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Roman shades; put them up a foot or two for the cats when you're at work. We had to switch to shades because our new place has baseboard heat (I could barely believe it).

If you like curtains in general, you could just get a better rod and/or a center brace. The rod is bowing because you have too much width and weight on it for two brackets. The side brackets should be fixed into wall studs; if they're coming loose, they're only in drywall. Your cats have just accelerated the inevitable.

Personally I match the window coverings to the moldings, so they are not so visually obtrusive when they're pulled back or up.

Thanks for the comment, Dot! I'll check out some Roman shades. We DO actually have a third bracket in the center, though it is coming out due to the pulling/weight. They were fine until the cats learned they could jump on and pull at the curtains. I didn't install the brackets/rod myself so I have no idea if they're mounted to studs but I can check. Thanks again! Is there a brand you - or anyone - likes of these shades?

If you just want the cats to stop climbing the curtains (or if they find a way to climb the new ones you get... never underestimate a determined cat!), try getting a soda can and filling it with pennies, then propping it against the top of the curtains so it'll fall when the cat starts climbing. It freaks them out enough to get them to stop.

Cats....Mmm...with fish sauce and fresh ginger!

I keep my shades (cellular, linen romans shades) up just enough for my little dogs and the cat to be able to look out the windows. Anywhere there is a covered window the cat will paw and nudge until he can squeeze between the covering and the glass - it is a complete obsession with him. If I didn't keep the window clear I'd surely have damage as it is I have doggy nose prints at a certain level.

I know, I know.....I can practically hear people groaning when they read this, but I have two cats and have watched them climb the curtains, swing by the rod, and even when they are not being acrobatic I have gone through endless rolls of that sticky paper to try to keep the cat hair coating down to a tolerable level. I finally gave up and bought verticle levolar blinds. They do not look particularly cheesy, as the inside is made to look like linen when closed, and the cats can simply move them out of the way to peek out the window without leaving them covered with hair. Being vertical, there is nothing to climb, an added plus.

hdtex that was unnecessary.

Thanks for the tips, everyone! Any others are also welcome. We rescued these two cats as kittens when their owner was going to abandon any of the litter that he couldn't get rid of, and never had pets before this so we're learning as we go. :) I have never used blinds over a double door before so it will be interesting to see how it works out.

I have (3) cats and was completely perplexed about drapery when we moved into our garden unit. The cats love to sit on the sill and look out. However, the cat fur was unbearable. I actually had a version of roman shades made out of washable nylon. That way the fur doesn't stick and I can wash them when necessary.

Plantation-style, faux-wood (pvc) blinds look /great/ and are indestructible, even by my window-treatment-killing three bengal cats. They also have the advantage of not being terribly expensive. I currently live in Texas (until someone buys my house and I can move to Chicago), and let me tell you, covering six 6'x6' windows is not for the weak of wallet.

Vertical blinds also work, but I've never really seen them pulled off stylishly.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. A lot of people have mentioned covering windows with various types of blinds - but do you think covering a double door with blinds will be the same? I'm not saying it won't - I've just never covered a door with blinds and am wondering what to do differently with a door than I would with windows. Any suggestions?! :)

If you mount shades to the doors instead of to the molding or the wall, you will be able to open the doors with the shades down, unlike with your current curtains. That's an obvious difference between putting shades over doors versus windows (double-hung windows, at least), but only you could say whether this is important to you. Mounting to the door also means you don't have to find the wall studs, which can save a very minor amount of hassle.

Great, thanks for the awesome tips!