Best pet vacuum cleaners tried and tested for hair today, gone tomorrow

Ever since early man got into an initially awkward and violent petting tussle with first a sabre tooth tiger and then a dire wolf, humans and certain animals have enjoyed ever-increasing degrees of comfortable domestic cohabitation.

But it’s not all companionate cloud nine. Noisy, smelly and constantly shedding, humans can be awful to live with. Plus, while ‘people’ are bumbling around the house distributing dead-skin dust everywhere they go, the dogs and cats that live with the filthy apes also have a habit of coating everything they come into contact with in a thick layer of fur that not only looks unpleasant but which can also trigger unpleasant allergies.

Like a cut-price Noah, you’ve invited a cat or dog to live in your house, but now you’re noticing the mess they make when they molt and also that you seem to have a constant cold, with itchy, watery eyes, a runny or stuffy nose, bouts of surprise sneezing and maybe even a shortness of breath – yep, you’ve got pet allergies!

Fortunately, fur is easy to deal with. Indeed, pop on a pair of Marigolds and let the palm grip pull the fur from your furnishings, ready to banish to the bin. But to truly have done with every strand of stray hair, while also dispelling health-damaging dander into the vacuum of oblivion, you need to invest in a proper, powerful pet vacuum.

With many excellent options on the market, it might prove a little bewildering when it comes to picking a particular product to tackle your pet peeve, but you can calm that confusion because, living in a house besieged by two, sometimes three, cats who shed like having fur is going out of cat fashion, I’ve been busy testing out a variety of pet-problem-targeting vacuums that make the mess vanish.

Best pet vacuum cleaners at a glance:

• Best for fur removal with a friendly face: Henry Pet - £159.99, John Lewis
• Best for not making a Miele out of pet mess: Miele 3-in-1 Triflex HX2 Cat & Dog - £599, Miele
• Best for decisive home depilation: - £699.97, Currys