LAST UPDATED: 20 Nov 2020
10 Best Vacuum Cleaners for Cat Litter – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide


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This product guide is written by Paul Hardwick
Anyone that has a cat knows how easily cat litter can spread throughout your house. Even with the best type of litter box, it can be easy for cat litter to scatter and end up outside of the litter box. Having the best vacuum for cat owners can be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping your home clean. You want to look for a vacuum that was designed to be used in a home with pets and that is especially effective at picking up cat litter. Here are a few tips and reviews to help you find the best vacuum for cat litter.
About The Author


Welcome to Vacuum Picker!
My name is Paul Hardwick. I am passionate about all things vacuum. From very early on I was fascinated with them and after earning an engineering degree in electro-mechanical systems, I have been able to appreciate them even more. Here I will share with you my insights on the options available in the market & help you pick the best for all your vacuum needs! Read more.
10 Best Vacuums for Cat Litter
1
Shark Navigator Freestyle Upright Stick SV1106
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Featuring a powerful brush roll, the Shark Rotator TruePet Upright lets you thoroughly clean your entire house. Easily access the vacuum’s controls with your fingertips, this vacuum allows you to pick up dirt and debris that has been embedded deep down into the carpet. Learning how to use the Swivel Steering feature along with the LED light allows you to utilize the vacuum and find all the debris and dirt you can in your home.
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2
ILIFE V3s Pro-Robotic Vacuum
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Using pet hair technology, the ILIFE V3s Pro-Robotic Vacuum can pick up any type of dirt and debris including cat litter. It also features auto charge and a low-profile design that makes it easy to reach under couches and beds and anywhere a cat may hide. This super lightweight vacuum only weighs 4 ½ pounds making it easy to carry anywhere you need to.
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3
Shark Rotator Upright Corded Bagless NV501
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This professional-level cat litter vacuum tackles litter and pet hair using its brush roll. The Shark Rotator Lift-Away easily picks up both litter and pet dander. Using an extra-large and professional level dust cup, you can easily clean for a longer period of time without having to stop and empty out the cup. It also comes with an easy to follow and understand user’s manual in case of any issues.
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4
Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, Blue
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Ideal for cleaning any area of your home, the Dyson V11 is a great choice for sucking up cat litter. This is Dyson's most intelligent, powerful cordless vacuum. Twice the suction of any cordless vacuum.
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5
MOOSOO Vacuum Cleane D600
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The MooSoo D600 Vacuum Cleaner is perfect for marble, tile, hardwood floors. It is excellent for picking up all debris, such as cat litter, dog food crumbs and pet hair. Very good seal design and high quality HEPA filter provides excellent experience.
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6
Dirt Devil Razor Pet
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Featuring automatic height adjustment, the Dirt Devil Razor Pet is a corded upright vacuum that only weighs 12.6 pounds. It comes equipped with a 2-in-1 crevice tool and dusting brush along with the TURBOCLAW pet turbo tool. Offering swerve and swivel capabilities, this vacuum is simple to maneuver in tight corners, around furniture, and up close to walls.
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7
Eureka NEU188A
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Easy to use, the Eureka NEU188A comes with five height settings and a transparent brush roll cover. This vacuum is a great choice for anyone that has pets and includes a Pet Turbo brush. It’s also perfect for homes that have more than one type of flooring since it works on rugs, carpets, hardwoods, and tile.
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8
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser
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This handheld vacuum is a great choice for pet owners on a budget. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser features a rubber nozzle that is great at attracting pet hair while the suction nozzle easily sucks up litter. With this lost cost vacuum, you get several different capabilities with a vacuum that was specifically designed to pick up pet hair from car interiors and upholstery.
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9
Roborock E35
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With a 2 ½ hour run time, the Roborock E35 is compatible with your smartphone and features a spot clean mode. Perfect for anyone that doesn’t like to vacuum, this unit has a set and forget design that makes it easy to use. Featuring 13 types of sensors, it can easily maneuver around your home and stop before falling down the stairs or running into pets and furniture.
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10
BLACK & DECKER HHVI315JO42
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This cordless, handheld vacuum only weighs 2.11 pounds. The Black & Decker HHVI315JO42 is equipped with a crevice tool and brush along with a washable filter and bowl. Not only is this an easy to use handheld vacuum, but it comes with a lot of features.
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Vacuums for Cat Litter - Buying Guide
Considerations When Choosing a Vacuum for Kitty Litter


