Why are cats afraid of a vacuum cleaner?

You've probably noticed that your cat does not share the master's passion for many household appliances. Mixers, food processors, hair dryers, fans, but a separate line, of course, is the most terrible, echoing and formidable unit in the house - a vacuum cleaner. Why does he scare furry pets so much? And what can be done to keep the animal calm and the house clean?

By its behavior, the pet will make it clear that it is very excited. Here are the signs that speak volumes about this:

• the wool stands on end;
• pupils are greatly dilated;
• the animal is trying to hide in a hard-to-reach place;
• the cat hisses or meows loudly;
• tries to scratch or bite the owner if he wants to take the animal in his arms.

There are several reasons why pets try to hide at the slightest sign of a formidable enemy.

• Noise. Agree, if a train rushes by or an airplane flies by, you will feel it. But since you know that transport is not dangerous, you will not hide under the sofa. For cats, the level of noise coming from the vacuum cleaner exceeds the level of calmness and comfort, so the animal reacts negatively to the technique and tries to get away from the object as far as possible. The included vacuum cleaner operates at a frequency of 80 decibels, this causes a strong vibration of the eardrums of the animal, and with it painful sensations. Pets often become disoriented.
• Vibration... Cats can not only hear, but also pick up vibrations.There are special receptors on the paws that help the animals to record changes in space and feel even small fluctuations. The vacuum cleaner vibrates quite strongly and intensely, this prompts the animal to react to what is happening. Often the best solution is to get as far away from the source of the vibration as possible.
• Fear of an unknown object. You probably don't clean your apartment every day. And most likely, the vacuum cleaner does not stand in the most prominent and honorable place in your home. Most of the time, the animal does not collide with the car, so rare and sudden encounters make the cat nervous.
• Some cats see the vacuum cleaner as a rival, not a life-threatening unit. Perhaps you have noticed such animals that remain in the room with the car, rears up, put their tail with a pipe and even try to attack the source of the excitement, despite the fact that the cat is very scared. Pets perceive the movement of the car as an encroachment on their territory and are ready to defend their rights to the land.
• In rare cases, the owner is to blame for the fact that the cat is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, who, for a joke, decided to clean not only the floors, but also the fluffy pet. Of course, such actions cannot please the cat. If you are having fun at this moment, then the animal feels fear. It is not surprising that at the next meetings it will prefer to get out of the field of view of the unpleasant unit in advance.

Another problem that experts highlight is more related to the owners of old models of vacuum cleaners. During work, they not only suck in the dust on the carpet, but also raise it. Small particles irritate the mucous membrane of the animal and interfere with normal breathing.

If you notice that the cat starts sneezing while cleaning, most likely, the dust raised in the air will be to blame.

It is best to do this while your kitten is still young. Re-educating an adult animal will be more difficult. The first thing to do: often leave the idle unit in a conspicuous place so that the animal can get used to its presence.

Some training professionals recommend placing the vacuum closer to the bowls of food and water. Of course, it cannot be turned on in any case. The pet must get used to the presence of a stranger. After a while, you can start cleaning the room, without moving the bowl away, and at the same time adding goodies to lure the pet. Soon, the cat should get used to, including the noise.

If you fail to reconcile the two camps, do not insist on such a friendship. Do not force the cat to stay alone in the room with the machine turned on, under no circumstances lock the animal with the machine running.

We offer you several options for solutions, and which one to choose - each one determines for himself.

You can resign yourself and during cleaning provide your pet with room to maneuver and escape. Some send cats to walk on the balcony or temporarily close them in the kitchen, at the same time muffling the noise with a closed door. If you have a kitten in your house, it is better that a person is with him at this time. It is easy to scare a small animal for life, and this is completely unnecessary.

There is another option to which pets are more tolerant and even benefit from it. Use a robot vacuum cleaner. It emits much less noise and vibration. It is compact and will not scare off a cat with its size.

For what cats are afraid of, see the next video.