Why Do Cats Like Riding Roomba Vacuums?

If you’re a cat owner, you’ve probably had enough time to truly discover your cat’s personality. What it likes, what it scoffs at, what makes it feel safe and what engages its curiosity. Each cat has an entirely different personality, just like humans do. However, this doesn’t discount the fact that cats share certain common cat character traits, regardless of their breed, age or gender.

The truth is that most cats are curious and playful. Even if they don’t all display impressive amounts of energy, they love being stimulated by new and fun objects in their home. Their curiosity is always ready to be triggered by exciting interactive games and moving objects.

This makes it no surprise that cats are actually also attracted to all sorts of gadgets and home devices, especially if they have moving parts. One of them is the Roomba vacuum, which particularly brings cats much joy and delight.

You might have seen videos on the internet with cats peacefully cruising on top of a Roomba vacuum, while it diligently cleans the home.

So why do cats like riding Roomba vacuums? Before we go into the specifics, let’s take a closer look at the them to better understand how it’s built and what its purpose is.

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What Exactly Is the Roomba Vacuum and What Does It Do?

The Roomba vacuum is the new-age version of the classic vacuum cleaner that can be programmed to clean your home while you’re away or while you simply relax on the couch, not wanting to sign up for this particular chore.

• Roomba vacuums are very compact vacuuming devices and don’t take up a lot of space, either when stored or while in use.
• They use battery power while they scout the home for dirt, hair and lint.
• They are intelligent devices that use sensors while moving around the home and that can be programmed according to your preference.
• Some of the models have HEPA filtration, an advanced filtration system that helps ensure that most particles are captured and not released back into the air.
• Since there’s such a great variety of models, prices can range anywhere from $300 – $900. It’s true these are small devices and they certainly can’t compare to the power and finesse that larger, more advanced vacuum cleaners hold.
• Roomba vacuums are designed to have intelligent navigation systems meant to learn the layout of your home over time, so that efficiency of the cleaning process is ultimately improved.
• By this time, there are already several versions of the Roomba vacuum available out there. Each of them has its own technical specifications that serve to improve the previous Roomba model.
  • For example, you can look for a Roomba vacuum cleaner that has the virtual walls feature, which basically sets up invisible walls for it not to go beyond. This essentially helps you keep certain parts of the home off-limits.

Roomba vacuums are meant to save you time, they were built specifically with this purpose. So that you can take a break from this seemingly inevitable chore and invest your time in higher-value activities.

However, Roomba vacuums are great for vacuuming cat hair off the floor, which is why many cat owners choose this device to keep their homes clean. With the added benefits that cats absolutely love to ride on the Roomba, while their human friends get some extra time to watch Netflix or work on that important project that needs to be delivered.

Why Do Cats Like Riding Roomba Vacuums?

There are actually several reasons why cats end up jumping on the Roomba vacuum and sliding around the floor together with it. Your cat may be friend the Roomba for any of the reasons below or even a combination of them:

They Need to Feel Safe

• Cats are naturally more conspicuous. They need to inspect every single item that enters the home, they need to smell it and make something of it.
• They will do the same with the Roomba vacuum. However if they see it moving, they may feel threatened by it at first.
• Getting on top of the Roomba vacuum and riding around the home on it may be your cat’s way of getting a handle on what’s happening. Being on top of the Roomba may help it feel like it’s actually on top of the situation, thus eliminating the threat of an object that seems to move uncontrollably on their territory.
• It gives your cat the satisfaction to dominate the space by actually sitting on the objects in it. Just like it does with the laptop, tablet and other items or gadgets around the home.

They Are Intrigued by the Fun Opportunity

• The vibrations of the Roomba vacuum and the soft sounds it makes are enough to intrigue any cat. It will want to get closer to it and see how it can use it to its own advantage. Cats typically want to interact with whatever new object that comes their way and they mostly do this by attempting to have fun with it, to make it their toy.
• Roomba vacuums run smoothly and at constant speed, which gives your cat the added fun of hitching a safe ride from the bedroom to the kitchen.
• The Roomba vacuum swirls and turns, it swerves and stops when reaching walls. All these moves give the ride an extra flavor of excitement, since they’re enough to leave your cat wondering what will happen next and constantly be engaged in the present moment.

