Posted By ThorBunny on 8/23/2018 6:58 AM

I have a Shark vacuum (I think the NV501). We had it before we got Thor, but I’m honestly very happy with how it’s held up against the constant fur and hay onslaught. Nice thing is it comes with a detachable hose, and lots of attachments (including pet fur roller) so you can get into little nooks and crannies. The hose does clog sometimes if I vacuum up lots of large pieces of hay, although that has been less of a problem since I switched to 3rd cut Timmothy.

I’m not sure how its sound compares to other vacuums however, Thor has never been fussed about noises (in fact she chases the Shark vacuum around like its a toy). It’s certainly not uber loud, but it’s not uber quiet either.

Good luck! Vacuuming is the bane of all bunny ownership…

Shark vacs look pretty good overall – there are a lot of nooks and crannies in my small apartment. The NV680 can be had for $126 refurbished (not including tax and protection plan) from the manufacturer via Amazon, so I might look into that. The NV501 runs for $175-$200 depending on source.

Aren’t Shop-Vacs really, really LOUD, though? I have one (though I haven’t used it in some time) and I remember it made a heck of a lot of noise.

Posted By Q8bunny on 8/24/2018 6:53 AM

It’s too soon for me to shop around for a vac yet, but I’d definitely go with one that is officially prepared for pet hair lol So I would consider an attachment for that purpose a promising thing

That’s one reason why I’m looking at Shark vacuums – they all seem to have specially designed and purposed attachments for picking up pet hair. Though, in the case of bunnies, usually it’s the hay that’s the real issue. As I found a couple of small pieces of hay in my lunch today, the issue is approaching critical mass.

I just found the NV501 for $175.99 at Best Buy’s site (not sure if this price is online-only or also in-store). I’ll go by this weekend, maybe even today after work, to check on it; it’s currently in stock at my local Best Buy so if I like what I see when I get there and look at it I’ll likely buy it. I was considering the refurbished NV680 but buying new may be better.

Update: Bought the NV501. The store price was $6 higher but I showed them the site price and they brought it down. It was quite easy to assemble, more so than my old Bissell. Let’s hope the buns don’t get spooked too badly when I turn it on; I remember reading here some time ago that it helps to start vacuuming as far away from them as possible and keep yourself between the bunnies and the vacuum at all times.

Well, I actually tested the new Shark this morning. Even a quiet vacuum will make an unpleasant noise, and Panda and Fernando scooted for the safety of the hidey boxes/litterbox in their condo cage immediately. They recovered their equilibrium within minutes of the machine’s shutting off, though. I think I just need to get them used to it by using it regularly henceforth. (The Shark picked up a LOT of hay dust and fragments; it’s marketed specifically for handling pet fur and allergens.)