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Americans are more pet-crazy than ever. Nearly two out of every three U.S. households own a pet, with millions more adding pets every year. If you're considering adding a pet to your family, how do you decide what kind of pet is best for you?

While cats and dogs immediately jump to mind, potential pet owners should consider four key areas-health issues, residential restrictions, your level of pet experience and the work required to care for the pet.

According to WebMD, about 15 percent of us are allergic to animals. In fact, 11 million Americans are allergic to cats alone. Allergies can develop at any age, and some pets can exacerbate diseases such as asthma. One easy way to avoid such problems is by choosing to own tropical fish: A beautiful aquarium poses no allergy or asthma problems.

Residential restrictions can also affect the choice of a pet. Many rented dwellings place limits on furry animals. And it's often difficult to provide such animals with areas to run and play. But aquariums-for tropical fish, for goldfish, for turtles-can fit into any home, as there are dozens of sizes and shapes of tanks for your pets.

Before you add a pet to your family, consider how much care your new pet will require and how much experience you have with pets. Fortunately, the Internet offers a world of information and how-to guidance for the new pet owner. There are even Web sites that will walk you, step by step, through your new pet ownership experience.

Using TetraCare when setting up an aquarium is also an easy way to get children involved. Children can learn about the responsibility of keeping a pet by helping with feeding, water changes, and more, simply by following the easy steps outlined by TetraCare.

While the actual time spent maintaining an aquarium is determined by its size and complexity, aquarium ownership doesn't have to be burdensome. The average home aquarium takes no more than 20 to 30 minutes of attention each week-a small price to pay for hours of pet-keeping pleasure.

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One such program is TetraCare (www.TetraCare.com), a free, online service from Tetra, the world's leading brand of aquarium fish food. TetraCare walks the pet owner through the process of setting up and maintaining an aquarium, with fish-care e-mails, one-on-one access to aquarium experts and more.

Visit Animal Pets & Friends for more pet and animal articles.

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