Does Your Cat Fear the Vacuum Cleaner?

  • Thread starter Thread starter EnumaElish
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Prototype Vacuum
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reactions of cats and dogs to vacuum cleaners and other machines, exploring whether these animals exhibit fear or sensitivity to their appearance and sounds. Participants share anecdotes and observations related to their pets' behaviors in response to these machines.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that certain pets, like Ms. Mimi, may be especially sensitive to the appearance and sound of vacuum cleaners.
  • There is a humorous exchange about the reactions of pets to robotic toys, with some participants questioning whether cats would react similarly to a robot dog as they do to a vacuum cleaner.
  • One participant recounts their experience with a robot dog that did not behave as expected, drawing a parallel to the unpredictability of real dogs.
  • Another participant humorously describes the vacuum cleaner as a "dreaded machine of death," noting how their pets react by hiding when it is brought out.
  • There is a discussion about how past experiences, such as a vacuum making a horrid noise when a rug got stuck, can influence a cat's fear of the machine.
  • Some participants mention that their pets exhibit fear towards various machines, not just vacuum cleaners, suggesting a broader sensitivity to mechanical objects.
  • One participant humorously notes that their dog runs to hide when they announce the arrival of the vacuum cleaner.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share similar observations about pets' fearful reactions to vacuum cleaners and other machines, but there is no consensus on the reasons behind these behaviors or the extent of the fear.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions touch on the influence of specific past experiences on pets' reactions, but these factors remain unresolved and vary among individual animals.

EnumaElish
Science Advisor
Messages
2,346
Reaction score
124
Or is Ms. Mimi especially sensitive to its appearance and sound?
 
Biology news on Phys.org
http://store.yahoo.com/e-clec-tech/robopuppy.html

Puppy terminator...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ha ha, funny! I am not sure whether a cat would react to it as it would to a dog, or to a vacuum cleaner. My guess is that the latter is likelier.
 
I used to have one of those robot dogs. it wouldn't listen and just staed up barking all night
 
it wouldn't listen and just staed up barking all night

Just like a real dog! :biggrin:
 
OMG the dreaded machine of death! Every one MUST run and hide!
When my puppy was very little the cats would grab her by the neck and force her into the safety of the underbed. Now when I open the closet, where the evil thing lives..quick glances are exchanged...run now...wait..be ready!
 
hypatia said:
OMG the dreaded machine of death! Every one MUST run and hide!
When my puppy was very little the cats would grab her by the neck and force her into the safety of the underbed. Now when I open the closet, where the evil thing lives..quick glances are exchanged...run now...wait..be ready!
That's both funny and cute, in a puppy kind of way :smile: Sounds like the cats effectively adopted her, am I correct? And what made the cats seek protection? Was it your vacuum cleaner or some monster unknown to lesser beings (the humans)?
 
I'm not sure the cats know what she is, but yes they have accepted her into the clan. The cats were not always scared of the vacuum, but I once got a rug stuck in it, and it made a horrid noise. After that, as soon as I open the closet door, they are ready to hide. Maybe they think they will get sucked up into it too?
 
Tee-hee. That's really funny. Mimi is afraid of anything that looks like a machine and/or makes a noise. Examples: ironing board (Martian war machine?), the dishwasher (machine for grinding up pots, plates, and silverware with its horrid clanky teeth?).
 
  • #10
We tell our dog "Sucky is coming" and she runs to her pen to hide.
 
  • #11
Artman said:
We tell our dog "Sucky is coming" and she runs to her pen to hide.


ROFL

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.
 

Similar threads

Vacuum cleaner series universal motor triac control board
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Undergrad How air flows through a vacuum cleaner?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad Vacuum cleaner in a weightless environment
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Vacuum entanglement: between what and what, exactly?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Light Speed in Vacuum: Does It Reach Cosmic Limit?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Undergrad Prevent a robotic cleaner from climbing on a block of iron with a magnet?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Where do spiders go when you suck them into a vacuum cleaner?
  • · Replies 51 ·
2
Replies
51
Views
23K
How do wet/dry vacuum cleaners work? What is the physics behind them?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
7K
High School Does the Torricelli Vacuum Experiment Prove the Strength of Vacuum Forces?
  • · Replies 39 ·
2
Replies
39
Views
7K
Undergrad Sound pressure level at vacuum cleaner and earphones
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K