Glad to know that of the thread and cats. My stray comes in at times but is content to be on a small rug just outside the door or on another near me, but away from the machine. I suppose its because she is not used to being an inside cat. She loves the outside and just comes in for visits!

My two cats aren't allowed in my sewing room. I worry about the thread as we had to put one cat down at 2 years old for a second intestinal blockage. Plus, we have guests that are somewhat allergic to cats and I want the guest room as allergan free as possible.

My vet told me that it is more common then most people know. Most of the time the cat will die from some sort of mysterious ailment. He called it linear obstruction, if I remember correctly.
I think Hannibal was just a very curious and playful kitten. He was into everything. Super playful. He was a strictly indoor cat and would wear you out wanting attention.

I think it depends on the cat.

Twink was an absolute brat about chewing threads on the machine - especially the serger. Even when I covered the machine, he did his best to get to the threads and chew them.

Bear has never bothered any of the thread. He does like to "supervise" when I'm using the rotary cutter, though, so I have to watch for paws. And he likes to lay on the fabric as I'm trying to sew it.

I love my cats dearly but my sewing room is TABOO, Verbotin, Forbidden, do not enter, NO CATS ALLOWED. Partially for fear of what happened with Katia and her Maine Coon. I was a cat fancier long before I was a sewer and also have heard how often cats and kittens will eat thread and swallow needles that causes fatal intestinal blockage. I had a Norwegian Forest Cat that loved the thread and would take it off my sewing machine and string it about the house. One time he had taken the thread from my spool holder all the way downstairs and wrapped it around furniture while managing not to unthread the machine nor break the thread. When I came home and discovered my thread festooned house I totally freaked wondering if he had swallowed any or worse yet found a threaded needle. Then one of my ragdoll cats decided he wanted to be up on the ironing board when the iron was on. He jumped up and it sent the iron flying off and crashing to the floor with the cat near by and me freaking out at how close I had just come to a disaster. Had the iron hit my baby it could have killed him. It was then I made my sewing room off limits, complete with sign on the door that says "all kitties welcome" :lol: (the sign went up before the room became off limits to felines). My thread cat has since passed on and none of my current crew seems interested in thread, however the closed off sewing room has a very alluring attraction because it is forbidden. It is only the ragdoll that had the iron incident that really caterwauls about coming in and only when I am in there and he is not, any other time he could care less about that room. The rest are fine about it. I do have my hand quilting sewing out where it can be gotten to and no one pays attention. And with 4 longhaired cats and 1 shorthaired I have cat hair on everything. Every hand quilting session starts with a dehairing session because my handquilting is in the living room. But hair also manages to find its way into the sewing room as well.

I have a sewing room cat. He is usually curled up in a pile of fabric or the scrap basket. I have never seen him eating thread or fabric bits but I make a point of keeping them picked up before I leave the room. I have to be sure the spools of thread are not left sitting out because he will play with those. Pet hair on my project doesn't bother me. I rather it be on fabric I can wash then on the furniture I can't.

I have four cats and as my WHOLE HOUSE is my sewing room (much to my poor husbands dismay!) I can't keep the cats off!! Or the two dogs!

HOWEVER - I have had cats all my life and haven't had a thread eater. Thread players, sleepers on projects but I am now warned - I will wathch out for the threads - I couldn't bear to loose a cat (or dog) like that.

The four I have now are not in the slightest bit interested in my sewing - on the machine, they all want to sit on my knee while I handsew of course!!!

Cats/Sewing - sewing/Cats - what a choice!!!!!

Katia - that story is heartbreaking! :cry:

As someone who is allergic to cats I find I'm always getting sick. Either I am over at a friends and they have cats who hang out in their sewing room or I am given a bag of fabric scraps (I'm a collector!) and it's covered in cat hair and I end up sick. For those who don't allow their cats in their sewing room, trust me, there are those of us who are very appreciative! (You notice I don't let my getting sick keep me from going to quilt bees or accepting fabric. ;) )

My dog isn't allowed in my sewing room, which is in my basement. I'll leave the door upstairs open and he sits at the top, feet hanging over the first step and head lying on his front paws as he stares down into the forbidden room. If the door is shut, he knows there isn't another exit and he will lay across it, which means I have to bump him to get it open. No sneaking past him! :lol:

I have six cats, but Molly is the one who wants to be in my room when I am there. She has been known to jump directly in the middle of the hoop, and then look at me with that innocent face.

My cat is not allowed, I sell online, and don't want cat hair all over everything.