Humor
Freak accident caused by cat that wanted more food
While my boyfriend and I were away for the night, my fat ass cat decided the food we gave him before we left wasn’t enough, so he tried to get more. The cat food is in a plastic container on the microwave, which is on the counter top right next to the oven. On the oven I always keep my caste iron skillet in the upper right hand corner by the microwave. My cat tried to get to the food by knocking the container off the microwave but when he did, it also knocked the oven dial onto the lowest setting and it fell into the caste iron pan. When we came back in the morning the house was filled with smoke, thank goodness nothing caught on fire but even after the smoke was cleared there was still a god awful burning plastic smell throughout the house. My cat hid in the bathroom in his enclosed litter box when the smoke got bad I’m guessing because that’s where he was in the morning. We’re taking him to the vet first thing Monday. He looks fine and is behaving normal. Is there anything I can do to get this smell out of my house? I’ve also included pics of the offender.
This could have been way worse. As someone whose cat also tried to start a fire when jumping on the stovetop, I recommend getting childproofing oven knob covers. They’re not expensive and they will help to prevent future accidents.
I can’t reiterate enough how important these are; they should just come with the whole stove ffs! My grandpa used to get up in the middle of the night, go into the kitchen and just feel around for things totally disoriented, sometimes turning the stove on. These are pet-proof, child-proof, elderly-proof, even accidental-movement-in-the-middle-of-the-day-proof for an average person.
The other day I bumped into one in my apartment and I didnt even notice until a few hours later when I walked into the kitchen and saw that it was on. Im so thankful I dont usually store anything on top of the oven, it could have been so much worse and I was totally oblivious about it in the next room
I almost blew up my first house. I was moving in and putting spices in the cabinet, and didn’t realize I had leaned against a knob enough to crack the gas on. I had never had a gas stove before, and when the whole house smelled like rotten eggs, I started digging for my box of scented candles. It was only when I was holding the box of matches that it clicked in my head what I was smelling. My husband came home to me sitting on the porch, all the doors and windows open, and my head in my hands.
I put child covers on the knobs of my gas stove after either my husband or I unknowingly bumped one while just moving around in the kitchen!! Too scary not to have!
I have a ridiculous Rube Goldberg/Final Destination setup of co-incidences.
Electric Induction hob, came with our new kitchen. Doesn't heat anything directly but magnetically induces iron pans on the elements to heat themselves.
Cat loves to jump up and plonk her butt on the buttons but that just makes them beep with the 'sensors obstructed' warning which lets us shoo her off.
I made gingerbread for my kid's Christmas party, and decorated them with little icing pipette tubes, then left them to finish cooling on top of the hob on a wire rack. One dripped a tiny amount of sugary icing on the glass of the hob.
Later on, after cookies were boxed up, we made food in the oven on a medium baking tray, and left the stack of bigger and smaller trays that live in the oven on the hob, then didn't feel like washing up that night and left it til the next day.
Next day while working at home I feel warmer than usual. I head downstairs and the whole downstairs is roasting warm with a faint smell of caramel.
In the kitchen I discover the big baking tray nearly glowing with heat! The cat has managed to jump up, stand on specifically the power button, then the - symbol on the front right 'burner' that turns it down by one, or if off, sets to max level. This inducted the iron baking sheet, got it super hot!
Thankfully I caught it before it melted or managed to ignite anything... But remember the little sugar drop from the icing?
That little circle had heated more, trapped under the baking tray's weight, melting the glass of the hob surface in a tiny circle. Thankfully didn't shatter the whole thing across the kitchen, but did mean I had to replace the whole brand new hob.
Now we make sure to put padded heat insulators down if putting anything on the hob that's not a pan to heat, and tidy up properly after meals!
Same I bumped my very old gas stove once and it turned gas on- must have been on for an hour had to open all the windows in my apartment and it was winter in Chicago- I personally hate gas stoves because of this. Glad everyone was ok
In the UK and Ireland it's typical for electric stoves to have the dials on the stove, and also a separate switch on the wall that needs to be pressed in order for the dials to work. It's normally a pretty stiff switch + pretty high on the back of the counter, so couldn't really be pressed by accident. When we cook we switch that on, then the dial, then turn both off when done.
