Help! My cat is afraid of the vacuum!
Why Are Cats Scared of Vacuums (and What Can I Do About It)?
Cats are often afraid of or annoyed by typical household vacuums - the appliances are loud and move quickly, both things that cats don’t love in an unfamiliar object. Therefore, having a cat afraid of vacuum cleaners is perfectly normal. While cats tend to do much better with robot vacuums (they are quieter and slower), don’t despair - it IS possible to get your feline used to your stick, canister or handheld vacuum!
Desensitization and CounterConditioning
The video above outlines a basic behavioral practice called Desensitization and CounterConditioning (DS/CC). Desensitization is the process of exposing your cat to the stimuli they find aversive (in this case, the vacuum), beginning at a very low intensity and building up from there. Counterconditioning refers to the fact that your cat will learn a NEW response (ie, not running away, being afraid, etc) to a stimulus (again, the vacuum) that it previously had. These therapies are based on the principles of classical conditioning, and used together they aim to remove the fear response and replace it with a relaxation response.
When doing this work it’s important that you pay VERY close attention to your cat’s body language and postures. How does your feline show stress and fear? Dilated pupils, ears back, piloerection, low tail, crouching? You never want to push them over the threshold into fear as that will continue to reinforce your cats negative association with the vacuum or other object. DS/CC requires controlled exposures at levels that do NOT elicit a fearful response from your pet. Check out the cat body language chart below!
Begin by simply leaving the feared object, the vacuum, out for your cat to explore. Let them smell and touch it, and do not move it or turn it on. Once your cat is relaxed around the vacuum move on to:
With the vacuum still OFF, pick it up and move it across the floor. Your cats may begin to tense at this time, so go slowly and pause if and when you see any signs of fear. Once you are able to move the vacuum around without any signs of upset in your cat, move on to:
Plug the vacuum in and turn it on for one quick burst. Talk in a normal tone to your cat(s) while this is happening so they can see you modeling fear free behavior. It’s especially helpful if there is a cat in the household who is NOT afraid of the vacuum to also model the behavior!
You can extend the length of the “on” bursts as your cats become more relaxed. This may take several sessions. Watch them carefully during this time for signs of fear.
Once your cats tolerate the vacuum being on for up to 5-10 seconds at a time, you may begin to move the vacuum slowly around the floor. Continue watching for signs of fear and unease, and go slowly. You can always go back a step if your cats become upset and need to reset.
Once your cats accept the vacuum on and moving slowly, you may proceed to moving at your normal vacuuming pace. Continue to watch and give praise to your cats as you talk them through the process.
SUCCESS!
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