insights
insights
“In the homes we measure, the blinds that survive cats are the rigid ones. An aluminium slat folds the first time a cat pushes through it. A PVC louvre simply does not.”Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
A cat does not see a blind. She sees a door to the window, a toy on a string and a springboard to the sill.
Birds, movement, warmth. She noses under the rail or pushes through the slats to reach the glass. Training does not reliably fix it.
Cords, chains and loose slats get hooked. Remove what swings.
Loose weaves and textured wovens shred satisfyingly, which is why sisal makes scratching posts. Smooth surfaces give claws nothing.
No blind is indestructible. Some come close.
| Performance | Plaswood venetian | PVC shutters | Roller, smooth fabric | Vertical, chainless | Aluminium or aluwood venetian | Zebra and sheer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat resistance | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Poor | Poor |
| Why | Solid PVC slats spring back, waterproof, wipe clean of fur and nose marks | Fixed louvres, no cords, nothing swings; the cat sits on the sill behind | One smooth panel, no slats to push through; raise it and the problem is gone | No bottom chain to catch a claw or collar; louvres flex apart. Choose smooth vanes | The aluminium slat creases permanently the first time a cat pushes through, grain or no grain | Sheer bands snag on a single claw |
Three dots survives cats. No dots does not. The second row is words only.
The biggest pet-safety risk on any blind is the looped cord, for the same reason it is a child-safety risk.
04 When blinds are the wrong answer
A determined sill-sitter will defeat any blind that blocks the sill. Fit PVC shutters with the bottom louvres left open, mount a roller higher so the sill stays free, or accept a curtain she can slip behind. Renters who cannot drill: a no-drill tension-mounted roller in a smooth fabric is the practical mix of cat tolerance and deposit safety.
ChewersUsually puppies, not cats. Keep any fabric bottom rail above reach until the phase passes.
Different problems, mechanical fixes.
They nose through to bark at the gate, swipe tails through low slats and chew as puppies. On the lookout window, a roller raised by day, a venetian with the bottom slats tilted open, or shutters with a cafe-style lower section gives the sightline without contact. Plaswood wipes clean of nose prints.
Lookout windowThey outgrow climbing in months; creased slats are permanent. Cleat every cord, raise blinds by day so the sill is reachable without climbing, and tilt slats open so a kitten pushes through a gap instead of bending one. Replace with a rigid product when the covering is next due, not mid-phase.
Ride it outIf you want softness at the window, put a smooth blockout roller behind and a curtain the cat is allowed to slip through in front.
Layer itPriced on the online Blind Builder in July 2026 for a 1.0m by 1.2m bedroom window, VAT and delivery included.
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Plaswood venetian blinds and, on the Garden Route, PVC shutters. Both are rigid and smooth with no texture for claws and no slats that crease, and both can be cordless. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings supplies plaswood venetians made to measure nationwide.
Rigid, smooth coverings. In multi-cat Garden Route homes, plaswood venetians and PVC shutters are the ones still intact years later; fabric and sheer blinds are the ones that get shredded.
No more than plain aluminium. Aluwood is an aluminium slat with a printed wood grain, and an aluminium slat creases the first time a cat pushes through. For the wood look with cats, choose plaswood, whose PVC slats spring back.
Tight, smooth, non-woven surfaces. Smooth roller fabrics over textured wovens, and hard plaswood slats over any fabric.
Yes. Looped cords are an entanglement risk for a kitten as they are for a toddler. Specify spring, wand, tension or motorised from the start.
Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team. Visit the online shop for current pricing.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.