A cheap robot vacuum and a long-haired cat is a losing combination

There’s a hard lesson every pet owner learns eventually: cheap robot vacuums and long-haired animals don’t mix. The author’s first budget bot was essentially “eaten by a long-haired cat” — the spinning brush got wrapped in fur until the motor stalled, and the whole thing gave out within months. It’s the kind of failure that pushes you toward models with anti-tangle brushes and stronger suction, because the savings aren’t worth it when the vacuum can’t survive the household it’s supposed to clean.