Pet Life - What Were You Thinking - (651) 925-0663

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 24 Rats!

tomdock@myvnn.com — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:09:18 GMT

Rats get a bad rap. At least pet rats do. But 'fancy rats' are affectionate, intelligent creatures that can even learn to recognize their names. They are easy to care for, quiet, and neat, which makes them ideal companions for apartment dwellers. Chris Divelbiss talks to Bob about the 30 rats that rule his and his wife Clara's lives, and he contributes lots of tips for keeping the rodents happy and healthy. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -Rats with Bob Tarte

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 23 The Particulars About Pocket Pigs

tomdock@myvnn.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:25:17 GMT

How do you tell if an African pygmy hedgehog doesn’t like you? It might roll itself up into a ball and hop away. Jill Warnick has been breeding these pocket pigs since 1995 and tells Bob what great pets they make. Hedgehogs are inquisitive, can be affectionate if socialized at an early age, aren’t difficult to care for -- and what animal on earth is cuter? More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -If You Find a Baby Bird, with Bob Tarte

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 22 If You Find a Baby Bird

tomdock@myvnn.com — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:41:42 GMT

It's the season when wild birds are nesting and raising their young. But what do you do if you find a baby bird on the ground? Bob and Linda describe the steps you need to take to keep the bird alive until you can get it to a licensed rehabber. Included are valuable tips on syringe-feeding a special formula to baby birds every two hours consisting of 1.5 cups of kitten chow, 1 jar of chicken baby food, three drops of liquid vitamins, and enough water to turn this into the consistency of yogurt in your blender. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep22.html" > MP3 Podcast -If You Find a Baby Bird, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 22 If You Find a Baby Bird

tomdock@myvnn.com — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:41:42 GMT

It's the season when wild birds are nesting and raising their young. But what do you do if you find a baby bird on the ground? Bob and Linda describe the steps you need to take to keep the bird alive until you can get it to a licensed rehabber. Included are valuable tips on syringe-feeding a special formula to baby birds every two hours consisting of 1.5 cups of kitten chow, 1 jar of chicken baby food, three drops of liquid vitamins, and enough water to turn this into the consistency of yogurt in your blender. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -If You Find a Baby Bird, with Bob Tarte

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 21 No Quibbles Over Button Quails

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:09:11 GMT

If you quail at the thought of keeping large poultry as pets, you won't quibble about the virtues of the Button Quail, also known as the Chinese Painted Quail. Ethan Teerling of Ada, Michigan shows Bob his impressive indoor coop for these mild-mannered but constantly active birds that are about the size of a chicken egg. (Their chicks resemble brown and yellow bumblebees.) He explains the quails' housing, feed, and well-being requirements -- and warns about their tendency to fly straight up in the air and bump their heads when startled. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep21.html" > MP3 Podcast -No Quibbles Over Button Quails, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 20 Are Two Pets Better Than One?

tomdock@myvnn.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:11:06 GMT

Bob and Linda respond to an email from a listener who wants to know if she should get a new companion for a duck whose mate died. When should you have at least two members of the same bird species, and when is getting a second one a bad idea? They also discuss the pros and cons of having more than one pet rabbit, and ask listeners to tell them about their favorite books about pets for an upcoming show. Your favorite can be a how-to book, an author’s account of living with animals, or even a piece of fiction. Email Bob and Linda and suggest a book. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep20.html" > MP3 Podcast -Are Two Pets Better Than One?, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 19 Make Friends With A Hen

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:29:25 GMT

As birds go, hens are fairly trouble-free as pets, as long you keep them outdoors, of course. They're more tidy than ducks and don't require a pool. And some municipalities that won't allow other 'livestock' give the okay to a backyard chicken or two. Bob and Linda discuss the winning if occasionally perplexing personalities of these personable birds, and they explain how Lucky earned her name and where the heck bantam hen Dottie was hiding when she went lost for a full day. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep19.html" > MP3 Podcast -Make Friends With A Hen, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 18 The Rarest Bird in Michigan?

