The Most Popular Window Treatments for Pet Owners in New York
There’s a scenario pet owners in New York know all too well: leaving your house only to glance behind and see your four-legged friend’s face peeking through the window as you leave. For pet owners with certain types of window coverings, frequent trips to the window may mean trouble, as dogs and cats can cause some of the worst and lasting harm to your window treatments.
So how can you protect against pet damage? The easiest way is to install a pet-friendly window treatment that can stand up to even the rowdiest pets. Here are some of the best (and worst) window coverings for pet owners throughout New York.
Non Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
We’ll start by taking a look at which window treatments homeowners with pets should avoid.
Window Treatments With Cords
Similar to children’s window safety, cords can be a problem for pet owners. Pets–especially cats–are known to play with dangling cords, which may result in damage to your window treatment or worse, injury to your pet.
Opt instead for window treatments without cords, such as shutters that attach to the window frame or other window coverings that feature a bottom-up top-down configuration or are automated.
Aluminum Blinds
Photo courtesy Carlos Castro via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Aluminum blinds are possibly the absolute worst window treatment for homeowners with pets. Not only do the blinds typically operate via cord, but they’re very susceptible to damage from even the most gentle pets. Dogs or cats looking through aluminum blinds can bend, warp, or even snap the thin slats, resulting in you having to replace the entire thing.
Fabric Window Treatments
Fabrics might be something to stay away from, depending on your pet and the type of window treatment. Lengthy fabrics like drapes can “puddle” on the floor, which makes them easy for dirty paws to walk all over. Fabric window treatments also tend to collect pet hair which eliminates any fashion value they could add. Lastly, fabrics can tear, making them perfect targets for cat claws.
Our Recommended Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
Now that you’ve seen which window treatments don’t get along with pets, let’s dive into the more pet-friendly window coverings.
Real Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds
Most of the issues aluminum blinds have, wood and faux-wood blinds fix for pet owners. Even if your pet likes to peek through the window, sturdier wood blinds can stand up to more abuse than metal blinds. In addition, their usual wide slats make it harder for pets to get tangled in between them.
But, make sure that if you buy wood or faux-wood blinds that you choose ones without cords.
Plantation Shutters - The Best Window Treatment for Pets
If you’re concerned about damage to your window treatments or injury to your pet caused by window treatments, plantation shutters can help reduce those concerns. Because they’re mounted directly into the window frame, there aren’t any dangling cords or fabric that might cause issues. What’s more, even if your pet is able to reach them, Polywood® plantation shutters are scratch resistant and extremely sturdy so damage is almost never a concern.
Plantation shutters keep your pets happy too. Does your dog want to peek out the window as you leave? Shutters can make it easy without any chance of damage. Does the kitten like to have a patch of sunlight to sleep in? You can easily tilt the louvers to let the sunbeams come through without compromising privacy.
In effect, plantation shutters are the most ideal window treatment for homeowners with pets.