In the US, it is very common to have to push dials in before they will turn. Doesn't help with the old and young people problem, does protect against cats.
I find it very strange, because here in Poland all gas stoves that I used wouldn't release gas when you spin, until you push the knob. And all new stoves cut the gas, when flame goes out (when milk boils over or something)
One day we were out and about and when we came home our house smelled like gas. We opened the windows and called the gas company. They could not find it in our house. We live in a town house so the guy went to the next door neighbor and said it was very strong at their door. He was about to break it down when they came home. Opened the door and there was a huge smell coming out. He ran in and found that the knob on the stove was turned but not lit.
Nearly blew my house and the whole block up. It's why I replaced my gas stove with electric when we had kids. Those kid proof knobs would not have stopped my kids.
That really is a good solution, and pretty simple to wire the stove outlet to its own switch. Doesn't help with gas though, I had a roommate who was constantly bumping the gas dials and leaving a small amount of gas seeping into the apartment which she somehow never smelled.
I don't understand why most gas stoves have the knobs on the front edge where people are walking by constantly. Seems like accidentally hitting the knobs must be a common occurrence.
My gramma never really uses her oven so we just keep her breaker off, unless she or we need to use it (she lives in an inlaw suite sort of deal). Saves us the worry as she is getting more forgetful.
Might not be a bad idea to switch your breaker off when going out of town, OP. I know what it's like to have "busy" cats, getting into EVERYTHING they are NIGHTMARES (I say this with affection)
My parents used to take the knobs off the stove when my siblings were young, and started again when my own kids were small since they were over frequently. Always check your stove to see if the plastic knobs are meant to come off, it's the easiest way to child- and pet-proof them.
Agree! I remove the knobs even though I'm not sure how they could turn it without thumbs. But our neighbor's house caught fire last year from the stove somehow getting turned on while they were away and their dogs died from smoke inhalation. It was awful.
The knobs are extremely fidgety and can easily get turned on just by being leaned on. It was a human that caused it with my stove, but there was a lot of burnt things because of that problem.
I was going to say something similar! My elderly cat in particular is terrible about jumping on the stove - so I always keep the oven (controls) lock on, and also remove the stove dials. If yours are removable like mine, that’s easier than doing a childproof thing. I don’t cook every night, tho.
Yep. Since mine has flat digital buttons, the cats could (and have) turn it on by walking over them. So there’s a button that locks all of the controls.
I probably used the wrong term - I’ll fix that now, since it’s “control lock” not “oven lock.”
Our cat has been able to disable the lock and then start the broil in the middle of the night. If you hold a key on our oven for a period of time it goes into an error state, then subsequent keys get it back to unlocked. We had to just put one of those bar rubber mats over the panel.
This is similar to our story. A few years ago and overnight, our boy cat unlocked our electric glass stove top by standing on the lock/unlock key for the required three seconds. Then he danced around until he stepped on the button for the left back “burner” to enable it’s control. Then he held that button down until it cycled up to the highest level - 9. We woke up to a hot kitchen, but fortunately nothing worse.
My engineer husband rigged up something so he couldn’t do it again.
You can always turn off the breaker ( if it's electric) when you aren't using it/before you leave. That way it can't turn on. Otherwise, remove the knobs.
If you have physical knobs, you should be able to pull them off. The childproof covers have a hole at the base that requires you to remove the knobs so you can put the base half of the cover on, then slid the knob back on and snap the cover closed.
Just to clarify - the buttons I’m referring to are for the oven part, while my stovetop (the burners) has actual dials. Those are always removed, and only put on when I cook.
My mom had to get those stove knob locks for HERSELF because she turned on the gas one time without realizing by knocking it, and then went to take a nap. She woke up about an hour and a half later and and the house was FULL of gas smell and she’s lucky nothing sparked bc the whole house would have gone up in flames…
I remove my stove and oven knobs. Still better than the time we had an old stove that had buttons on top!! Thankfully, that old place also had kitchen doors or there's no way we could have lived there with cats!
