my idiot cat caught herself on fire last night and I can't figure out how she did it.

[blueraven95]

before anyone freaks out, she's fine. She's a long-haired cat and she burned some of the fur on her tail, but not so much that it actually hurt her. (I doubt she even felt it, actually).

Here's what happened:
I lit some candles because I felt like it, but I know she is pretty stupid about fire (this is not the first time I've had a problem with her and fire), so I made sure that I never left the room where the candles were lit. I would swear she never got anywhere close to the flames. Suddenly I started smelling that awful smell of burned hair, because neither of the cats had been near the flames, I figured that it was just some fur they had shed that got caught in the flame, but I blew out the candles just to be safe, but Muffins was curling up on blankets in another room, so I didn't check her out too carefully. About an hour later, she came and jumped into my lap, and brushed her rather singed tail in my face. As far as I can tell, she's totally fine, just missing a little bit of fur on her tail.

Since I can't figure out how she got near the flames, I'm a little mystified how she managed to burn herself. The only other thing I can think of is she might have jumped up on my gas stove and brushed her tail on a burner catching it on the pilot light, which is incredibly dangerous if it's true.

So, I was wondering, what incredibly stupid things have your pets done? What did you do to make sure they never did it again? And, has anyone else's pet caught him/herself on fire?


Here's the requisite pet photo (sorry it's not new, but I'm at work, and only have this one in my photobucket account):

[City of Mills]

1. Goofy cat

She must've got curious, or spun around near the candle..lol...I had a cat who just had to investigate a candle once, he put his face right up close and his little whiskers all curled up and shrunk to nothing. Spent the next month bumping into things around the house. Now I don't put the candles anywhere that he can get to them, he's still curious about them though! He's orange so maybe it's an orange cat thing?

[blueraven95]

4. possibly an orange thing

she gets into everything, so any open flame, no matter how well I think it's protected, is a bit of a danger. I was there for the whole time, though and I would swear she was nowhere near the flames, so I don't have a clue how she did it.

I figure either she gets cold (underneath all that fur, there is really very little of her) and gets too close to anything hot, or she knows that flames will compliment her color well, and decides to use them as an accessory. :rofl:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. beautiful picture

silly cats :loveya:

[blueraven95]

5. thank you

although, I know it's mostly because she's a beautiful cat - and trust me she knows it. She's my prissy princess.

:hi:

[CottonBear]

3. My cat Smokey caught his fluffy tail on fire from some tea candles. It was like a torch

I was sitting on my couch with my feet on the coffee table and Smokey was on the coffee table looking at me. I had two tea candles lit in a small metal tea candle holder which was on the marble top coffee table. Smokey was sitting on the table. He put his tail down over the tea candles and WHOOSH! Fire! His tail went up and he looked over his shoulder and then at me and then jumped off the table and swished his tail and the fire went out. The living room filled with the smell of burned hair. It singed about an inch of length off of the hair on the underside of his tail but did not burn the skin.

I never used that tea candle holder again. In fact, I rarely ever light candles anymore.

I no longer have Smokey. :( My ex-husband lost him. :(

[Rambis]

7. Smokey? seems apt

sorry you lost him:(

[CottonBear]

17. Thank you, He was a really good cat as was his sister, Cinder.

My ex-husband lost him. I wish I'd never let him take Cinder and Smokey with him (post-separation), but I couldn't care for three cats, the indoor and outdoor fish and my horse by myself.

[blueraven95]

8. poor Smokey

he sounds like a sweetheart - much like mine. I'm sorry you no longer have him.

:hug:



I think, I too, will have to give up candles. :( We don't have problems every time, but it's still worrying.

[CottonBear]

16. Thanks. I miss him and his sister Cinder very much.

The ex-husband took Cinder and Smokey and I kept my deaf kitty, Tabitha, and my horse. He promptly let them outside in a strange, new place and lost them. :(

Candles are pretty dangerous. I've stuck to the candle in a jar sort if I light one at all.

[MissMillie]

6. you didn't see anyone

resembling a young Drew Barrymore did you?

[blueraven95]

9. ...

:rofl:


:hi:

[applegrove]

10. Candles can be very very dangerous. Since you know your cat

doesn't get it .... I would quit it with the candles. The generation born at the turn of the last century knew how dangerous candles were. But we seem to have missed the boat on the dangers.

[blueraven95]

11. yeah, this is the first time with an actual candle

she's had more problems with gas stoves - like jumping up (even though it is absolutely not allowed) as a burner is being lit, that kind of thing. I really do think she just gets cold and tries to find the warmest part of the house.

I rarely do candles at all, they will probably be a thing of the past now. My point is, as far as I know (and like I said, I was there the whole time) she was never near them, which is what makes it so weird.

:hi:

[Arugula Latte]

12. Awwww -- she's adorable.

Glad she's okay.

[blueraven95]

13. yep, she's fine

completely and utterly.


my apartment, on the other hand, smelled like burned fur all night. x(


:hi:

[Iggo]

14. Maybe she's a genius cat.

I'm just sayin'.

[Bake]

15. Aren't they just so damn CUTE??? Cute little f***ers, they are!

Caught herself on fire! That's just so damn CUTE!!

:rofl:

OK, I'm kidding. it's not cute.

Bake

[Lex]

18. little known fact - cats are shape-shifters

[jeff30997]

19. Spontaneous combustion ?

Come on kitty light my fire.

Try to set the house on fire :)

[demnan]

20. I'm glad she's ok

I don't use candles for that reason. With four cats it would be an invitation to trouble.

[slutticus]

21. My cat did that once. She had no idea the tip of her tail was on fire.

Luckily I was there to put it out.

What kind of cat is she?

[applegrove]

22. You can buy flameless candles at your local candle store. A great

way to get the "mood" of candles without the danger.