I have two very messy – and very finicky cats – and if I don’t keep their living area spic and span, they retaliate (one with inappropriate scratching and, worse, one with inappropriate

peeing). I’m always looking for new ways to avoid their kitty vengeance, so I was excited to try the new hand-held Black & Decker Flex vacuum ($69.99). My girls both shed a lot, and I

usually use a powerful upright vac, so I didn’t have high hopes that the diminutive vacuum would have the power to make a dent in some of the more cat-friendly areas of my apartment. I

started at the litter box, where the 4-ft. flexible hose and long crevice attachment made it easy and super fast to clean all around it – even in that tight back corner I usually ignore.

container and dumping the immense amount of debris that had been sucked up in a mere two minutes, I changed over to the pet hair attachment for the real test. My girls love to sleep on my

micro-fiber couch, and I have tried a million different pet hair cloths, removers and rollers to try to keep it clean, to no avail. But the vacuum, whose rubbery attachment is covered with

soft little teeth that catch the fur, did a remarkably good job on my furry couch. Marta, the braver of my duo, even liked to run up against the pet attachment, so I gave her a quick

once-over too. The Flex is perfect for a pet owner – especially one with cats – and for anyone living in a small space. I was surprised at how powerful it was and am thrilled I can spend

less time lugging around my heavy, old upright and more time with my girls! SEE MORE REVIEWS ON PEOPLE PETS: Compact Cat Eye Bed is No Eye Sore Cat Teepee Gives Indoor Kitties a Taste of the

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