The best vacuums for cat litter will depend on your situation. If you have multiple cats, an upright vacuum is best to cope with the sheer quantity. If you have one cat who is not much of a digger and flinger, a small handheld vacuum may do the job very nicely for you. A carpet sweeper is another option and good for a quick run over the carpet that just takes a minute or two.
Upright vacuums, handheld vacuums and carpet sweepers are all reviewed on this page. Check the contents in the Table, click on the heading and go straight to the section that applies to you.
Best Vacuums For Cat Litter
| 1.Dyson V11 Stick Vacuum – Pricey But Worth The Cost For Long Term Use – Cordless | |
| 2.Shark Rocket Ultralight – Superlight And Converts To Handheld – Corded | |
| 3.Bissell Swivel Pet Upright Bagless Vacuum – Specialized Pet Tools – Corded | |
| A Carpet Sweeper For Cat Litter? | |
| Hand Held Vacuum For Cat Litter | |
| Two Awesome Hints For Making Vacuuming Cat Litter Easier |
The vacuums reviewed below are all “pet” friendly as part of their function is to pick up animal hair.
1. Dyson 11 Cordless Stick Vacuum
I have to say that I am a Dyson devotee. When I first opened the box containing my Dyson I did think it looked a bit plastic, especially for the price. However I soon came to realize that it is a tough machine. I use it daily with no special treatment and nothing has broken.
In addition to picking up cat litter and cat hair and everything else in normal household life, it is handy to use to vacuum the cats bedding or where the cat mostly hangs out.
I can even vacuum around my ageing cat and he doesn’t budge, so it’s obviously not scaring him. However we both know our boundaries, so I try to keep out of his way.
The price can be a sticking point and I totally understand that as I was the same. I now realize I will have my Dyson for many years and vacuuming is no longer a chore and I do mean that. Am I crazy? This model is a V11. My model is an earlier model. If you are at ‘just considering’ stage, I would always go for the latest product as new features are added constantly.
A bonus with the frequent vacuuming when living with cats or any pets is that it is easy to vacuum smaller areas more frequently. Far more convenient than having to get out the old vacuum cleaner, pull out the cord, plug it in and them move to another plug, untangle the cord and so on.
This machine can change from a stick to a small handheld in seconds and I continually swap between the two with no problems at all. Sometimes when I am vacuuming using the long stick, I spot an area that would be easier to get at with the handheld. It may be that I am vacuuming the floor and I spot a dusty window ledge. It is just easier to do it all at the same time. It is just a couple of clicks to change.
I hardly need to say, that it works exceptionally well. I am always amazed at the dust and debris in the container even when I think the floor is clean. It is interesting to see via the clear barrel exactly how much dust and debris has accumulated. It is simple to empty once you have done it a couple of times.
This product does have a HEPA filter. I can’t recommend this machine highly enough.
The docking station makes your Dyson easy to access from its wall mount while keeping it out of the way at the same time. Note: I haven’t ever used the wall mount as I have convenient cupboard access with a PowerPoint.
Pros
It is always ready to go for small jobs, just unplug the handheld and the job is done in minutes.
The way the heads on the vacuum swivel, makes it easy to get right into corners where litter accumulates.
Cons
A Dyson is an investment as the price is high. As a potential buyer who was a bit wary of the price, I can say that I am 100% satisfied with the product.
Specifications
What is included: A Torque drive head, mini-motorized tool (removes pet hair and dirt from carpet and upholstery), crevice tool, stubborn dirt brush, combination tool, wand storage clip, docking station and charger. The V11quickly transforms from a handheld to a stick vacuum.
Are you trying to stop the spread of litter? It is an ongoing daily task but apart from having a good vacuum cleaner, there are ways that the litter can be controlled.
2. Shark Rocket Corded Ultra Light
This stick vacuum converts to a handheld vac with a click of a button.
It has advanced swivel which is excellent with pets in the house as litter and hair tends to collect in corners. It works well for all length pet hair.
There is a hook on the bottom front of the wand that can be used when storing as it doesn’t stand up on its own.
It is electric so will still need to be plugged in however the cord is long and the wand can be wound around the vacuum as instructed.
It is ultra lightweight. It has a self cleaning brush roll which means that hair is removed and does not tangle and get caught up tightly around the brush. No more trying to wrestle the cats hair from the brush, it happens automatically.
