Cats and fireplaces

[ipitythefool]

My mrs moves in tomorrow with her cat and I have an open fireplace with a gas fire in it. However the fireplace is filthy as it's still an old chimney that looks as if it hasn't been swept since the 1800s.

I've looked at fireguards but many seem to be really cheap things designed to keep toddlers away from lit fires. Is there something like a fire screen I can get that would help?

[dan101smith]

We've got two cats and an open, wood burning fire. The cats don't go near it, even the kitten who doesn't know any different.

Personally, I wouldn't bother - anything you try to fence them off from will just become a challenge to be overcome!

[L4URA]

My cat used the fire guard to get a good footing to launch himself up the chimney! A good hot fire means he no longer wants to go up it.

[DamoLLb]

My cat will sit a couple of foot from the fire, the hairs melting on its head are warning enough to keep a distance.....I wouldn't worry

[stifler]

My cat goes nowhere near the fire.

Might have something to do with her sniffing a candle flame when she was a kitten.

[ali_kat]

Fence it off and the cat will be hellbent on getting in, leave it and all will be fine

[Scraggles]

leave it open, if the cat gets a face full of singed fur, it will either have the brains to not try it again

[Penny-lope]

I had two cats, and two open fireplaces...and never a problem

[Shaw Tarse]

ali_kat said:

Fence it off and the cat will be hellbent on getting in, leave it and all will be fine

If not you get the chimney swept

[ehonda]

ali_kat said:

Fence it off and the cat will be hellbent on getting in, leave it and all will be fine

or,
Leave it open and the cat will be up it like a rat up a drainpipe, stick a fire guard in place and the cat will look and then decide it's too much bother to work out a way around it.

That's my experience, anyway.

[DamoLLb]

ehonda said:

ali_kat said:

Fence it off and the cat will be hellbent on getting in, leave it and all will be fine

or,
Leave it open and the cat will be up it like a rat up a drainpipe, stick a fire guard in place and the cat will look and then decide it's too much bother to work out a way around it.

That's my experience, anyway.

are you a cat?

[215cu]

Nice open fireplace here, two cats and will not go anywhere near it.

Get a decent fire guard as an extra deterrent if needs must.

However, if you could let me know how to stop my cats running up the 30ft conifer in the front garden and getting stuck - much obliged.

[ali_kat]

Shaw Tarse said:

ali_kat said:

Fence it off and the cat will be hellbent on getting in, leave it and all will be fine

If not you get the chimney swept

Shame mine have never bothered with any of our three fireplaces even without a fire in the grate, I think they could do with a sweeping

[ipitythefool]

Scraggles said:

leave it open, if the cat gets a face full of singed fur, it will either have the brains to not try it again

I probably should have added to my OP that the fire is on about 3 times a year.

[RDMcG]

Never had the problem with cats and fireplaces, but years ago we had anthracite central heating with a large boiler in the kitchen. It used to get very hot on the top and the cat would lie on it. It was a black cat but eventually developed scorch marks on one side fronm the heat...........

[cottonfoo]

One of mine has tried to get up the chimney, took me two hours to tidy up the living room (plus wherever he went afterwards, including his vomit on the kitchen floor).

He still walks past and looks up in wonder, he'd pawed the guard out of the way. We put a weight on it when we go out now

Oh I should add, this was when the fire was out. They don't go near it when there are flames and heat there.

Edited by cottonfoo on Thursday 26th February 15:27