He's climbed the curtains again !

[BookWorm45]

Hello lovely cat-focussed MNers,

I have a beautiful and very active kitten, 5 months old. We've had him for about 1 week (rehomed from Cats Protection).

He has a lot of toys, including scratching posts and cat trees, plus the run of our entire house. We play with him a lot (ping pong balls, fishing rod toys, shoelaces !). We aren't letting him out yet (we haven't had him for long enough) but we do intend to allow him out into our garden via a cat flap in about a month's time.

So he's found a new game which is to climb up the curtains in our bedroom. He scrambles up madly to the top, then comes down again. of course this is not doing the curtain fabric any good and I can see it is getting picked (so far he is mostly climbing up the inside of them, so the picked fabric threads aren't too visible yet). This is also very funny (as well as slightly annoying).

Is there anything you would advise that has helped with deterring cats going up the curtains ? Or do you consider he will just grow out of it ?

Anyone remember this?

Lady & the Tramp Siamese kitties - Reminds me of when I introduced my spaniel pup to my two moggies - I swear they were contemplating eating him when he first arrived.

Fortunately he ended up twice their size, although he remained firmly at the bottom of the pecking order, even when the original cats passed away and I brought in new ones.

My cat is 10 this year and has never stopped abusing my curtains. Thankfully she doesn't climb them but uses them to stretch from. If I shut my curtains when the sun is shining its lie a starry night, there are so many claw holes.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup said "Have you not had to extricate a cat from between the blinds?"

No, I never have. Where I have blinds they are Roman blinds so all once piece of fabric that raises and lowers with a child safe pull mechanism. Have never had an issue with the cats with them.

About to have shutters fitted in several windows which I think will greatly displace their majesties as it will limit the line of sight of the Swifts nesting under the eaves of the roof...

No advice here, I have 2 cats and ruined curtains

We used a spray water bottle to stop ours climbing up curtains. Only took a few quick sprays to stop them!

mine gets upside down and drags himself along the underside of one of the sofas. so the lining is all hanging down in shreds. he’s a dick but i forgive him because i love him.

No advice, OP, but your kitten is adorable.

My youngest is nearly 18 months and still climbs the curtains I caught him last night having play-fighting with the 5yo cat through them - him on one side, her on the other!

I just accept it and buy cheap curtains that can be easily replaced - it's part of having cats in the house I think. I'd like to say they grow out of it but our 6yo cat still gets caught scratching doorframes

@icedcoffees

My youngest is nearly 18 months and still climbs the curtains I caught him last night having play-fighting with the 5yo cat through them - him on one side, her on the other!

I just accept it and buy cheap curtains that can be easily replaced - it's part of having cats in the house I think. I'd like to say they grow out of it but our 6yo cat still gets caught scratching doorframes

Is your youngest human or feline?

@AlfonsoTheMango feline

No small humans here!

Our cat done this and there was nothing we could do to stop it. The curtains were his, they were shredded to bits on the lining, we were renting and had to replace them when we moved. I don't know why but he's not done it since we've moved to this new flat but I don't really know why.

Any photos of the curtain climbing kitten in action?

I've not had a cat that did this so can't comment on how best to tackle it but just wanted to say that your kitten is gorgeous!

I have been too slow every time to capture him actually up the curtains, he scampers up and down them quite fast! But thank you, I do think he looks beautiful.