Happy Thanksgiving! How was your holiday? We hope it was filled with love, joy, gratitude, and lots of pie. Ours certainly was and then some! We hosted and had a blast. Emmett, Cooper, and Newt enjoyed it as much as we did, especially when they got to have their very own little Thanksgiving feast!
Anyway, as has become tradition around these parts, it’s time for our annual holiday gift guide and giveaway extravaganza. This is seriously one of my more favorite events to host all year long because I feel like it’s a small way for me to say thank you to YOU, the wonderful people who share a love of animals. If you’ve been around for the past few years, you’ll notice that this year is pared way down. Simplified. I combed through lots of pitches and product samples to pick those things that I think are truly stellar, and we start today with my favorite! Start BIG, right? 🙂
There’s that old story about a husband getting his wife a vacuum for Christmas. The joke, of course, is that no one wants a vacuum for Christmas, right? Get her something pretty, right?
Wrong!
Well, for pet lovers, anyway, a vacuum is seriously the perfect gift!
Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, ferrets… every pet (okay, probably not fish) requires a solid vacuum. They shed. They have dander. They bring in dirt and grass clippings and leaf litter. There’s litter-box-feet and treat crumbs and toy carcass.
Every pet lover needs a good vacuum.
So, fellow pet lovers, meet the brand new Panasonic vacuum designed specifically for us!
The spiel: “This vacuum features a lightweight design with powerful performance and utilizes JetForce technology which uses a unique Hour Glass shaped dust container to capture dirt. The vacuum is equipped with Pet and Reach tool kits which make cleaning quick and easy in hard-to-reach places from ceiling fans to high cabinets. For homes with pets, the vacuum includes the new Pet Glide Tool which provides agitation and vibration that glides across surfaces and easily lifts pet hair and dust from surfaces without sucking fabric and damaging material.”
The real deal:
Super easy assembly (Emmett not included).
I tested it the week leading up to Thanksgiving. We were hosting, plus we had out-of-town company staying with us, so it was kind of a risk to try a new vacuum… but it paid off! First I tried it on some toy carcass, and it picked it up plus an appalling amount of dog fur that I couldn’t even see ground into the carpet.
It also includes a uniquely-shaped pet tool that has different bristles for picking up pet fur. I tested it on Newt’s cat tree, and it worked just great!
Among the “pros” for this vacuum: It has a retractable cord. Seriously, what is it with winding vacuum cords that turns the whole thing into a knot? This one just has a button you push to retract it into the machine. It’s bagless, which I love, and it runs pretty quietly. The tools all have a specific slot, and none fell out while I was cleaning. And is it important for a vacuum to be pretty? YES! I guess not, but this one sure is!
As far as “cons” I feel like this is nitpicking, but for a “lightweight” vacuum it’s not as light as others that I’ve tried in the past. But it certainly wasn’t as heavy as the old vacuum we had, which was a beast to drag up and down the stairs. This one went up and down, no problem.
Seriously, this is my top recommendation for a pet lover. It works on carpet and hard floors. It’s ON SALE for Black Friday today (under $100, no joke), so if you’re torn on what to get the pet lover in your life, this is it!
And, thanks to Panasonic’s generosity, in addition to the one they sent to us to test, one of YOU can win your very own Pet-Friendly Bagless vac from Panasonic!
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Sometimes the widget takes a few seconds to load. If you’re reading this via email or in a feed reader, you might have to click the link.
Love it as much as I do? Click here to purchase today!
Thank you, Panasonic, for so generously offering this giveaway, and thank YOU for being here and sharing in the start of the holiday season with us!
{{Psst… Come back tomorrow when we celebrate small businesses with more pet-friendly gift guide suggestions and product reviews!}}
Anna says
11•27•15 at 2:45 pmI would LOVE this vacuum… all I have is a cheapo I got a few years ago. I have a dog of my own, and have just recently started fostering, and my old vacuum just can’t keep up. With the holidays, I can’t afford to buy myself a new one… so here is hoping I win!
