The cat probably senses that there will be heat coming from the stove! We used to have a yellow tabby that always sat in front of the old tin wood heater we had in the bedroom when Dad was preparing the heater. He would put in some kindling, then a little kerosene for a 'starter', and then larger pieces on the kindling.
One morning the cat sat there watching Dad. Dad got a little too much kerosene on the wood. He would wait for a few minutes before lighting the fire. He had the front 'flap' open and the cat was about 3 feet from the opening, looking in. Dad dropped the match into the top of the heater and 'whoosh'. Fire flashed out and singed the cat's hair enough that it smelled in the room for several minutes after Dad opened the window to let the scent out. The cat ran under the bed! Dad dove under the bed to make sure that the cat wasn't on fire and cause the bed to catch fire. Quite an exciting episode! The cat showed no ill effects from the event except for its hair being a little black on the ends. We inspected its eyes for damage, but found none. Lucky cat! Yes, he still sat and watched the fire being built after that.
