I have a 45$ vac from walmart that hubs got as a "throwaway for the boat" vac, and I let him take my 600$ vac to the boat and would kill to keep this one - it consistently picks up everything - its a hoover nanolite.
For kitty litter, get a cardboard box, turn it over (open end on the floor), cut out an opening, take a pc of old carpet, or indoor/outdoor carpet - bigger than the litter bx and cardboard bx and put the litter bx on it and cover over w/ the cardboard so that the cats have to jump out on the carpet to come out of the litter thru the cutout hole. sharet