The Best Window Treatments for Pet Owners in Denver
It’s a scenario Denver pet owners are all too familiar with: leaving your home only to glance back and see your pet’s face looking at you as you leave. For pet owners with certain window coverings, regular trips to the window could spell disaster, as pets can cause some of the worst accidental harm to your window treatments.
So what can you do to prevent pet damage? The simplest way is to choose a pet-friendly window treatment that can stand up to even the rowdiest pets. Let’s dive into some of the best (and worst) window treatments for pet owners across Colorado.
Window Coverings That Aren’t Pet-Friendly
Let’s start by taking a look at what window treatments pet owners should not choose.
Window Treatments With Cords
Similar to window safety for children, cords are a problem for pet owners. Pets–especially cats–are known to play with hanging cords, which may mean damage to your window treatment or worse, injury to your pet.
Opt instead for window treatments without cords, whether they’re shutters that attach to the window frame or other window treatments that have a top-down bottom-up configuration or are automated.
Aluminum Blinds
Photo courtesy Carlos Castro via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Aluminum blinds are probably the absolute worst window treatment for homeowners with pets. Not only do they typically operate by cord, but they’re incredibly susceptible to damage from even the most gentle pets. Dogs or cats peeking through aluminum blinds can bend, warp, or even snap the thin slats, which means you’ll need to replace the whole thing.
Fabric Window Treatments
Depending on your pet and the style of window covering, fabrics might or might not be something to avoid. Long fabrics like curtains can “pool” on the floor, which makes them easy for dirty paws to walk all over. Fabric window coverings also tend to collect pet hair which nullifies any fashion value they can add. Lastly, fabrics can tear, making them perfect targets for cat claws.
Our Recommended Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
Now that we’ve seen which window coverings don’t get along with pets, we’ll take a look at the most pet-friendly window coverings.
Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds
Almost all of the problems aluminum blinds have, wood and faux-wood blinds solve for pet owners. No matter if your dog or cat wants to poke its head through the window, sturdier wood blinds can stand up to more abuse than their aluminum counterparts. Moreover, their wide slats make it harder for pets to get their arms or necks tangled in between them.
But, be sure that if you go with wood or faux-wood blinds that you choose ones that are cordless.
Plantation Shutters - A Pet Owner’s Best Window Treatment
If injury to your pet or damage to your window treatment is a concern, plantation shutters might reduce those worries. Because they mount directly into the window frame, there are no dangling cords or fabric able to cause issues. And, even if your pet is able to climb up, Polywood® plantation shutters are scratch resistant and incredibly sturdy so damage is almost never an issue.
Plantation shutters can help keep pets happy as well. Does your dog want to look out the window as you head out? Shutters can let it do so without any chance of damage. Does your kitten want a patch of sunlight to lounge in? Just tilt the louvers to let the light come through without compromising privacy.
Simply put, plantation shutters are the perfect window treatment for homes with pets.