Pros
Anti hair wrap technology. This is an excellent feature. There is nothing worse that having cat hair wrapped around the brush-roll that you then have to try and coax out of the brush-roll.
The vacuum has powerful suction.
Cons
It does not have a HEPA filter.
Can be top heavy and the cord is also at the top part of the machine.
Specifications
It comes with a Duster Crevice Tool, Pet Multi-Tool, XL Dust Cup, Onboard Tool Clip, and the Wall Mount. It requires approximately 5 inches of clearance to get under furniture. You have two color options, black or purple. The filter is foam and washable.
A litter mat is like a front doormat. It has to work well. This article explains how to choose a cat litter mat that will suit your household.
3. Bissell Cleanview Swivel Rewind Pet
This vacuum is bag-less, upright and swivel steering enabling easy movement around corners.
It is electric. The cord is 27 inches and wraps at the push of a button. This is small but important point when the vacuum is used frequently. Winding a cord is a chore plus it looks much neater when it wraps automatically.
It works equally well on carpet and on hardwood floors. There are also replacement filters.
It has scatter proof technology which is a bonus for picking up cat litter and cat hair. It has specialized pet tools like the pet hair corner tool and the pet turbo eraser tool
This is a very descriptive review, not exactly for litter or cat hair but how well the machine worked in a messy situation.
Included with the vacuum is a crevice tool for getting right into tricky places (see below), dusting brush, TurboBrush, and an extension wand.
Pros
The brush roll loosens, lifts and removes embedded dirt and hair from our pet.
The fact that the vacuum is bagless is a positive feature.
It picks up everything, litter, sand, hair and moves between floor surfaces seamlessly.
Cons
It does not have a HEPA filter.
Some owners have reported the belt breaking and needing replacing.
Specifications
There are two colors to choose from, Teal or Purple. It is suitable to hard flooring plus carpet and upholstery. The capacity of the dirt cup is one litre. The vacuum weighs 16 lbs.
Our Top Choice For Upright Vacuums
1.Dyson 11 Cordless Stick Vacuum
The Dyson vacuum is an excellent product to have with a pet in the household. It is extremely easy to use. It changes effortlessly from stick to handheld that makes it no chore to vacuum excess litter, cat hair and other accumulated debris that our pets can bring in from the yard (if they are outdoors pets).
The Dyson is easy to empty no messing about with bags. I am in the habit of recharging it every time I use it so that it is always ready to go.
It is not a vacuum that you relegate just to vacuuming the pet litter or pet hair. I can easily use this vacuum for our entire house. Because it is so convenient it is not a chore to vacuum a room at a time compared to a traditional corded vacuum.
- Dysons most intelligent, powerful cordless vacuum. Twice the suction of any cordless vacuum.
- Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
- Engineered for whole-home, deep cleaning. Suction power, run time and tools designed to deep clean your whole home.
- Intelligently optimizes suction and run time across all floor types. The right balance of power and run time when you need it.
- Up to 60 minutes of run time. Engineered for larger homes with pets. Actual run time will vary based on power mode, floor type and/or attachments used.
- High torque cleaner head. Automatically adapts suction and power to deep clean different floor types without changing cleaner heads.
- Advanced whole-machine filtration. Advanced whole-machine filtration traps 99.99% of particles, dust and allergens as small as 0.3 microns.
- 5 Dyson engineered tools for versatile whole-home and car cleaning. Including the mini-motorized tool for removing pet hair from upholstery and tight spaces.
- Converts to a handheld for cleaning cars, stairs and upholstery
- Included: Torque drive head, mini-motorized tool, crevice tool, stubborn dirt brush, soft dusting brush, combination tool, wand storage clip, docking station, & charger
A Carpet Sweeper For Cat Litter
A carpet sweeper definitely has the convenience factor. Vacuuming a whole house can be tiring so using a carpet sweeper as an in between clean is an attractive idea and it can be used daily to pick up cat litter.
There are two models reviewed below. The first model reviewed is battery powered and the second model reviewed is human powered, meaning that is not electric and does not have a battery.
Carpet Sweeper Reviews For Cat Litter
Bissell Sweep-Up Sweeper Pets Carpets Floors
This carpet sweeper is fine for any floor surface, hard floors or carpets.
It is lightweight and super effective at picking up cat litter on tiles and carpets. There are two dirt pans .
There is no power either electric or from a battery, just muscle power.