tomdock@myvnn.com — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:11:18 GMT

Bob and Linda struggle through the worst Michigan February on record. And so do their animals, when an icefall from the barn roof demolishes their two outdoor pens. Fortunately, the critters were safe indoors. Prospering in the miserable weather is a Yellow-rumped Warbler which Bob considered to be unusual for the time of year, but not extraordinarily so. However, a sharp-eyed birder saw Bob's warbler photo online and tentatively identified it as the western 'Audubon' variety of the bird, which has only been recorded twice previously in Michigan. Hear the tale of an expert birder scouring the woods for 'Bob's warbler.' Can he somehow find the tiny bird that Bob hadn't seen in days? Meanwhile, Linda talks about sighting another seldom-seen bird, a Long-eared Owl, in an episode of What Were You Thinking? that's strictly for the passerines. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep18.html" > MP3 Podcast -The Rarest Bird in Michigan?, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 17 Spooky, Bossy, Sneaky, and Quacky

tomdock@myvnn.com — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:00:47 GMT

Where did that recording go? Bob talks to Georgiana Kotarski, author of the book “Ghosts of the Southern Tennessee Valley,” about her many flesh-and-blood animals, including a ‘practice cow,’ an escape artist donkey, and the inevitable house duck. Bob begins the show with a short excerpt from Georgiana’s forthcoming book about her critters, “Canoeing with Cows.” The excerpt hilariously describers her fear of chickens as a little girl. But the truly scary question is, what happened to the podcast that Bob recorded with her the previous day? It came out blank when Bob tried to play it back. Have ghosts been messing with Georgiana again? More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep17.html" > MP3 Podcast -Spooky, Bossy, Sneaky, and Quacky, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 16 My Chinny, Chin, Chin

tomdock@myvnn.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:27:30 GMT

Elaine Campbell talks to Linda about her pet chinchilla Danny Boy and explains that chins have a somewhat delicate constitution. She offers tips on keeping your chinchilla happy and healthy and also describes chin vocalizations. Danny Boy, in fact, is so vocally expressive, that Elaine is considering teaching him to ‘talk’ at the same time that she trains her Senegal parrot. She also tells Linda about a possum she befriended and details how she rescued him after he took a spill from her roof. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep16.html" > MP3 Podcast -My Chinny, Chin, Chin, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 15 The Zero-Degree Weather Show

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:17:45 GMT

Bob and Linda had intended to talk about African grey parrots the whole half-hour. But everything seems harder to accomplish when the weather is cold, and it’s zero degrees in Michigan. So, instead of rambling on about the greys, they discuss the drudgery of doing winter duck chores, while Bob reports a successful heater installation in the barn to safely keep poultry and waterfowl spirits up. Linda tells of a woodpecker population explosion on the ‘suet tree’ outside the back door and follows up on last week’s mouse report. Finally, Bob and Linda describe the cheap and easy parrot toys they’ve been making just in time to bring the show to an end as outdoor temperatures climb to a balmy 12 degrees. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep15.html" > MP3 Podcast -The Zero-Degree Weather Show, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 14 Pests, Pests, and More Pests

tomdock@myvnn.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:07:05 GMT

It’s an episode you’ll be telling your great, great grandchildren you heard! Book Character Bill Holm (featured in Bob’s books Enslaved by Ducks and Fowl Weather) hijacks the show with the help of Marcia Davis, under the guise of offering suggestions to increase Bob’s audience. They lock Bob out of his house and exclude animals from the first half of the episode. In the second half, Bob and Linda apologize for Bill and Marcia’s pesky intrusion and spend the remainder of the show discussing animal pests. Bob reads a short selection from Fowl Weather about a mouse nest in their dining room, Linda talks about mice eating her car’s O2 sensors, and the episode wraps up with the tale of the sighting of Nosy, an unusual short-tailed shrew. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep14.html" > MP3 Podcast -Pests, Pests, and More Pests, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 13 Duck Diapers, Boas, and Geckoes