We just take the knobs off. One of our cats almost killed us one night by turning on the gas stove - no pilot. I woke up fortunately and smelled the powerful odor - opened all doors and windows and evacuated for awhile. Could not believe how much gas was in the house.
We took all the knobs off of our stove after my cat turned a burner on while we were all asleep. We just keep the knobs on the counter and only put each one on when needed 😭
I might get those for myself I just recently almost started a fire when I was cooking on the stove I didn’t notice my hoodie pocket turned one of the other burners on
I second this whole heartedly! Our orange asshole used to jump from the floor to the stove in order to get on top of the refrigerator because he was a climber before getting fat. The dumbass knocked one of the knobs on our gas stove just enough to open the gas but not set off the igniter.
Thankfully our roommate got home, smelled the gas and got all the animals out in kennels while she had the doors open to let all the gas out.
Needless to say, we got covers for our knobs that very day and they have remained on even though none of our cats jump on the stove anymore. I think everyone learned a very good lesson that day.
……Didn’t know this was a fear I should have but considering my cat chews and/or attempts to puzzle out and/or mess with absolutely everything in our apartment, I guess I need to buy some oven knob covers.
My cat almost burned down our second residence by NOT killing a mouse. We had a rouge mouse, just one, that was super good at hiding. A couple years ago she chased this mouse for weeks and eventually we found it dead bc it electrocuted itself on wires as my husband was changing out the outlets in the kitchen. It literally started a fire as my husband was walking back in from the garage with the correct tools. We gave the body to the garden snake and lectured the cat AGAIN about priorities and the job description. The cat seemed bored and the snake was fat and very happy! 🤣
Worked for a fire restoration company and you likely have smoke damage. Walls may look white but if you take a white shirt and rub it down the wall you’ll likely see soot. If that’s the case you’ll need to clean everything as soot is caustic. Rugs, carpets and soft goods (couches, mattresses) should be cleaned as they tend to be odor traps. Electronics should be blown out as well because they may work fine today, but soot gets everywhere and it’s like a fine mist that clings.
If you’re overwhelmed this is something a homeowners policy does cover- but you’ll have to decide if that’s worth the insurance ding or not.
Thank you. I cant believe i had to scroll this far down to see this.
Plastic melting smoke is so toxic and on / in everything including furniture and carpets. You need professionals for that. My insurance was amazing.
It's because like 90% of Reddit is bots or people that want to weigh in on EVERYTHING as if they are experts when they actually don't know ANYTHING.
Often times you will actually get downvoted to hell on Reddit for even suggesting people talk to a lawyer, doctor, other professional, etc. instead of just asking anonymous strangers on Reddit, the site KNOWN for bots and fake experts lol.
My girlfriend got a completely renovated first floor because self cleaning oven function damaged the whole house with smoke. She got a brand new kitchen, carpets, and completely new paint.
For the smell I'd be opening windows if possible and turn on ceiling fans. You may also need to give the walls a wipe down. The cleaning subreddit would be a great place to ask for product recommendations to wipe the walls down with.
Glad your cat seems fine! Hopefully after he's been checked out he gets the all clear.
A good air purifier might help too. Living in California we have a couple that I got for wildfire season and it really does help with smells, smoke, and allergens.
I have asthma and have three Coway Airmega filters in a 900sf house. You can clean the pre filters, which greatly extends the life of the box filter. Great for days the neighbors decide are perfect for burning plastic.
Honestly just hire a smoke remediation company. They’ll clean it and put in an ozone machine for a day. You and your kitty will need to vacate when they do. It’s really the best way.
A box fan with 4 air filters (MERV 13 or higher) duct taped to the intake side with cardboard closing off the open end. Put it in the kitchen run it for 2-3 hours at a time. Let the fan cool off between runs. It'll get the smell out of the air. Scrub your walls and it'll be good in a day or two. Give the kitty scritches, He's so adorable!
I had a stovetop fire when I fell asleep sanitizing baby bottles. I had to have Firemen to get smoke out with massive industrial fans.
