Dodger Girl- The most AMAZINGvacuum I have ever used is the Dyson "Animal".
It''s expensive, but WHOA- it makes your carpet look like you just had it cleaned. It was specially engineering for pet hair and it works wonders.
I highly recommend this product. It is expensive, but worth every penny.
You can find good deals for this on e-bay. In stores it sells for about $500.