I'm not sure if this is more of a cat question than a snake question but...

As I state on the many... many threads I have made for various pre-cautionary questions, I'm about to get my first ball python. I have a bit of an obsessive disorder, so I tend to insanely obsess over things I don't necessarily have to. Like, after I was in a bad wreck (that didn't even involve a traffic light) I've developed an insanely intense fear/anxiety about green lights turning to yellow. As soon as any stoplight comes into my line of sight I begin to obsess over whether it will turn yellow, and how I could stop.

My fear of absolutely anything that could endanger a future snake is about the same. Most topics can be easily settled with "you're getting the wrong thermostat" and a hella lot of "don't use tape".

However, my biggest fear is something that can't really be 100% determined. We have a cat, spends about 50/50 indoor and outdoor. Like most outdoor cats, he hunts lizards and mice and such. He even tried to attack a rattlesnake once (to which we swooped in and prevented him from confronting it xD).

My family thinks it's much less of a problem as I do. I have no clue how desperate the cat will be to get to the snake - even curiosity to could be deadly as my terrarium (Exo-Terra... I'm in college, no way i could afford a PVC) has a screen top that would collapse under the weight of my cat should he decide to jump up and investigate. I don't even know if I could carry my snake out of my room without it potentially trying to jump up and kill it.

Does anybody own a snake AND a cat? If so, has your cat ever posed a threat to it, or maybe even has anyone had a snake who died by a cat's paws(?) in the past?

Keeping my door closed when I'm not home is an option but my family comes into my room a lot and they may forget to close it when I'm not home. I also leave my door open when doing chores (as I'm in and out) and the cat sometimes comes in. Basically, how obsessed over this should I be? Is it cause for this much worry is it another traffic light situation where it isn't as bad as my brain thinks it is?