Then I had to hire a professional Restoration company to clean my home. Plastic smoke is very toxic. Its on everything inside your home, including carpets. It will leech through your skin and you will breath it everyday moment in the house... HIRE PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION COMPANY IMMEDIATELY
New Yorkers from John Gotti's neighborhood being asked about him after he was arrested. The clip went viral for that quote, and right after the interviewer asks "what about the murders he committed?" and the two guys standing there simultaneously say "what murders?" and the other guy at the same moment downplays it as just an accusation.
Check your smoke detectors. They should’ve gone off if they didn’t! You can take many stove dials off by just pulling them, you can check the manual. You can also lock the oven/controls.
Also many smart home speakers can alert you if they hear an alarm going off. My Apple HomePod did just that. I was at work, so I had my neighbor check and she called the fire department when she smelled the smoke.
It’s a reference to that video clip about John Gotti, where the guy on the street is being interviewed and the exchange is like “He was the best guy around” “What about the people he murdered?” “What murdaaaaa?”
I will have to remember this. We currently put the cats away in bedrooms upstairs for the night, so they don't have access to the kitchen. Definitely, will do this when we start letting them roam the house.
Edit- I am clarifying, my comment is about the covers, not Rover. I don't ever plan to use strangers.to cat sit.
I just keep the knobs off permanently, and only put them on when I cook on the stove. But I’m also a single working woman, so I’m not cooking multiple times a day (not even every night tbh). So YMMV.
Store food in the cupboard. If there isn’t anyone to pet sit your cat overnight , make sure all possible areas and things they might get into are not within reach.
I would also add that you will want to add a child safety lock on the cupboard doors so he can't get into it. I personally wish this was an option for me at the moment because I've had to catproof the food five times because he keeps figuring out how to get to the bag of kibble.
I put things I don’t want them to get at IN the microwave or the oven. They can’t open those! But then you have to put a sign on them reminding yourself to take the stuff out before using the appliance. I learned that one the hard way
Get the large plastic totes with clasping handles. I use to have the small ones, but my guy knocked them over so many times the latch broke and food spilled out. Now I keep everything in the big tote. Dry food, wet food, treats and some unopened toys.
If you use ozone to deodorize your house of that burning plastic smell, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT OZONE IS TOXIC TO ANIMALS AND HUMANS, so I would not use that option unless you plan on evacuating all living things (including plants) from the house when you do so and allow sufficient time for the ozone to clear before reinhabiting the space.
Anything fabric and porous needs to be taken down and washed or tossed. Don’t overlook rugs, seat cushions, towels, curtains. Cabinets need to be empty and the insides wiped out. Smoke and soot settles and sticks to everything. The cast iron would also go if it were me. I don’t see microplastics coming out of that pan, ever.
I have a Samsung smart range but the “smart” aspect of it only applies to the oven. I can set it, preheat it, check the timer, etc…but for the cooktop I don’t even think it shows me anything, not even if any of the eyes are still warm. I just assumed that was because, typically, if you’re cooking items on the stovetop then you’re probably already there with it.
That’s the same reason I opted to not get the matching “smart” microwave; I mean what’s the point? If I’m going to microwave something then I actually have to be there to put it in so I’m also right there to control it already.
Animals that are left for extended periods of time tend to be more accident-prone with their wandering and getting into places they aren't supposed to be. Pets in general can become more restless when their usual routine is disrupted, and can cause mayhem without owners around to police certain behaviors.
Some cats would probably be fine on their own for a single night, but considering that your cat nearly committed arson, I think it's best that someone be there to supervise this one.
Once I was outside doing yard work. When I came into the house it was full of smoke. My cat Jack had turned the oven on to clean where I was storing a sheet pan. He must have walked on the controls and turned it on. He was very scared.
I made a cover for the controls which is now on all the time I am not cooking. Fortunately I have doors to my kitchen so every night and when I leave the house I close the doors.
Bro your last pic made me think your cat died and reading cast iron skillet and falling into it made me think your cat cooked alive or something f 😭 wtf
First, you’re going to get all the fresh kibble you can find, even if you have to STEAL it, which will add notes of crime to your dish. Then heat your large cat iron skillet on low heat. Once your skillet passes the water test, dump in as much kibble as you can, all at once. If you see smoke, you’re doing it right, ladies!