They Love Warm Places

• Cats are endlessly fascinated with warm spots. Think about the many times you’ve seen your cat sunbathing in a corner of the room where the sun hits the floor abundantly or sitting on your laptop while it’s running.
• It’s the same principle with the Roomba vacuum. When it starts cleaning, the batteries get activated and that will send a wave of heat throughout the surface of the vacuum, including the top. Your cat will be irresistibly drawn to this new warm spot that’s also flat and comfortable for them to sit on.
• There’s a small chance that your cat will actually be so seduced by the warm running Roomba to take a nap while the device is running. But with cats you never know, they can get very creative when it comes to napping places.

They Want to Survey Their Domain

• Cats are very territorial creatures. Not in the same sense that makes dogs be territorial, but rather in the sense that they feel everything in their environment is part of their domain. They tend to see things like this in order to bring more familiarity to their lives, which they need in order to feel safe and at ease.
• Cats are always on the whereabouts when it comes to their environment. They know every nook and cranny of the space that surrounds them and they take note of every single little change or new item.
• It’s this personality trait that makes them want to inspect their home daily. They stroll back and forth, climb, smell and investigate. This actually represents an important slice of their daily timetable and they invest plenty of resources in this activity.
• Jumping on the Roomba vacuum is the perfect opportunity for them to still survey their entire domain without actually having to lift a finger. Or a paw, for that matter. They just hop on the flat-shaped device and let the robot do the rest of the job. They get to travel from one room to another with a slow and steady speed that allows them to take in everything that’s happening around them and retain the information.

Is the Roomba Vacuum Safe for Cats?

Absolutely. There’s nothing wrong that can happen when your cat rides the Roomba vacuum. The device is safe and follows its own schedule and trajectory. Even when it finds a wall, it will stop in a gentle way that won’t even startle your cat.

The vacuuming inserts can be found on the bottom of the device, so there’s no real danger for your cat’s tail or other parts to be vacuumed.

The software is also reliable in the sense that you won’t find your Roomba vacuum suddenly acting out of whack, taking sudden turns or spinning out of control.

In conclusion, cats are absolutely safe when riding this home cleaning device. On top of it, they’ll also have a good time doing it, while you get to sit back and enjoy everything.

What Else Do You Need to Know About the Roomba Vacuum?

Now that we’ve established the Roomba vacuum is absolutely safe for your cat and we’ve looked into the reasons why your cat feels so much joy in riding around your home on it, let’s see what other things you may want to know when owning this innovative device.

Here are five things to know about the Roomba vacuum:

It Vacuums Shoe Laces and Cables

Before using the Roomba, make sure you tuck away any shoe laces that are in plain sight or simply loose on the floor, since the device will gobble them right up. It’s also important to know that if you have any cables or extension cords sticking out, the Roomba will show no mercy and swallow them all up.

The good part about it is that this won’t actually cause them permanent damage, but will require you to stop the device and fish them right out. More advanced Roombas have the virtual walls feature that will help it create its own floor plan considering your requests.

It Needs to be Emptied Often

Of course, emptying a vacuum on a regular basis may come as no surprise to anyone. However the situation is a bit different with a Roomba vacuum, since it’s a lot smaller and it can’t hold in too much at a time. It’s usually recommended that you empty your Roomba after each use. This way you’ll avoid them getting overfilled and it will prevent you from being interrupted from your chosen activity, in case it stops in its tracks.

It Does Make Noise

These devices are quiet, but they’re not as quiet as you’d imagine. In fact, you may not be able to fall asleep with it vacuuming the floor of your room. Your cat may not be able to sleep either. The Roomba vacuum does make a sort of noise while it vacuums and it will most certainly bump into walls and furniture. It’s not an infernal racket, but it’s something you need to be mindful of when owning this device.

It Needs Regular Cleaning

Like any other vacuum, the Roomba vacuum has brushes that tend to accumulate all the dirt and debris that gets sucked in from off the floor. The bristles of the brushes will quickly be loaded with this debris, which will considerably decrease the vacuum’s strength.

This is why you’ll need to take out the roller of your Roomba every once in a while and thoroughly remove everything that’s got caught up in the bristles of the brush. After you remove the debris, it’s recommended that you wash the brush, so the next time the Roomba vacuums the floor, it will do it completely clean.

At the end of the day, the Roomba is a compact and easy-to-use vacuuming device that’s preferred by lots of cat owners, since it easily removes cat hair, while also working according to the schedule you’ve set it to. You may find your cat will take a while to adjust to it, before it actually jumps on the Roomba and takes a ride around the home. What’s your experience with the Roomba vacuum so far? How are your cats interacting with it? Do they like riding the Roomba vacuum while it cleans your home? Share with us in the comments, so other cat lovers can find out more about this interesting device that may make your life easier and your cat’s days a lot more fun-filled.

Jenny Dean

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Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,

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