As with any living thing, proper nutrition is absolutely crucial in ensuring that our pets are healthy and well taken care of. That is a fundamental responsibility of any pet owner regardless of what they keep - be it ornamental fish, dog, cat, hamster, iguana, snake or spider.

Feeding fish, for example requires education and understanding. Many people think that to show love and care to their pets, they have to continually feed them. Overfeeding is guaranteed to pollute the tank and kill its inhabitants.

Different fish have different needs. It is our job as caregivers to see that these needs are being met. All fish, from the common Goldfish to the rarest African Cichlids need variety in their diets.

Nowadays, fish food comes in various forms for a variety of fish such as colour enhancing vegetable pellets for fancy goldfish and frozen meat pellets for South and Central American cichlids. The market for tropical fish food is quite large and there are foods for many different types of fish.

Today, a majority of US households have at least one pet cat or dog. In 2003, there were 60 million pet dogs and 75 million pet cats. These pets are more than just animals sharing our homes; they are members of the family, and require and deserve the best.

The first commercially prepared pet food was a dog biscuit introduced in England about 1860. Since then, pet foods have expanded to include canned, dry and semi-moist foods to meet a wide variety of nutritional needs. Pet owners today have a tremendous choice of products to choose from but all pet foods have one thing in common: years of effort and research have gone into each and every commercially produced pet food product in the United States to ensure it provides the proper nutrition for your pet dog or cat.

In the past, animals were kept for work and owners usually fed them on table-scraps, resulting in a host of health problems such as bone disorders, and liver and digestive tract diseases.

Nowadays, there is a unique emotional bond between humans and pets, and these animals have taken on a more important social role. People are more aware of their own health and wellness, and this awareness has transcended to their pets. Quality and safety, nutritional balance and palatability, variety and value for money, pet owner demands and convenience - these important elements for pets and their owners are paramount for the pet food industry worldwide.