It won’t get into small crevices because it doesn’t have attachments like vacuum cleaners however if you want something portable, lightweight and does the job quickly and easily this is a good choice.
Pros
Because it has a dual rotating brush it picks up debris on the forward and backward roll.
It is lightweight so easy to pick up and use on the spot.
It has extra small brushes on the sides in the corners to pick up litter that is along the edge of a cupboard or migrated into a corner.
Picks up cat litter on a hard floor.
Cons
Does not always pick up as intended and pushes the debris around.
Several people have found the handle to be flimsy.
Specifications
The carpet sweeper weighs 1.5 kg. It is made from Plastic and Polyvinyl Chloride. The color is silver, there are no other color choices.
2. Shark Cordless Floor And Carpet Sweeper
For easy everyday cleaning at a good price and most importantly it does handle kitty litter. Depending on your needs it is a good accompaniment to the regular vacuum cleaner used for a whole house. Be aware that this is a sweeper it does not have suction. It is rechargeable.
Pros
The wand folds backwards which makes it easier to get under furniture.
Good to use in between heavier cleaning for quick pick up jobs.
Cons
Some people have had trouble with the unit failing to take a charge.
Specifications
The model is V295. Th battery type is Ni-MH. Suitable for use on carpet and hard floors. It weighs 7 lbs. The motorized brush roll is 13 inches.
Hand Held Vacuum For Cat Litter
A handheld is a great idea if the vacuum cleaner you already have is doing a good job but a quick fix is needed.
A quick whizz around and it’s done.
1.Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld Vacuum, Corded
This is the corded product as opposed to the cordless handheld vacuum Pet Eraser also made by Bissell.
This one is favored because the cordless model can have battery issues plus this model is cheaper and does the same job.
You will just need to plug it in.
Bissell customer service is very good so whether you buy this model or the cordless you can be assured of good customer service if needed.
It works really well for dry kitty litter and dry cat food. It is super useful around the home, great for upholstery and cleaning the car.
It is easy to store and bag less so no purchasing new bags. Purchasing new bags can be such a nuisance as new models come along and the bags change. Then you have to spend ages finding bags that will fit the cleaner. No more bags for me.
Pros
The rubber nozzle works well on all surfaces and is particularly good at removing hair from soft furnishings.
Being bagless is a plus, easy to empty, no fiddling around with bags. Don’t have to buy new bags.
Powerful, high suction.
Cons
The cord is not retractable.
It is loud.
The air filters on the side can tend to blow away the debris being vacuumed. Altering the way you direct the vacuum will overcome this.
Specifications
The Power rating is: 4 amperes. The cord is 16 feet long. The capacity of the dirt cup is 0.78 litre. 1 year limited warranty
Dos And Don’ts Of Cleaning Up Cat Litter
Won’t the vacuum smell like cat litter? This is a common question.
This could be the case if very large amounts of litter are being vacuumed however we are talking about the overflow from the cat litter tray or mat so it shouldn’t be an issue.
- Avoid vacuuming wet litter. Wet litter is a sweep and pick up job, no getting around that.
- Use a cat litter mat under the litter tray. This will hugely help minimize the hassle of any litter cleaning job.
A vacuum is faster, easier and more efficient than sweeping when dealing with cat litter. Find a good quality cat litter that fits the budget.
Even if you don’t want to vacuum daily, the litter can still be swept into a corner with a broom or dustpan and brush and then vacuumed when you are ready.
Two Awesome Hints For Making Vacuuming Cat Litter Easier
- Mostly, cat litter is on a tiled or hard floor because of the location of the litter box, yet it is actually easier to vacuum litter from the carpet.
For that reason some people find it is easier to sweep the cat litter to the carpet and then vacuum the carpet. This would work well if the carpeted area was nearby. - This method applies to carpet or a hard floor As you approach the litter with the vacuum, lift the vacuum head slightly so that the suction will suck the litter into the vacuum cleaner before the brushes scatter the litter.
What Is A HEPA Filter?
A HEPA filter traps pollens, allergens, dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, mold, bacteria and other allergens by using a mechanical filter.
Vacuum cleaners can suck up these allergens however not all vacuum cleansers have a HEPA filter.
Just in case you were wondering what HEPA stands for – it is High-Efficiency Particulate Air.
There’s more information here about HEPA filters.
Less Mess With Litter Box Liners!
Litter box liners with elastic make the job of cleaning the litter box easier. Less mess!
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