The Best Window Coverings for Pet Owners in Miami
There’s a scenario pet owners in Miami probably know too well: leaving your home only to glance behind and see your four-legged friend’s face in the window as you leave. For pet owners with certain types of window coverings, daily trips to the window may mean trouble, as dogs and cats can cause some of the worst accidental damage to your window treatments.
So how can you avoid pet damage? The easiest way is to install a pet-friendly window covering 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 Florida.
Window Treatments That Aren’t Pet-Friendly
We’ll start by taking a look at which window treatments pet owners shouldn’t have in the home.
Window Treatments With Cords
As is the case with window safety for children, cords are one of the biggest issues for pet owners. Dogs and cats alike are known to play with hanging cords, which can result in damage to your window treatment or in some cases, injury to your pet.
Instead, choose a window treatment 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 motorized.
Metal Blinds
Photo courtesy Carlos Castro via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Metal blinds are probably the absolute worst window treatment for pet owners. Not only do the blinds usually operate via cord, but they’re incredibly vulnerable to damage from even the most well-behaved animals. Dogs or cats poking their heads through aluminum blinds can warp, bend, and even snap the weak slats, which means you’ll need to replace the whole thing.
Fabric Window Coverings
Fabrics may be something to avoid, depending on your pet and the type of window covering. Lengthy fabrics like curtains can “pool” on the floor, which makes them easy for dirty paws to walk all over. Fabric window treatments also have a tendency to collect pet hair which nullifies any style value they might add. Lastly, fabrics can tear, making them perfect targets for cat claws.
Top Recommendations for Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
Now that we’ve seen which window treatments don’t get along with pets, we’ll take a look at the most pet-friendly window coverings.
Real Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds
Many of the issues aluminum blinds have, wood and faux-wood blinds fix for pet owners. Even if your dog or cat wants to look through the window, durable wood blinds can handle more abuse than metal blinds. Plus, their typical wide slats make it more difficult for pets to get their bodies tangled in between them.
But, make sure that if you opt for wood or faux-wood blinds that you opt for ones that are cordless.
Plantation Shutters - A Pet Owner’s Best Window Treatment
If you’re worried at all about damage to your window treatments or injury to your pet caused by window treatments, plantation shutters may assuage those concerns. Since they’re mounted directly onto the window, there aren’t any hanging cords or fabric that may cause issues. And, even if your pets are able to reach them, Polywood® plantation shutters are resistant to scratches and incredibly durable so damage is almost never a concern.
Plantation shutters keep your pets happy too. Own a pooch that wants to look out the window as you head out? Shutters can make it easy without much risk of damage. Does your cat like to have a patch of sunlight to nap in? Just tilt the louvers to let the light come through without compromising privacy.
Put simply, plantation shutters are the most ideal window covering for pet owners.