Murphy & Stanley says
11•27•15 at 2:53 pmWe think mom would look good pushing a purple vacuum. We aren’t scared of the vacuum. She always has to tell us to move BOL!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Shannon says
11•27•15 at 2:58 pmSounds like a nice vacuum. I’d really love it if Emmett was included!
Kristen Vance says
11•27•15 at 2:58 pmMy vacuum is dying after 12 years. I bleed purple at Ben Davis. Pick me! Pick me!!!
Kim says
11•27•15 at 2:59 pmThis sounds like a great vacuum for pet owners – and both my daughter and I are each in the market for a good one, so we’ll be checking it out. Thanks for letting us know about this!
Debra says
11•27•15 at 3:06 pmI do like the bagless vacuums and the retractable cord sounds great. We currently use a Shark mainly but it’s kind of a PIA to empty.
Ann says
11•27•15 at 3:08 pmScout and the cats would be so grateful if I won because I am making them learn to clean up after themselves. We have a long way to go on this training, but I told them they either have to learn this or get shaved!
Stacy says
11•27•15 at 3:14 pmI TOTALLY need a new vacuum! Paws crossed!
Sam Ratcliffe says
11•27•15 at 3:19 pmThree dogs, tons of hair…oh my dog I need this in my life!
Jennifer A says
11•27•15 at 4:49 pmI’d like to win because our roommates used our vacuum and it’s never worked the same since. I would love to win a new, and MUCH BETTER, one!
Becky says
11•27•15 at 4:59 pmWould love to clean up the dog hair. Have really loved having you and Emmet as my calendar pin-ups this month. Thanks!
Lisa J says
11•27•15 at 5:00 pmI have four pups. Lots of hair, leaves and other outside fun always. Would love this vacuum.
Kristen says
11•27•15 at 5:08 pmOh!! I could so use this! I have 2 Great Pyrenees and a mutt that do nothing but bark and shed! 😉
Sharon Gilbert says
11•27•15 at 5:44 pmI would like to win a PANASONIC vacuum because Schooner and Skipper always have their cousin dogs visiting us. We have a total of 5 dogs in the house and we have hair all over the house. We are always babysitting Luke, Leia and Harley spending the weekends with us. We have an old sweeper too!
Lindsay says
11•27•15 at 5:50 pmOh my gosh. With Ace the Lab mix and two cats, I can never vacuum enough. We would LOVE a new vacuum!
Michelle Hupfer says
11•27•15 at 5:52 pmI would rather spend money on something other than vacuum bags; so a bagless vacuum would be perfect! I would love to win this and try it out.
Erin says
11•27•15 at 8:06 pmYou’re right, winding cord is a pain in the backside! I wish I had a vacuum like this with a retractable cord!
Linda Szymoniak says
11•27•15 at 10:54 pmWith four dogs and three cats, I’m always having to vacuum. I use too many bags in my old vacuum cleaner, whch is old and doesn’t the best.
dawn says
11•28•15 at 2:30 amYou had me at retractable cord. It’s my biggest pet peeve when I vacuum. I’m glad someone finally decided that was a good design idea.
Scott says
11•28•15 at 2:43 amAfter the difficult year you’ve had I hope the love of your blog followers has helped you in some small way. It’s fantastic to see you back in action with the annual giveaway – yes for the free stuff – but more so to see that you’re able to keep on trucking after loss. Thanks for sharing your story with us and for all you do!
Cheryl says
11•28•15 at 5:25 amI would love to win a bagless, pet-friendly vacuum so I can easily keep my floors clean of dog hair and more.
Hanna says
11•28•15 at 9:30 amThis post made me think of my sister immediately, as she has an old vacuum, and a new, cute shedding rescue dog!
Melissa says
11•28•15 at 9:41 amI feel like having a bagless vacuum is something that most people take for granted now-a-days. I have to say, buying bags for mine is atrocious both in its time-wasting and environmentally unfriendliness. Not to mention the extra cost.
