Fascinating Wood Blinds

[chezron]

Before we got Brutus we had horizontal wood blinds installed in most of our windows to filter the hot sun. Brutus finds them fascinating with all their cords and chewable wood. Now I don't mind if he chews, but the potential for great harm or death is very real from getting tangled in the cords. And, it is not like he doesn't have a vast array of all sorts of shreddable toys, cardboard, ears of corn, clothespins, paper towel rolls, dried pasta, and anything I can think of to entertain him. You get the idea. He just keeps going back to the blinds.

My question is- Should we take them all down? What do you think?

They were professionally done and must be taken down by someone who is trained (not me). I have tried tucking the strings behind the blinds, and that worked for awhile. Maybe if I could encase the strings in something, that could work too. What have you done about this problem?

[danmcq]

chezron wrote:

My question is- Should we take them all down? What do you think? <snip>

I have tried tucking the strings behind the blinds, and that worked for awhile.

 

We have the same type of wood slatted blinds as you describe through out our house. Both our birds are attracted to the slats and the cords, especially chewing on the knobs the strings all are termintaed in. I can not tell you how many of those knobs I replaced before we decided to "Hide" them and the strings behind the slats as you described.

 

They having been doing this for over 2 years, so I don't see a danger, unless you have you birds out and your not home. :-)

[chezron]

Dan,

Hiding the cords behind the slats worked for awhile, but he has figured out how to pull them through. And he is not always there at the blinds, he just has a small period in the afternoon when the cords become irresistable. At that time, I have to watch him "like a hawk" so to speak. One time, he wrapped the cord around his foot and scared himself. I thought this episode might get him to stop, but it hasn't. What I worry about is when my husband is home, he doesn't watch him as closely as I do because his office is further away. I am thinking of enclosing the cords and knobs in something like a tube so they are no longer visibly enticing. Thanks for your input.

[judygram]

I think you just solved your own problem, putting them inside a tube they cannot destroy would be the best thing to do since you don't want to remove the blinds alltogether, maybe some type of pvc pipe would do the job very nicely.

[Luvparrots]

Great idea about the pvc pipe, I wonder if you can stain pvc to match the color of the wood blinds???

[cflanny]

I have bamboo blinds and refused to let ZZero get them so I have things hanging around them that he doesnt like , like scarfs and feather boas. My house looks crazy but I have nice blinds!!

[chezron]

I just ended up taping the cords and pulls to the back of the blinds. The blinds are no longer usable this way, but at least Brutus will not be able to get to them. Scarves and feather boas, I am afraid to say, would make the whole affair especially enticing for my boy. It would be like putting out an invitation. But whatever works for Zzero. Thanks for the suggestion.