Vacuum Idea For Cat Litter

[Jwa]

my aunt uses a dyson esp for pet hair and litter..it’s about $400 . Anyone have any other less expensive options?

 

[neely]

Since we have had dogs and cats at the same time I found nothing works better than the Animal Dyson vacuum cleaner. And, yes, it is expensive but it's been invaluable for us and we've had it for over 15 years.

However, for cat litter I really like the Shark cordless handheld pet vacuum and it's much cheaper than the Dyson:
Shark® Cordless Pet Perfect™ II Handheld Vacuum (SV780) | Shark®

 

[tabbytom]

I use two Dyson a models. They have good suction power and easy to clean.

But some members recommends the ‘Shark’ brand.

Make sure what you have has good suction power and easy to clean up.

 

[vyger]

Get a Craftsman shop vac with a heppa filter. It is noisy, the cats will run away, at least at first. You can get extra long extension hoses so you can park the vacuum in one place and then reach everywhere with the hose. It will suck up anything including water, you have to remove the filter for that. I use it to clean up around my wood stove also and I have another one in my shop that is used for saw dust and stuff. It will vacuum up an entire bucket of golf balls with room left over for another bucket of gravel. In fact if you wanted to you could just suck up the contents of an entire litter box, but then you have to take the vacuum canister outside to dump it. It doesn't use bags, its essentially a garbage can on wheels with a suction motor. One note of caution, it can kill your cat if you somehow managed to suck it's head into the hose. I have never heard of that happening. Oh, and the best part is they are usually in the 100 dollar range. And you can even take it outside and use it to clean your car. And if you reverse the hose and connect it to the exhaust it will work as a blower.

 

[Tobermory]

I have both a Dyson “Animal” and a Shark “Rocket.” The Dyson does a fantastic job on carpets, but I find it bulky and a bit of a pain to try to use the wand and attachments. I use the Shark more often because it’s great on carpets, area rugs, and hard surfaces. It’s maneuverable, and it’s easy to pop apart to use as a handheld.

I haven’t had good luck with cordless vacuums. Sooner or later they stop holding a charge and become worthless. I haven’t had one for five or six years and maybe they’ve improved, but I opted for corded vacuums with long cords.

 

[Fish Em]

Shop vac shop vac shop vac.

 

[daftcat75]

I have a Dyson upright and a Dyson handheld. I have few complaints with the upright but I'm pretty disappointed in the handheld. To generate suction, there must also be air blowing out the back, but must it blow in my face?! That's my biggest complaint with the handheld. It's enough that I don't want to use it. The other complaint I have is that to empty it, you press a release button and a messy cloud of what you just vacuumed up hopefully mostly made it all into the trash can you position below it. But usually not. So now I have to get down on the floor with a towel to pick up the mess my vacuum just made. Dyson makes good uprights (and good fan/heat/air purifiers), but I'm not convinced by the handheld.

 

[daftcat75]

The one I just bought yesterday and I'm already sold on is the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
Pet Hair Eraser® Hand Vac 2390 | BISSELL Vacuum Cleaners

I went into Target yesterday ready to buy the Shark above. But I already own a Bissell upright and a Bissell handheld (both are wet vacs for cleaning up barf and hairballs) and the Pet Hair Eraser looked like a better build than the Shark for not much more ($15 more?)

It's called a Pet Hair Eraser but it should be called a pet mess dry vac. It cleans up food from the carpet and litter from hardwood without changing out attachments. It does it quite well. I kept trying to convince myself the Dyson was doing a good job for how much I spent on it (and to try to convince myself that taking the vent to the face was somehow worth it.) But the Bissell actually does a good job. And no messing with the attachments trying to figure out which would pick up that last bit the Dyson isn’t picking up. The Bissell diffuses the vent off to the sides like a good hand vac should. The Bissell is quieter too. Krista, not a big fan of vacuums herself, at least sticks around and watches (my furry foreman!) rather than immediately running for the hills. The cleanup is a snap too. The release isn't some spring-loaded half-baked contraption that releases a portion of the mess it just cleaned up. No. The tear down and cleaning of this one is such a breeze, it makes me want to empty it after every use and keep it clean knowing that it won't tithe a portion of its take on the floor around the trash.

This is a dry hand-vac worthy of replacing the Dyson handheld.