But it was never a problem before I rescued Baby. Now those bags are full after five minutes. Dogs. Sigh. <3 (I do it all for you, Baby, I do it all for you.)
Jackie Bouchard says
11•28•15 at 10:41 amThey look so cute in their bandanas! We have a fairly new vacuum so I’ll let others enter, but speaking of men giving their wives a vacuum for xmas, have you ever seen that JC Penny ad about that? It’s a long video, and of course just an ad at the end, but it’s pretty funny. The hubs and I quote from it a lot! (Just search “JC Penny the dog house” on YouTube if you want to have a laugh.)
Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom says
11•28•15 at 2:35 pmI’ve had one bagless vacuum. I hated it so much that I gave it to Goodwill and bought myself a German-made vacuum. I have only one gripe with it, but I’ve learned how to minimize the issue so now I’m very happy with it.
Erik N. says
11•28•15 at 3:24 pmGetting discarded fur out of the various crevices around here would definitely be easier with a use friendly vacuum cleaner!
Barbara says
11•28•15 at 11:02 pmSounds amazing!!!
Jenniferanne says
11•29•15 at 1:18 amWell, with three cats and two dogs, need I say more? Bagless is good and that purple color is awesome. I need this desperately!
Kathy K says
11•29•15 at 3:23 pmIt is for sure time for me to replace my Oreck, which has been a great vacuum, but it is not pet friendly as this sounds. This sure sounds like a nice replacement an waaaay cheaper than a new Oreck.
Mary Cloud says
11•29•15 at 4:09 pmI would love this because my husband just adopted two dogs and they shed a lot
Ansonia L. says
11•29•15 at 8:55 pmI want to win this because I have a cat and she sheds a lot! We are 3 vacuums in and they aren’t exactly pet hair friendly.
Sarah B says
11•29•15 at 11:17 pmThis looks awesome!
Rachel says
11•30•15 at 8:46 ami would love this because bagless is so much easier and we could definitely use a new vacuum!
Ashley says
11•30•15 at 9:36 amLove that vacuum! I would love it to help make a dent in the fur collection from 3 animals!!!
ellie says
11•30•15 at 9:43 amthis would be amazing to have! my old vacuum cleaner does not work every well at all!
Christine Aiello says
11•30•15 at 10:43 amI would love to win this because all of a sudden my dog is shedding more than she ever used to. I’m finding her fur everywhere lately!
Sarah D. and Tonya Dog says
11•30•15 at 11:46 amI would love to win this because I live in a house of 9 kids, 2 adults, 2 cats, and 1 dog… Lots of hair, fur, and dirt! A bagless, pet friendly, vaccum from Panasonic like this would be put to excellent use around here!
Sarah D. and Tonya Dog says
11•30•15 at 11:48 amI would love to win this vacuum from Panasonic because I live in a house of 9 kids, 2 adults, 2 cats, and a dog. With all the dirt, hair, and fur, we could really put this to good use.
konadog says
11•30•15 at 11:55 amWhere did the ads go on this site?
Emily Endrizzi says
11•30•15 at 11:15 pmOh my goodness! I would so love to win this bagless, pet-friendly vacuum because with 2 dogs in our house we have pet hair everywhere!
DJ says
12•01•15 at 8:18 amI would love to win because we have several fur babies that shed like crazy and it would help us keep our home cleaner and help with our allergies.
dardani says
12•01•15 at 9:40 amthis would be amazing to have with all the pet hair! love bagless
Emily Smith says
12•02•15 at 10:02 pmI would love to win because we have two big dogs and three little boys. Lots of messes need a good vacuum cleaner!
Sandy Weinstein says
12•03•15 at 2:14 pmi dont have a good vac cleaner and need a new one. i have 3 little girls (dogs) that bring in all sorts of things on their feathers. they like to get into things. they take the leaves out of the planters….need one please. thank you.