How Pets Can Damage Your Windows and What You Can Do to Prevent It
Pets are incredibly popular amongst Australian homeowners, with dogs and cats being two of the most common pet choices. However, having pets comes with its own unique set of challenges, one of them being damage to your furniture and your home. Your windows are equally susceptible to being damaged by your pets. In this post, we take a look at some of the ways that your pets might damage your windows and how you can avoid it.
How Pets Can Damage Your Windows
There are many ways that pets might potentially damage your windows, with some of the more common ones being:
Scratches
Cats and dogs with sharp claws can cause scratches on your windows. This may happen especially if your pets enjoy playing near the windows and if they are easily excited by something that they see outside the window.
Cracks
Certain, more active pets might jump against windows when they see something that excites them on the other side. If you own a larger dog or cat that has such a tendency, the force of them hitting the window might cause the window to crack or potentially even shatter.
Drool and Urine
If you let your pets near the windows, they may also drool or salivate over your windows. This might leave stains on your windows or cause your window frames to corrode. In addition, if your pets are not toilet trained, they might also urinate on your windows, which can cause long-lasting damage in the form of corrosion or irremovable staining.
How You Can Reduce the Damage
There are several methods for you to reduce the damage that your pets cause to your windows, including:
- Trimming Your Pets’ Nails: By trimming your pets’ nails, you reduce their sharpness and minimise the damage that they might cause to your windows by scratching.
- Using Window Coverings: If your pets are more stubborn, you can also consider installing window coverings such as blinds, grilles or netting to prevent your pets from getting too close to your windows and damaging them.
- Using Pet-Safe Deterrents: You can also spray pet-safe deterrents near your windows to discourage your pets from going near them or urinating on them.
- Cleaning Your Windows Regularly: Cleaning your windows regularly can help you reduce the staining and long-term corrosion that might be caused by your pets’ drool or urine.
A Last Resort: Replacing Your Windows
If all the methods that you have tried to reduce the damage that your pets cause to your windows fail, a last resort would be to replace your windows altogether. Replacing your windows can be a good solution if your windows are severely damaged to the point where they might pose a safety risk to yourself or your pets, such as if they are chipped or if your window frames are splintered.
Here at Valley Windows, we have decades of experience in manufacturing and supplying custom windows in Melbourne and the surrounding areas. If you need to replace your windows due to pet-related damage, we can help. Contact us today for more information!