But when Phoenix the kitten chose to snuggle down among the damp bedding in a tumble dryer, his decision nearly proved fatal.
Deryn De Temple had no idea that her daughter Elfie’s black cat was in the machine and switched it on.
The seven-month-old pet found himself trapped inside for 20 minutes as it revolved at high temperatures – until Mrs De Temple opened the door he tumbled out.
Phoenix was close to death when he was rushed to a vets last week but was allowed home just six days later after making a 'miraculous' recovery.
The house-cat suffered mild burns to most of his body and had ten times the normal amount of potassium in his blood, an effect of the extreme heat exposure during the spin cycle.
Owner Elfie De Temple, 17, of Arundel, West Sussex, said: 'When he came out of the dryer he looked like he had inhaled nerve gas - he was convulsing and spasming.
'I feel terrible. I think Phoenix has forgiven me though - he gave me a cuddle last night I'll never be able to forgive myself.'
After Phoenix was found Elfie's step-dad, Ron Cole, 58, researched what to do online, and discovered they should slowly try and lower his body temperature with cold water.
Deryn, 52, said: 'We did that for a few minutes and then rushed him to the vet. He barely looked alive at all, we were all so scared.
'The vets were fantastic. They put him on a drip and told us that the first few hours were the most crucial. Luckily he survived the night, and the next day he got a bit stronger.
'That happened for a few days, and on the sixth day, he was strong enough to be allowed home. He's still a bit poorly, but he seems to be getting back to normal.
'He walked up to the dryer, meowed loudly at it and then scampered off, so I think he's told the machine who's boss.'
Ron added: 'His kidneys shut down and he was unable to feed himself.
'He got so hot that his red blood cells started rupturing and he was unable to regulate his own body temperature. His recovery was miraculous. It was a real miracle - he went through hot hell and came out the other side.'
Vet Annette Moyart said: 'We were at the point of putting him to sleep when he came in. We had to pull out all the stops to save him.
'Cats like crawling inside dark places, like piles of clothes, tumble dryers or even ovens, and if they are hiding, they won't purr when disturbed.
'It's always best for cat owners to just give a quick check to make sure their pet isn't inside any household appliance before turning them on.'
(Daily Mail - Dec 12, 2013)
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