Ask GoVacuum: What can I use to vacuum my cat?
I would like to get a small vacuum to use on the cat. I have used my big vacuum with a long hose and a soft brush on the end on the cat and that was acceptable to the cat 
so I would like to get a small QUIET hand held one that wouldn’t freak the cat out. I tried a Shark? one that was advertised as quiet but it was everything except quiet! Obviously I only need one with fairly low suction, don’t want the cat stuck to it.. /Peter
Dear Peter,
Well, believe it or not, you probably already found the best handheld vacuum for your needs. There are a few quieter ones, but they are also somehow much stronger, and would probably only serve to anger your cat. As an alternative, I recommend something that is sort of an in-between option: the Sanitaire SC3683A. It’s not a full-sized vacuum, and is meant more for quick and easy kitchen clean-ups, in the car, etc. That means it won’t be as loud as a full-sized beast, nor will it be as strong. It has a very light touch, especially when used with the brush attachment. Plus, since it has a longer hose than comes with most standard uprights, you can place the machine on the ground away from the cat and bring just the hose and brush attachment near. That’s gotta be way less intimidating than even a small and quiet handvac (the loud motor is that much further away) and less suction and noise than a full-sized vacuum. Especially useful is the variable suction control — if kitty starts complaining, you can just turn it down a notch and keep cleaning. After you’re done, it’s actually useful as a regular vacuum for cleaning around the house, around the litter box, in the garage, in your cat’s car, etc. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes with Princess.
And for the other readers out there who don’t believe Peter is actually vacuuming his cat, Peter was kind enough to send us a link to a video of Princess being vacuumed. Enjoy!
Liz W. said,
September 7, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
I think that your vacuum cleaners are superb, but to vacuum a cat - Wow!. I’ll have to try it on my kitty.
You should use Princess to advertise on TV to see how versatile your vacuum is!
GoVacuum said,
September 8, 2006 @ 11:33 am
Thanks for your comment, Liz! (You’re our first, and I’m SO excited)
I should point out that Peter has been click-training his cat, and that he mentioned that it took him about 15 days to get her trained enough to be able to handle the vacuuming. So, you should definitely use caution when trying to vacuum your cat. I get the impression that it’s a long and delicate process. You can learn more about Princess at her website: http://www.princessclick.com/
Also, my brother thinks I should clearly state: “No cats were harmed in the writing of this post. And probably not in the making of that video.”
Patricia said,
September 20, 2006 @ 2:28 pm
I think thats great that Peter has trained his cat to be vacuumed. I have 5 cats and own a hand vac that I use daily for the furniture and anything else that needs it, but as far as using it on my cats, I don’t think soooo. I also work for a rescue organization (Joeys Feline Friends) and they have about 3 hundred cats all have been dumped of left when owners move. Many have medical conditions that are being taken care of and the cost is unbelievable. We always need donations to keep this shelter going. But needless to say there is alot of vacuuming going on there daily. It would be nice if Hoover came out with a quite vacuum that could be used for animals. What a great thing they would have. It would allow us to clean with a lot less stress on the animals.
Carrie said,
September 21, 2006 @ 2:57 am
Peter is right about vacuuming the cats to create less mess later on. When I had my cats years ago I regularly vacuumed them every spring just as they started shedding. It was so much easier than vacuuming every spot they touched or sat in all day. Also I cut their hair down to about half to three quarter of an inch in early spring, then down to a quarter inch at the beginning of summer. You cannot believe how nice it is to do that and miss the shedding season all together. Then after the trim just vacuum the excess hair off. Note though, my cats were well mannered and had years of training. One of them was much calmer than the other. They always complained and I always had to hold them still or they would run away given the chance. You have to be patient with them and introduce them to the vacuum with it on and off. Eventually they tolerate it, noise and all. I find they needed a lot of reassurance from me to accept me doing something so wierd to them.
The GoVacuum Blog » Vacuuming Cats, Part II said,
September 27, 2006 @ 3:46 pm
[…] Who knew cat vacuuming was so popular? Certainly not me. I thought Peter’s question would be a rare one, but some people have practically made a sport out of it! Check out this YouTube video; click on the video to be redirected to the YouTube site and see more. (Yes, there are more.) […]
Peter Sward said,
November 10, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
I now have an updated Video of Princess being vacuumed on both sides on her Movie page. http://www.Princessclick.com
/Peter