aurora77, we have a cat too and he came a few times to check out the candles but didn’t get too close. If we have to leave the house at night and the candles are still burning, we close him in a bedroom.
my husband calls him a yeshivishe cat because he is black and white – the top of his head is black (black yarmulka) and his back is black too (black jacket) but his face and belly is white (white shirt) 🙂
pets are a special gift from Hashem to those of us who love them!