The Best Window Coverings for Pet Owners in San Diego
It’s a scenario San Diego pet owners know all too well: leaving your home only to look behind and see your dog or cat’s face looking at you as you walk away. For pet owners with certain window treatments, daily trips to the window may spell disaster, as pets can make for some of the worst and lasting harm to your window treatments.
So what can you do to protect against pet damage? The easiest way is to choose a pet-friendly window covering that can stand up to even the most excitable pets. Let’s dive into some of the best (and worst) window coverings for pet owners throughout California.
Window Treatments That Aren’t Pet-Friendly
Let’s start by taking a look at which window treatments homeowners with pets should not choose.
Window Treatments With Cords
Similar to children’s window safety, cords can be a big issue for pet owners. Dogs and cats alike are known to play with dangling cords, which may result in damage to your window covering or worse, injury to your pet.
Look into window treatments without cords, whether they’re shutters that attach to the window frame or other window treatments that operate by a top-down bottom-up configuration or are automatic.
Metal Blinds
Photo courtesy Carlos Castro via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Metal blinds might be the absolute worst window treatment for homes with pets. Not only do the blinds usually operate via cord, but they’re extremely vulnerable to damage from even the most gentle pets. Dogs or cats poking their heads through aluminum blinds can bend, warp, and even snap the weak slats, which means you’ll need to replace the entire thing.
Fabric Window Treatments
Fabrics might be something to avoid, depending on your pet and the type of window covering. Lengthy fabrics like curtains can “pool” on the ground, making them easy for dirty paws to stomp on. Fabric window coverings also tend to collect pet hair which nullifies any style value they may add. Finally, fabrics can tear, making them perfect targets for cat claws.
Our Picks for Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
Now that you’ve seen which window coverings don’t get along with pets, let’s go over some pet-friendly window coverings.
Real Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds
All of the problems aluminum blinds have, wood and faux-wood blinds resolve for pet owners. No matter if your pet likes to look through the window, durable wood blinds can stand up to more abuse than metal blinds. In addition, their typical wide slats make it harder for pets to get their arms or necks tangled in them.
But, make sure that if you go with wood or faux-wood blinds that you get ones that are cordless.
Plantation Shutters - A Pet Owner’s Best Window Treatment
If injury to your pet or damage to your window treatment has you concerned, plantation shutters can help minimize those worries. Because they’re mounted directly onto the window, there are no hanging cords or fabric that might cause trouble. What’s more, even if your pets are able to reach them, Polywood® plantation shutters are resistant to scratches and durable so damage is hardly a concern.
Plantation shutters can help keep pets happy too. Have a dog that likes to look out the window as you head out? Shutters can make it easy without any chance of damage. Does the kitten like to have a patch of sunlight to nap in? Just tilt the louvers and let the sunbeams come through without giving up your privacy.
Simply put, plantation shutters are the perfect window treatment for pet owners.
