Cats owners often get worried for their beloved cats when they light up the candles in their homes because owners don’t know whether their cats can mess with candles and burn themselves or not. If you’re worried too, here’s everything you need to know!
Do Cats Mess With Candles? Cats are naturally curious animals. And, if your cat is young and she doesn’t know what fire is, then there are great chances that she will definitely mess with candles, just to know what exactly that thing is! And this can be dangerous for her as well as for your home.
Well, this isn’t all; there is much more you need to know before you light up the candles in your cat’s presence.
There could be some weird reasons why cats are obsessed with candles. Maybe your cat loves to stare at the candle flame and enjoy its unpredictable pattern.
Maybe your cat likes the scent of the candle, or maybe she loves the warmness of the candle that touches their special heat sensors around their face.
Reasons can be numerous; some of them may be far beyond our thoughts! But the most common reason “why cats are obsessed with candles” is because maybe your cats just wanted to knock over the candles, which you can see in the below-mentioned video, how all these cats are knocking on the candle for no real reason.
Maybe your cat has also done that; if not, she might will!
Will My Cat Go Near A Candle?
It depends on the cat’s behavior, meaning if your cats know very well that fire is dangerous, then she will probably detour going near candles or any other flame objects.
But if she has never encountered any fire object, then the possibilities are quite high that she will definitely go near a candle and even might try to touch it, just to see what it is felt like!
Cats are smart and curious animals, and if a cat burned his paw while trying to touch the candle, she might avoid going near it from next time. But if your feline luckily puts off the candle without getting a burn, she might go near the candle again, just to knock it off once more!
Can I Light A Candle Around My Cat?
Yes, you can, but you should only light them up when you have a well-behaved cat; or you have pet-safe candles that come with cages. So that your cat couldn’t get burned or accidentally knock the candle over and set your house on fire.
Remember, whenever you light any sort of candle, whether it is a pet-safe or any other candle around your cats. Make sure you observe your cat closely, mainly the tail you need to be cautious of because an open flame can be dangerous. So be safe than sorry!
Is It Safe To Light Candles Around Cats?
Usually, it is quite safe to light candles around cats or other pets in your presence. But accidents are unpredictable, which means any happy candle-lit movement can turn into a disaster with pets just in a few seconds.
So, why to take a chance; when you can use a pretty safer version of candles that are typically known as flameless candles. These candles are safe enough that you can light them up in front of your cat and even in your absence.
Flameless candles look almost as beautiful as any other candle, but they are safe as they are battery-powered lights that last for years, instead of flame that can only last for hours and can also burn your cat’s paw.
Can Cats Burn Themselves With Candles?
Undoubtedly they can, and not only themselves, but they can also turn your entire house on fire. However, when they get near candles, they usually end up burning their whiskers, which is also not good for them!
Whiskers are the most important and pretty useful part of a cat’s body. They are specialized hairs that help a cat to navigate its environment correctly.
Without whiskers, it’s hard for cats to estimate the size of anything, especially the opening, and because of that, they can easily get stuck in things like fences, stair gates, small holes, etc.
And not only that; without whiskers, it’s a little difficult for cats to run and walk straight. If a cat accidentally burns all their whiskers, it will take at least three months to grow back properly (functional), which is quite a long time for any cat!
Because without whiskers, it’s like you have blindfolded your cat for three months. So keep your cat away from the candles or flames.
Are Cats Flammable
No, they are not (and no live animals are flammable at all). But their hair or fur is a little flammable “as ours,” however, their hair produces very little fuel that the fire would only last a few seconds, which typically is not long enough or even closer to give cats any sort of skin burn.
Also, it completely depends on the cat’s fur. Simply because all cats have a different variety of hair, meaning some have short thick fur while others have long fluffy fur. Which generally means that some are quite more flammable than others. But still not that flammable to ignite skin.
Do Cat Put A Paw On A Candle
Surely they’ll do, and usually, they do this while trying to put out a burning candle. And this is not something that you should allow your cats to do, as it can cause some serious burns on paws, which is painful and takes quite a lot of time to heal.
So it’s better to keep candles out of your cat’s reach somewhere high on shelves where your cats will never reach. Or you better use fireless candles that run on batteries if you love candles in your home, as these are a safer version of cats for both your pets and kids.
Do Cat Put A Paw On Candle Wax
Not intentionally, but Yes, accidentally, they can while messing up with an unpredictable pattern of burning candles. But cats sometimes do put their paws purposely on wax warmers or flicks it with their paw due to their curious behavior.
And both candles and wax warmers can easily burn your cat’s paw if they make direct contact with it, as both products make a significant amount of heat that can cause burns.
It’s great not to get into these situations where your cat gets hurt themselves, so keep candles and wax warmers out of your cat’s reach.
How Do You Get Wax Off A Cat’s Paw?
Here we’ve mentioned some right methods as well as wrong methods to remove wax from the cat’s paws. The right ways are easy to do, plus good for your cat, while wrong ways can hurt your cat’s “paws and health” that you should never apply on your cats.
Cut the affected hair carefully using blunt tip scissors.
Heat the wax (be “careful” not to burn your cat paw), then wipe it out with a paper towel or comb it out.
Wash out affected hair with shampoo or conditioner.
Use oil to break down the wax, then massage it off.
Let the professional (groomer) do the job.
Here’s the wrong way! That you should never do.
Don’t let your cat get rid of wax herself. Not all candle wax is safe for cats if ingested.
Don’t use any other toxic ingredient such as mineral spirits (Goo Gone) or a citrus-based cleaner like Citra-Solv to remove wax. Because these kinds of things cause severe irritation if licked or swallowed.
Do Cats Hate Candles?
The answer could be “Yes” or “No!” No, because cats easily get excited when they see burning candles, and they get very close to it just to snuff it out with their paws. And Yes, because if a candle is made out of something that your cat doesn’t like, specifically essential oil scents, then she will hate the candle and wouldn’t go near it.
Do Cats Hate Scented Candles?
Cats do hate some scents! So Yes, they will probably hate the candle made out of the same scent. And this includes scents such as essential oils and phenolics, plus the strong-acidic scent of citrus fruits, like oranges, lime, lemon, and grapefruit.
If you are using candles that are made out of these scents, then the chance is great that your cat will go away from that place or room whatsoever.
What Candles Are Bad For Cats
Any candle made out of “paraffin” is harmful to your cat. Because when paraffin burns, it releases impurities like black soot and toxic fumes in the air, which can irritate your cat’s respiratory system and can cause harm.
Paraffine is not the only problem! Any candle, whether it’s a pet-safe or not, if not out of your cat’s reach or in a candle cage, can also pose a burn risk to your cats and your home, which is pretty dangerous than the irritation of the respiratory system.
That’s why it’s always advised to use a candle cage or keep the candle out of your kitty’s reach. Or use battery-operated candles.