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:58:09 GMT

Bob invited April Rousseau on What Were You Thinking? to talk about her pet ball pythons and fat-tailed gecko. Instead, Bob and April open the show discussing duck diapers. Yes, such things do exist, and April knows all about intimate apparel for waterfowl. In addition to the lizards that light up her life, she also keeps an indoor white Pekin duck named Kamikaze Duck, or KD duck, for short. In addition to giving us the lowdown on KD’s personal habits, April describes the eating predilections of pythons and geckoes and explains why you should never leave crickets in the cage with your gecko for an extended length of time. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep13.html" > MP3 Podcast -Duck Diapers, Boas, and Geckoes, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 12 A Healer for House Pigeons on Pet Life Radio

tomdock@myvnn.com — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:19:18 GMT

Like most people, Edie Britt had a negative attitude toward pigeons. But she changed her mind as soon as she took in her first one as a pet and discovered its affectionate nature and intelligence. That bird led to many others. Edie releases the wild pigeons that can be rehabbed, finds home for others, and keeps a few in her home to spoil. In her interview with Bob, she also talks about her collared doves (also known as ring-necks) plus her unusual gifts as a psychic medium, which help her to communicate with injured animals. This Edie Britt is no ‘desperate housewife.’ She’s a healer for house pigeons and a dove’s best friend. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep12.html" > MP3 Podcast -A Healer for House Pigeons, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 11 Janet's Ark

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:21:31 GMT

We don't know if Noah brought fish aboard his fabled ark, but when Linda and Bob visited Janet Twesten's house, they marveled at her saltwater and freshwater aquariums. (Or did Noah pluralize them 'aquaria'?) Linda talks to Janet about her fish and marine invertebrates, inquires about her lizard pets, and straight from the horse's mouth gets the skinny on her smarty–pants equine pets. Who knew that horses were such accomplished escape artists, or that they played tricks on one another? It's a full house at Janet's — and we haven't even mentioned her pet birds. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep11.html" > MP3 Podcast -Janet's Ark , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 10 Orriel The Oriole

tomdock@myvnn.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:41:35 GMT

What would an aria sound like if a chicken sang opera? This isn’t a rhetorical question. Classically trained vocalist Orriel Smith joins Bob to crow about her CD, “The World’s Favorite Cluckoratura Arias,” which interprets classical operatic selections as a hen -- and in one case, as a hen and a cat -- might have performed them. Orriel also talks about her folk singing years in the flower power era, her appearance as a harem girl on “The Jack Benny Show,” getting dragged around by German shepherds in a movie, plus other weird and wonderful topics. You’ll thrill to snippets from her “Cluckoratura” CD. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep10.html" > MP3 Podcast -Orriel The Oriole , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 09 Bird Rehab

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:40:22 GMT

Not everybody can have a pet. Maybe you live in the frigid north and move to a condo in the Caribbean every winter. That means you probably don’t own a cat, dog, or one of the great apes. Or maybe you just don’t want the responsibility of a year-round pet. Bob and Linda Tarte sympathize, and on this week’s show they talk about a way to get involved with birds on a short-term basis. Each summer, Linda helps the Wildlife Rehab Center raise and release orphan songbirds. (Bob helps a little.) Some birds are easy to raise and don’t require a permit. Others are a bit trickier. Hear the story of ‘Big Boy,’ the Red-bellied Woodpecker who still drops by for a visit, and the juvenile Green Heron that didn’t want to fly. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep9.html" > MP3 Podcast -Bird Rehab , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 08 Going Whole Hog

tomdock@myvnn.com — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:33:26 GMT

