It's not that I despise vacuuming, but with our yellow lab in the house, we've got furballs rolling around like tumbleweeds if we don't drag the vacuum out twice a day.

So after hearing that iRobot makes a robotic Roomba vacuum especially for pets, we decided to give it a try. It turns out that our Roomba is a tough little machine that cleans our floors better than a human (at least the ones in our household). If iRobot just adds a wagging tail, it might even earn 'favorite pet' status.

If you haven't heard of the Roomba, it's basically a dinner-plate sized disc, a few inches tall, that sounds like a kid's radio-controlled car. It relentlessly scours your floor plan, avoiding stairs and other hazards, and is smart enough to return to its charging station when its battery is low. You can even schedule it to clean when you're not home. The machine's low profile allows it to get under many places you normally never vacuum, and its side brushes allow it to clean tight corners and baseboards. If it ever does get tripped up on something, it stops and gives you a polite beep.

iRobot makes different models for just about every floor type and cleaning chore, including the floor-washing "Scooba" and the industrial-grade "Dirt Dog". We bought one of the new model 562 Pet Series Roombas, which includes a high-capacity debris bin.

Check out their site and you'll get 3.0% Cash Back, a free gift with any Roomba or Scooba Purchase (up to a $130) value, plus free shipping.