Will Cat Litter Damage a Vacuum?
It may seem like cat litter isn’t going to harm your vacuum cleaner, but it can do actual damage to a vacuum. In reality, a vacuum cleaner is meant to pick up dust and dirt, not cat litter. Even though it can pick up cat litter does not mean that’s what it should always be used for. Cat litter can clog the inside of a vacuum easily and reduce the ability of the machine to be effective.
Why Cat Litter Can Be Dangerous to a Vacuum
It’s important to choose a vacuum that was designed for use with both pet hair and cat litter, or you will just end up harming the vacuum that you use. When cat little comes in contact with water, it can destroy the vacuum by molding together and become solid like cement. Dyson makes vacuums with hepa filters but given the high price point, it might be risky to use for litter picking purposes.
Fortunately, manufacturers have started to address the issue of cat litter and vacuums and are designing machines that won’t become damaged by litter and dampness.
Types of Cat Litter
Clay-based litter – This type of litter is able to absorb its own weight in urine. That means is super effective. But, once it is full of urine, it is not able to absorb any more and a very distinctive odor is produced. At that point, you will need to add baking soda or charcoal to get rid of the odor.
Biodegradable litter – Since this an environmentally-friendly option, you won’t have to worry about your cat eating it. Biodegradable litter is made from products that are recycled or plants like corn and wheat, so it’s totally safe for a cat to ingest.
Silica-based litter – Made out of a crystallized form of silica gel, silica-based litter is very effective at absorbing cat urine and reducing the smell at the same time. Typically, this type of litter is chosen by pet owners that prefer less dust.
All three of these cat litters use different properties, but they also have one thing in common. All types of litter will have a hard substance in it that will absorb urine, which makes them potentially harmful to a vacuum cleaner. After they have been sucked up, the litter granules will travel through the vacuum at a high speed and hit components inside the machine as they move through. Any fragile parts could be damaged from this type of impact making your vacuum cleaner start to fail.
Choosing the Best Cat Litter Vacuum
Separating Dirt and Air
When considering a vacuum to suck up cat litter, make sure you look for a motor with a bypass flow design. This design will separate the dirt and air while preventing dust from getting into the filter. A vacuum that has a cyclonic cleaning system will have this motor type and can produce a very powerful flow of air that will force the dust particles to the side of the cylindrical container. This design also helps to ensure that the vacuum maintains its powerful suction.
Suction
Another very important consideration of a vacuum cleaner for cat litter is its suction. When you clean up litter, you need all the power from the vacuum that you can get. Difficult to clean, cat litter will often stick to the floor or hide down inside a carpet requiring some strong suction in order to get it out. Vacuums with durable bristles make it much easier to clean up. It’s also important that you get a vacuum that will be able to maintain this power over a long period of time.
Durability
Remember that an expensive model can be worth the investment if it’s the right type of vacuum. It is always better to buy one that is a little more expensive now than ending up replacing a cheaper version after only a few uses. This is particularly true when you are cleaning up cat litter. Since these hard granules are able to cause damage quickly, it’s important to find a vacuum that has internal components that can take a bit of a beating.
Bagged versus Bagless
Another important question is, which is best, bagless or bagged? A bagged vacuum has the advantage of cleanliness since it comes with a replaceable filter and bag that needs to be changed when it's full. If you don’t, the vacuum just doesn’t work very well. However, this machine will definitely stay clean since all the dirt and dust that is collected stays inside a bag that will get thrown away. Just keep in mind that there is an added expense of the replacement bags with a bagged vacuum that can get pricey over time.
With a bagless model, all the dirt and dust is collected in a dust container, so you don’t have to buy pricey replacement bags. But, you will have to deal with cleaning the container and any dust clouds that can occur when you empty it. Plus, it can tend to smell if you leave a soiled litter inside the container waiting to be thrown out. That’s why it's important to empty after each use and also wash it to reduce the change of odors to linger.
Robotic options
Robotic vacuums as useful as they are generally, but for cleaning cat litter they might not be the best option. They work very well in open spaces but for enclosed areas like a litter box, they tend to get stuck and are not effective in cleaning.
Type of Flooring Type
It’s also important to consider the type of floor your cat litter box is sitting on and what you have throughout the house. With different types of flooring, you will have different attachment and suction requirements. You will want a vacuum that can clean all the floors in your home, so you can avoid needing more than one vacuum cleaner to keep your house clean.
To get litter out from in a carpet, you will need strong brushes and suction. With a motorized brush, it will be easier to find those particles deep in a rug since they are made to basically beat out the dirt that is stuck in a thick rug. Tile and hardwood floors don’t need to be agitated, but they will still need a vacuum with strong suction. Soft roller brushes and nozzles that act like rubber are also pretty effective when you need to pick up cat litter from an uncarpeted floor. Also as a pet owner, vacuuming the cat hair is another issue we have to deal with regularly. So while we get the best vacuum for litter, it is important that it works with removing shedding hair.
Conclusion
Cleaning up cat litter can be a challenge. If you don’t have the right type of vacuum, you can quickly end up damaging it. Make sure you find a vacuum that is designed to handle pet hair and cat litter and is durable enough to handle the damage that cat litter can cause.
With the above guidance and recommendations we hope you will find the best vacuum for cat litter that is right for you.
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