Oh Wolflady, your comment......"the thud, thud, thud Ahhhhhhh! That's exactly what it sounded like!! Thankfully, (yes I DO thank God) I was in the laundry area when the "incident" occured!! For days I couldn't block out the thought....What if I had left the room??? It really was frightening and I couldn't forgive myself for the longest time! He came out a little frazzled and fuzzy (no fabric softener ) but okay!! And YES, he STILL loves to nest in there! I have to check, recheck, and check again before I turn it on!