Cats seem to be made of some kind of asbestos! We had a sweet old kitty when I was growing up. Our family cat had a litter and we ended up keeping the runt of the litter, a cute little white female who lived up until she was 21 - much more durable than her momma who died a few years after she was born. She used sleep on a floor gas furnace grille to be extra warm. She would get so hot I thought she would burst into flame but she did it for years and years with no ill effect. She was aptly named Frosty.

Another family Aby, Danté, "winters" in front of the fireplace. He frequently pushes on the screen (now wired shut!) with his nose to get closer to the fire.