 

[Adelei]

Since we have had dogs and cats at the same time I found nothing works better than the Animal Dyson vacuum cleaner. And, yes, it is expensive but it's been invaluable for us and we've had it for over 15 years.

However, for cat litter I really like the Shark cordless handheld pet vacuum and it's much cheaper than the Dyson:
Shark® Cordless Pet Perfect™ II Handheld Vacuum (SV780) | Shark®

I wonder though, are the current Dyson's as good as the one you bought 15 years ago? I'm finding nothing is made to last like it used to be - and it's not just me, I've read lots of articles and seen lots of news stories about it. I mean, my first cell phone that I got in 2002 lasted me until 2013 - and in the 6 years since it died, I've been through at least 4 that I can remember. And I will use a thing until there is literally no life left in it - as evidenced by 10+ years of using a flip phone! My mom still has a vacuum (and it still works fine!) that someone gave to her as a wedding gift in the 1970s! She's lost most of the attachments over the years and multiple house moves, but the vacuum's still plugging away! I think my grandma's vacuum is from around the same time period (at least it looks like it is!)

I am currently vacuumless though, since my Oreck vacuum died several years ago. That one lasted maybe 10 years - my parents bought it for me when I graduated from university. But it was supposed to be a brand that would last ages (according to all the research my dad did at the time). I've been living in China for several years but will be moving back to the States soon and will need a good vacuum to handle all the cat hair from my 4 cats!

 

[maggie101]

I use a hand held shark vacuum

 

[neely]

I wonder though, are the current Dyson's as good as the one you bought 15 years ago?

Good point and I honestly don't know the answer to your question. I completely agree that appliances are not made to last like they used to and I'm like you, i.e. I use a device until it has no life left in it. However, if my current Animal Dyson vacuum were to break I would still buy a new one based on my experience with their product but I would check the expiration date of the warranty.

 

[Jwa]

The one I just bought yesterday and I'm already sold on is the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
Pet Hair Eraser® Hand Vac 2390 | BISSELL Vacuum Cleaners

I went into Target yesterday ready to buy the Shark above. But I already own a Bissell upright and a Bissell handheld (both are wet vacs for cleaning up barf and hairballs) and the Pet Hair Eraser looked like a better build than the Shark for not much more ($15 more?)

It's called a Pet Hair Eraser but it should be called a pet mess dry vac. It cleans up food from the carpet and litter from hardwood without changing out attachments. It does it quite well. I kept trying to convince myself the Dyson was doing a good job for how much I spent on it (and to try to convince myself that taking the vent to the face was somehow worth it.) But the Bissell actually does a good job. And no messing with the attachments trying to figure out which would pick up that last bit the Dyson isn’t picking up. The Bissell diffuses the vent off to the sides like a good hand vac should. The Bissell is quieter too. Krista, not a big fan of vacuums herself, at least sticks around and watches (my furry foreman!) rather than immediately running for the hills. The cleanup is a snap too. The release isn't some spring-loaded half-baked contraption that releases a portion of the mess it just cleaned up. No. The tear down and cleaning of this one is such a breeze, it makes me want to empty it after every use and keep it clean knowing that it won't tithe a portion of its take on the floor around the trash.

This is a dry hand-vac worthy of replacing the Dyson handheld.

This one looks great and very affordable. I just need something small for when he goes nuts digging in the litteR, thank you !

 

[daftcat75]

I have gone through a number of handhelds for litter and for the car. I love this one! It works well with the standard attachment on both carpet and hardwood. It picks up litter and cat food. The cleanup is still a breeze. Every time I press the Release button to open it up, I don't have to hold my breath waiting for the spring-loaded cloud to hopefully release most of its contents into a trash can positioned below. This one actually contains its mess. I've gone through a lot of handhelds and this is, hands down, my favorite.

 

[Jwa]

I have gone through a number of handhelds for litter and for the car. I love this one! It works well with the standard attachment on both carpet and hardwood. It picks up litter and cat food. The cleanup is still a breeze. Every time I press the Release button to open it up, I don't have to hold my breath waiting for the spring-loaded cloud to hopefully release most of its contents into a trash can positioned below. This one actually contains its mess. I've gone through a lot of handhelds and this is, hands down, my favorite.

That’s great to know. I’m looking it up now!
Btw. Your kitty is adorable!