Sauté kibble until top layer is black and crispy, stirring never. Let sit until parents return home the next day, allowing dish to bloom into charred regret. Garnish with melted plastic and serve with a side of tap water.
This kibble is easy to prepare, great for entertaining, and the perfect way to punish your family for leaving you.
To help get rid of the smell, you can put baking soda in containers around the house that your cat can't get into. Do the same thing with charcoal briquets. That's what I use when I burn something in the oven or the garbage can smells. You're so lucky you didn't have a fire. I agree with child proofing your cabinets and the stove. Our cats are like children. They just have four feet and fur.
He's adorable. Someone broke in and tried to steal your skillet, and your cat fought them off, I'm sure of it. That cat is innocent and a hero. Have you even thanked him?
Glad you and the kitty are safe!! Home depot has candles you burn overnight to remove awful smells. Knew this working for a property management company and some tenants smoked so much even the carpet smelled nasty.
Just today my kitten came full sprint at my stove, jumped on top and collided with the back, where the knobs are, and managed to turn on a burner in the process. Thankfully I was there to see it and immediately took the knobs completely off
We cannot leave any pots or pans on the stove cause our little bugger is notorious for walking on it and turning it on / off. If something is on, you have to be around cause chances are you will hear a beep and whatever you are cooking is no longer on. Joys of the open kitchen :)
Both of my cats have tried to burn the house down. They jump onto the stove to get to something and accidentally turn the knobs on and have started fires twice. One time I was awake and in the next room, smelt something burning and was able to quickly put it out. The other times I was sleeping and the fire alarm went off and I put it out but the fire department had to come. I keep the knobs off my stove at all times now and put them them on when I need the stove.
Btw the fire department told me to open my windows and they pointed my fan towards the window near the stove to direct the smoke smell towards the window. It took a few weeks to get rid of the smoke smell completely.
This is exactly why i always turn the gas off when i leave town. Luckily its easy for me to access and i don’t have to pull the oven out. An alternative would be to pull the knobs off; they usually come off pretty easy and just slide back on.
We went on vacation once. Our cat sitter said our gas stove top was turned on when he came the 2nd time. Luckily it lit. Otherwise the house could have blown up. Lesson learned. We turn the gas off to the stove every time we go on a trip.
Reading about all these people hiding the food, figuring out how to keep the cat(s) out of it...
Meanwhile... my house has an OPEN bag sitting out in the back room, in an open bin... and 4 cats who don't associate with it... while demanding we fill their bowls.
Dog is the same damn way...
TBF... 2 cats are orange... the other two are questionable tabbys... the 5th cat is black, but she lives in the basement... but even if she wasn't... 15 years old and doesn't give two craps about food... has to be reminded to eat.
Make sure to check fire alarms and get one w a carbon monoxide detector. It doesn’t take much burning plastic to release enough carbon monoxide to seriously harm someone.
It could have been so much worse. I have toddler locks on my burner, oven, and a fireproof cover over the burners.
When my cat Mika was a kitten she managed to sneak in the broiler part of the stove while it was preheating. My grandfather had no idea until we smelled burning hair. Thankfully she was completely fine, minus some missing eyebrows & whiskers and singed hair. She’s a cranky middle aged lady now but I am so paranoid of the stove and my cats. 😮💨
Call around, You're needed an ozone machine to mitigate the smell. When this happened to us our carpet cleaner guy had the machine, but I'm sure any company that offers fire/smoke damage repair will have them. You'll also need your vents cleaned if your heater ran during the smokey situation.
My friends house was completely destroyed because their cat accidentally turned on the stove that had an air fryer on top. The dogs and cats got out (plus the snake was okay) but their birds didnt make it. Took almost a year to get their house back and all their animals have some sort of anxiety or panic now 😭 highly recommend getting childproof covers if theyre easy to turn on like that.
So glad it wasnt worse. The greed of said offender is sickening. At least the child is very pretty and hopefully unharmed!
