Why Do Cats Love To Climb Curtains?

Best Answer:

According to Carlo Siracusa, DVM, clinical assistant professor in behavioral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine—playing, scratching, and climbing—are natural to the species. This is true for all cats, whether you have a high-energy breed like an Abyssinian or a low-energy breed like a Persian. "Cats' bodies are made to climb and use vertical spaces as much as horizontal spaces."

The trouble with curtains is often the result of the behavior being unwanted or damaging. "If given unrestricted access to places with long curtains, most cats will end up damaging them just because it is fun and in their nature," said Siracusa, adding, "we should provide them with opportunities to perform this behavior in a way that is acceptable to us."

Siracusa also said that if your cat were outdoors, he would have access to plenty of elevated spaces and would readily climb up on them. "Cats are tree-loving creatures. They climb trees to find safe spots, to scan the environment, for catching prey, and even just for fun."

Dr. Brian Collins, DVM, a lecturer in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, agrees. "Cats are naturally inquisitive," he said, "and it's their natural inclination to want to climb." Cats want to get up high because it gives them a better vantage point for spotting prey, but also because cats themselves are at risk from larger predators, said Collins. "They are both hunters and hunted."