Robot vacs are a great way to pick up loose pet hair before it becomes embedded in carpets. Run them daily or every other day for the best results to help capture shed hair and whatever dirt and debris our favorite furry friends trek throughout. However, they don't work on stairs or elevated surfaces. With pets around you'll also want to consider options with advanced obstacle detection for the errant toy or worse, accident, sprinkled about the house. Auto-empty stations also help automate the cleaning task so you'll only need to clean out the collected debris, for one less thing to have to baby-, we mean, pet-sit.

Many vacuums that aren't specifically marketed for pet hair work just fine, but the main features that qualify as the best pet vacuums are strong suction, excellent filtration, and specialized cleaner heads and attachments. 

Consult your user manual for the most accurate information, but most models can benefit from regular filter cleaning, checking the brushroll for blockages, and removing any debris that's built up.