Kitty+open Flame=Kitty butt on fire

I have had a morning. We are moving into our new place still, I had a candle burning up high where Shade doesn't go. Well... so much for that, all the strangeness going on, she jumped up there. I was headed towards her telling her she needed to get down when her butt went up in flames!

I grabbed her, flopped her on the chair and patted her butt out, all the flames were gone by the time she was on the chair. No damage, besides singed fur up on back leg and on her little stump. The smell... EEWwww I hate burning hair smell. She cleaned her hind end, didn't care for the smell or what the burnt fur tasted like. I checked her out, not even so much as a little pink piece of skin. Thank the creator. I shaked and almost cried with how freaked out I was afterwards. I put stuff up infront of the candles to keep her from jumping up there.

She was playing and chasing her golf balls within a minute of it all happening. I was sitting in my chair shaking and trying NOT to burst into tears for how bad that scared me.

Thank the creator for everything working out where my girl didn't get hurt at all. Just scared the living hell out of me. I've relearned a valuable lesson. NO open flame without me in the room with my cat. NOT that she will jump up there again, but... I was too relaxed obviously.

merry late christmas, and please be careful with kitties and candles. She never jumps up there, but today... with the entertainment center being in a different house, she jumped up there...

Be safe.

*still thanking the creator*

I am so glad she is ok! How terrifying. This is the very reason I have stopped burning candles completely!

P.S. I just made a post about the new Febreze Flameless Luminary that eliminates the threat altogether.

Originally Posted by CruiserMaiden

I am so glad she is ok! How terrifying. This is the very reason I have stopped burning candles completely!

P.S. I just made a post about the new Febreze Flameless Luminary that eliminates the threat altogether.

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LMAO I will bet I was commenting on your thread as you were commenting on mine. I've never had problems with any of my cats and candles. This is the first time in 10 years this has ever happened. I think back to all the times I've left candles unattended in the bedroom while I was fixing a bite or in the rest room... I can only think of all the times I put my girl in danger by doing that.

And I just got this candle set for Christmas too... ...

Thank fully she is alright.

For Christmas I got this candle warmer that is just like a coffee cup warmer, and it warms the candle and releases the scent without flames! So you can still use those candles in the glass jars!

Oh yeah? I will have to look around for that. That sounds like something I would like. And oh so much safer for my little manxie girl.

that's so frightening! ive always been afraid to burn candles with pets in the house. one xmas gift i got this year is cute and practical - a heavy metal and glass lantern to burn candles in, with a supposedly pet-proof latch on the glass door.

Oh wow that is scary!! Thankfully she's okay !! Jake always gets near my space heater and he sometimes knocks it down when he's chasing a toy and I'm scared he will catch on fire..

Oh, thank goodness she's ok, and thanks for sharing the story. I too have stopped with actually using candles since I got my cats. I'll have to look at some of those other options.

BTW, hope you are otherwise enjoying your new space, and best wishes for a happy, and calmer, new year.

Zebra did that once. Horrible smell.

I had a candle 3 feet in front of me, and Fred jumped up on the table where he was not allowed, caught his tail on fire, took off running through the house. Amazingly, he was not injured, and very little hair was lost. I only use jar candles now. Cat fires are scary!
I am glad your Shade is ok.

Thank you for sharing stroies and ideas for being safer.

The candle is in a jar. Just happened that it was still new and near the top.

I've changed things around some, put two big ceramic cats on the entertainment center with a couple things in the front so there doesn't look like any spot for kitty paws.

Be safe.

Originally Posted by CruiserMaiden

This is the very reason I have stopped burning candles completely!

Click to expand...

We still burn candles but only the kind embedded in jars. Despite this, Persi mananged to dunk his long bushy tail down inside and went running through the house with his tail smoking. This is apparantly not that rare of a thing to happen because they sell screw on screens for these types of candles so I assure you we will keep burning candles but this will never ever happen again!

Oh you had such a close call! I have a rule in the house, no candles. Just too dangerous!

Used to years ago, but left the house once and left one on. Total panic.

If I want pleasant air, I use plug ins.

I had no clue that they made things to keep animals safe from burning candles. With all my decorations on the top of my entertainment center again, she's busy checkin out her furniture and places that are much safer for her.

I'm thankful she doesn't have a tail... I have a long hair cat with a long fluffy tail (She lives with my bro). She would have all gone up if it were her. Shadey is a short hair manx. I've found that this is not as uncommon as I thought. I've also found that I know lots of people that something like this has happened to. It's odd to me. Thinking about what 'could have been' still makes my heart race, and makes me thankful that I learned my lesson as safely as I did. So her butt fur is a bit shorter on one side, and the tail on the tip of her stump looks like it has a bad fur cut. Her skin is fine, and she didn't seem traumatized.

I'm especially thankful for the great alternatives to just candles (I use only the ones in jars, but this one was new, and the flame wasn't IN the jar) I will have to go check some of these things out. I am especially interested in the warmer that a candle in a jar can be set on. What great ideas.

Shadey is a happy cat now. She's an only cat, not staying in a house with cats that don't belong to me, and no dogs. She has her two humans all to herself.

Originally Posted by MyRage

I am especially interested in the warmer that a candle in a jar can be set on. What great ideas.

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You can pick up the plate style warmers at your local Walmart in the candle department for about $5. You still have the risk of the candle getting knocked over and spilling hot wax, but no fire.

I also found this neat website that has a lot of interesting no-flame options for your candles: http://www.candlewarmers.com/