Poor Arthur is so traumatized by the vacuum cleaner.

[Siwsan]

He runs out to the enclosed porch when I vacuum the den and out to the sun room when I vacuum the rest of the floors.

Today I found him looking absolutely terrified, crouched in the corner of the enclosed porch. It broke my heart to see him like that but I'd already put off vacuuming while Freya was here. I gave him a reassuring cuddle and he's about to get some treats.

Can't wait to get rid of this carpet so I can, for the most part, just use a Swifter.

[kimbutgar]

1. My late cat used to be traumatized by the vacuum cleaner also

Would run and hide away and emerge after awhile. Even though my cat has passed away months ago when I pull out my vacuum cleaner I think of her.

[Ocelot II]

2. Poor kitty. Nature abhors a vacuum but cats abhor a vacuum even more.

Except for my late cat Leonard, who enjoyed having his belly vacuumed. Go figure.

[2naSalit]

3. The last cat to grace my abode...

Couldn't have cared less about the vacuum cleaner. He was kind of annoyed at the sound but he didn't care if it was right next to him, on or off. That's rather unusual.

Poor Arthur. I hope he grows to fear it less.

[MuseRider]

4. In our house it is the dogs who are terrified.

They run for their lives. We call the vacuum "The BIG Mean Scary" and the dust mop (the scariest of the two) the little mean scary. Big dogs, brave dogs go to pieces if I sweep near them. If you do not want them to mess with something just put a "mean scary" near it and they make a wide berth. It is hysterical. I can keep them out of the kitchen if I am cooking with one at each door. You say the words and they evacuate the area. I have no idea why, it started with our biggest, 80 pound dog and I think the others have just accepted that he knows the score.

[Ocelot II]

6. Vacuums can be used to pet-proof your Christmas tree.

[MuseRider]

8. Now there is a good use!

Decorate them too .

[Rebl2]

17. Lovely Christmas tree

and adornments 😊

[Walleye]

5. Truth be told I hate and fear the vacuum cleaner as well

[Polly Hennessey]

7. King Arthur sees the dragon.

Edict has been issued for Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain to ride to the rescue. However, King Arthur may give you all the credit for when the dragon retreats to the closet Siwsan is victorious.

[SheltieLover]

13. Hahaha!

Good one!

[piddyprints]

9. Get a robot.

Luna loves to ride ours and it doesn’t scare any of the cats like the regular vacuum does.

[wnylib]

10. Ember was terrified of the vacuum cleaner, too.

But she got over it on the same day that she conquered my hair dryer.

She used to watch me from a distance when I dried my hair. One day after I turned off the hair dryer and put it down, Ember ran up to it, gave it a few swats, and ran off before it could fight back.

Later, when I opened the closet where I keep the vacuum cleaner, she rushed up to it, gave it a couple hard slaps, and jumped up to higher ground to watch it.

Ever since then, she goes to a high perch where the evil floor monster can't reach her, and watches as it moves around.

It's the noise that is so upsetting to them. Cats' hearing is sharper than ours. Imagine what a recording of a lion's roar would sound like to us if turned up to full volume right next to us. Besides hurting their ears, it sounds very threatening.

You could try leaving the vacuum cleaner out for a while to let Arthur be around it when it is quiet. Let him explore it. Toss a toy next to it. He might get over his fear of it and end up just disliking the noise. He can go under a bed or into another room then to avoid the noise, but at least not be so terrified.

[Siwsan]

11. Madoc takes to a perch to watch me vacuum

Gryff disappears but he doesn't like any even kind of loud noise. Once I'm done he comes sauntering out.

Poor Arthur, though. He was quite literally cowering in the corner.

I'm going to leave the vacuum in the living room, tonight. As soon as I get back from voting I'm going to finish the rest of the floors.

[wnylib]

12. Here's how terrified Ember was of the vacuum cleaner.

My kitchen cupboards, upper and lower, plus counter top, are aligned along walls that come together in a corner. Underneath the lower cupboards is a 4" high vinyl strip as a border between the cupboard and the floor. Previously unknown to me, the corner where the vinyl meets has empty space behind it. But Ember had discovered that it exists and that she could push her way through the vinyl into that hidden space.

I was using the vacuum's wand attachment to do corners in the kitchen when suddenly a paw came out from behind the vinyl border, slapped the vacuum cleaner, and disappeared again. I turned off the machine and tried to coax Ember out from a space that I had not even known existed before then. But she would not budge.

I put the vacuum away, opened a can of tuna, and put some on the floor. She poked her head out, sniffing, but would not budge. It took a lot of soft talking and some tuna on my finger slipped into the empty space before Ember slowly came out. She was still shaking with fear.

Ember does not like to be held, so I couldn't assure her with hugs, only with kisses and scritches to head and ears.

Later, I let her spend some time around the vacuum to reduce her fear of it. Then I blocked the entrance to that hidden space to keep Ember from disappearing on me. She was so tiny then that she could squeeze into any spot and leave me frantic about where she was.

[SheltieLover]

14. Can you lock him in a bedroom while you vac, so he doesn't have to witness the monster?

Hugs & scritches to King Arthur!

[Siwsan]

15. I should try putting him in the room where he and his siblings slept

It's the furthest from the main floor (split level house).

Thanks for the suggestion!

[SheltieLover]

16. Yw!

Poor baby.

[Rebl2]

18. All of my

cats have been terrified by vacuums. One was somewhat courageous enough to try to kill the beast by biting the electric cord. Not smart move, but he seemed to know that’s how the beast got its power!