Safe alternate heating sources?

Weather forecasters are predicting that the next two weeks will be the coldest in at least 25 years, if not 50 years, for most of the east coast. As if we weren't cold enough already!

I am concerned about the possibility that we could lose heat during this time, due to power failure, blackouts from too many people using too much power, or furnace failure (I pray not!). I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a SAFE indoor alternate heat source to have on hand, just in case, so Tybalt and I and the cats don't freeze to death, literally.

Investigated those gel-fuel "ventless" fireplaces, and they sound too unsafe. They vent natural gas or propane into the room. While I am sure we could handle that with some precautions, it would be too risky with the cats. It takes far less fumes to harm or kill a cat than it does for a human.

Wondering about a wood burning stove. But how to keep the cats from trying to jump on it? One jump onto it while in use would kill a cat, or at least very severely burn it. What could we do to keep them away from harm?

Other than that, we'd just have to pile under all the covers we could find, including sleeping bags, the 2 of us and all 18 cats.

Any suggestions, hints, etc?

cat's won't go into a hot stove, and after the fire burns out, just put the grate across. Ours will lie on the top after it has cooled way way down, but we have never had the cats do anything other than lie right next to it on the floor.

I worry about my little monsters getting close to things. I know that neo burnt his fur alittle once when him and moe where fighting and I was trying to cook He was fine, just smelled bad for alittle while. I haven't really thought about losing heat, I guess me and rich should talk about that!

mom of ten those ventless hearters are safe or they wont't be selling them.I have a propane on and Ted was not sure about it .we haven't had any problems with it.Oh we had a wood stove for 9 years none of the cats ever jumped on it. and they do love to lay in frount of it.Now we have a pellet stove and they do not get hot on top.Maybe you could check into them ,we love ours.

We have a free standing wood stove and have used it when we lost power for days on end from ice storms. It heats the first floor of our house pretty nicely. We have 2 places where the cats are not allowed at any time - on the wood stove and on our cooking stove. A countertop encroachment gets a firm NO and a push off. A stove encroachment gets a screamed NO, smack and chased out of the room. It usually takes only once to keep them off when you limit your severe punishments to serious situations.

When it is hot, the cats will lay near it or even under it. Stumpy jumped on top once when he was a kitten, burned his paws slightly, then never jumped on it again. They do not approach it when the doors are open (we are there anyway to stop them).

Ventless is the way to go. We changed our fireplace to ventless and cats love it. They come and sit in front on a chair to warm up. I also have a detector for it (just like a smoke detector) that will beep if any bad fumes are produced. This is the 4th year and have had no beeps from the detector.
Clara