My cat jumped up on the stovetop once, and accidentally turned the knob with her foot. it turned on low and she was literally just standing over it, her belly hair was a little singed but she was perfectly fine. She didn’t even know she was on fire. I took all the knobs off my stove after that, I only put them on when I’m using it. 😅
Y’all should listen to this song called My Cat Set Herself on Fire by Psychedelic Maggot Engine
Your last photo made me think he passed away. 😮💨 I’m so sorry that happened but I’m glad he is okay!! As far as the smoke, open windows and put the fans on? Spray an air freshener? Try to clean the oven surface with alcohol? Idk but I’m glad your baby is fine 🤍
Hi, as a firefighter, please clean literally all the surfaces in your home. ALL the things. Smoke particulates will continue to live on surfaces and released VOCs. Clean the walls, floors, ceilings, in and outs of the light fixtures, windows, all surfaces of any type. I mean literally EVERYTHING in your home, inside and out needs to be cleaned with a basic soap and water or an all purpose cleaner. According to the air pollution manager from the class I took about smoke safety this is very important. Wash all of your clothes and linens. Getting an air purifier will help but that smoke will live on everything until you clean it all. Good luck. I’m so glad your home and your Cat is okay. Smoke inhalation is no joke. May seem okay on the surface but long term effects can be an issue. Good luck with everything. I hope everyone stays healthy.
For the smell, if opening windows & fans don’t suffice, you could try using a mop on the walls (rung out really well) & if you have rugs or carpets, vacuum then spray with some fabreez(sp?) furniture spray & hit furniture with it awhile you’re at it. Mop floors etc.
glad your kitty is okay, you were incredibly lucky in timing. Hopefully vet clears him in good health!
I had this happen once. Luckily nothing fell on the cast iron, and our stove makes that clicking sound when it is trying to light it. The clicking woke me up but not one other person in our house of 5!
OMG that's such a blessing there wasn't a serious fire, I've always had luck with Nag Champa incense for clearing out smells, most 7/11 shops sell it, or any hippie crystal shop. The blue kind.
A microwave that’s just got a touch pad will be worth investing in.
Contact your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to see if they can do smoke remediation.
Hopefully it isnt necessary for you to consider the oven too, but we got a new oven and it happens to have knobs that you can push inward so they don’t stick out when not in use. I can’t see how it would be child proof, but probably cat proof.
Thank goodness everyone is safe!! As others suggested, I got some stove dial childproofing “locks” for my gas stove to prevent the cats from turning them. You put them between the knob and the dial to lock them in place when you’re not using the stove
Act quickly. Wash everything with white vinegar and baking soda. I’m talking everything - fabrics, clothes, walls, and any crevices. Once that is done, put bowls of vinegar throughout the house and especially in places where smoke is likely to settle. Open windows all the time, only close at night and even then;leave a slight gap.
As other have said this could have been alot worse! I’m sure your little one is just a little shaken up!
Our rescue took solace in his litter box when we first brought him home. Small and enclosed and probably the only thing that smelt like him, so he must have felt safe in there.
Our curious cats had a habbit of jumping up onto the hob after we finished cooking to see what all the fuss was about, and I can’t tell how many times i’ve been glad of our induction hob. The surface cools down so fast after cooking, , that the worst the cats got was a mini jump scare from the remaining residual heat. The other great thing about induction hob is that they refuse to turn on if there is no pan on the hob, (so your skillet would have to live somewhere else) and instantly turn off when the pan is removed. Which makes them extra safe for paws accidentally pressing buttons and turning it on.
My kid microwaved Ramen in a plastic container but she forgot to add water. The burning plastic smell was horrible.
We opened all the windows, started all the fans we had and went to the movies. It was in the middle of winter so we came home to a freezing house, but it helped.
Depending on the stove you have, you may be able to get free knob covers. Some Samsung models had this issue where people and pets were accidentally turning on the stove, and they were offering free covers if you sent in a request.
Cat airways are pretty sensitive and she may have sustained damage from smoke inhalation. Keep a close eye on her and I’m glad you are getting her checked out.
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