. Even more, when they are rewarded with their favorite treats. You can make the best of this habit by reinforcing good behavior in your cat not to climb the curtains.
If you find your cat playing with their kitty toys instead of climbing and damaging your curtains, reward them with a treat and a gentle pat on the head. You will see that your cat doesn’t even go near the curtains by time.
11. Lure Your Cat to an Alternate Perch
In some cases, owners see that their cats are not drawn toward the alternative perch, no matter how hard they try. That is because some cats are stubborn, while others don’t want to change their habits.
But as a loving and sane pet owner, you can tempt your cat to the alternate perch by using a catnip spray or putting treats on the top. This way, your cat will be instantly attracted to the perch instead of the curtains.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know 11 practical tips to stop a cat from climbing curtains, you can begin implementing them on your pet. Remember, you have to enforce good behavior through appreciation and cat treats.
You should also create a stimulating environment for your cat to give them an alternative to channel their energy. Cats are curious creatures that love exploring new things every day. They are also quite affectionate and love their owners’ attention.
Make sure you keep your cat happy in whatever method you use. If none of the above tips work for you, contact a vet to find the root cause of your cat’s behavior.
Featured Image Credit: Anna Luopa, Shutterstock
