Cats are curious creatures. I was sewing away one day aware that the cat was on the table behind my sewing machine. Well a fast slap to that "thing" moving up and down secured her foot paw to the machine -- the needle caught her on the edge of her paw between her toes. Scared the heck out of me and her too. I carefully backed the needle back out and she scampered away. She now gives the sewing machine a wide berth!