This week, Linda hogs the entire show with her interview of Helen Tucker, who talks about her Ossabaw Island hogs, Dusty and Rusty, which she obtained from George Washington's birthplace. These smaller-than-average pigs are a heritage breed which dates back 400 years when the Spanish first brought them to the New World. Fewer than 200 breeding pairs are known to exist today. And speaking of pigs, more of less, Helen also tells Linda about her Hog Island sheep, a very hardy domesticated breed once widespread in the Colonial Era but extremely rare today. Helen entertains Linda with tales of runaway pigs and tips on feeding Popsicles to a hog. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep8.html" > MP3 Podcast -Going Whole Hog , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 07 Slow But Steady Wins the Race

tomdock@myvnn.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:25:55 GMT

Do you root for the tortoise or the hare? This week turtles get their due as Bob interviews Lisa Frankland, the secretary of the Rio Grande Turtle and Tortoise Club [http:// www.rgttc.org]. Lisa talks about turtles as pets, including her Ornate Box Turtles and Red Eared Sliders, plus her Bearded Dragon and Kenyan Sand Boa. You’ll want a turtle of your own after spending a few minutes with Lisa. After the interview, Bob asks his wife Linda, how many mistakes can he make in a single show? Listen to his ‘outtakes’ with Lisa, and grit your teeth as he blunders even more. Why is this man on Internet radio? Because, clearly, he doesn’t belong on the airwaves. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep7.html" > MP3 Podcast -Slow But Steady Wins the Race , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 06 Happy Rehab Habitat

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:17:04 GMT

This week, Bob visits the Wildlife Rehab Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and gets a tour from Executive Director Peg Markle. Peg shows Bob some of the animals that she’s caring for, including an injured Great Blue Heron and Red-eared Slider turtle. After showing Bob around, Peg shows off husband Roger’s latest pet, an African Spurred Tortoise. Back at the Tarte house, Bob and Linda talk about some of the juvenile migratory birds that they have raised and released under sub-permit from the Wildlife Rehab Center. Bob asks that listeners consider donating money to the Center, so that Peg and Roger can continue their much needed work. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep6.html" > MP3 Podcast -Happy Rehab Habitat , with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 05 Along Came A Spider

tomdock@myvnn.com — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:00:59 GMT

Don’t squash that spider. It just needs a little love. Wade Harrell has been keeping invertebrates as pets for thirty-four years and first started keeping tarantulas fifteen years ago. He is the current president of the American Tarantula Society and keeps more than a hundred tarantulas and other arthropods in his basement. Just in time for Halloween, he joins Bob to talk about why tarantulas make good pets and also discusses the habits of the really big spiders that Bob has been seeing in his woods in West Michigan. Bob’s wife Linda shares her horrific story of her close encounter with one of those same really big spiders. Spooky! More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep5.html" > MP3 Podcast -Along Came A Spider, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 04 Do The Zoo, with Brian O'Malley

tomdock@myvnn.com — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:38:54 GMT

Maybe you don’t want a pet monkey smoking your cigars while swinging from the drapes. You might not even want a parrot eating the woodwork. One way of satisfying your craving for exotic critters without having pets of your own is volunteering at your local zoo. Brian O’Malley describes his volunteer duties at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Brian feeds macaws and sloths, raises crickets, and stays out of the way of large, serpent-like fish called arapaimas. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep4.html" > MP3 Podcast -Do The Zoo, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 03 What Were You Thinking - Shhh... We're Talkin' Wabbits

tomdock@myvnn.com — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:47:19 GMT

Proving that you don’t have to be cwazy to have a wabbit in the house, reassuringly normal Utah artist Julie Jacobsen shares her memories of family bunny Skoobit. Bob and Linda talk about traits to consider before taking home a rabbit, and why two bunnies are better than one, even if they don’t get along. Bob uses the skit that opens the show as a valuable lesson in how not to do a podcast. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep3.html" > MP3 Podcast -Shhh... We're Talkin' Wabbits, with Bob Tarte</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 02 What Were You Thinking - The Crazy Critter Lady

tomdock@myvnn.com — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:04:17 GMT

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More details on this episode MP3 Podcast -The Crazy Critter Lady -with Bob Tarte on PetLifeRadio.com]]>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 01 What Were You Thinking - From Pet-Free to Forty

tomdock@myvnn.com — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:07:40 GMT

On the premiere episode of What Were You Thinking?, author Bob Tarte (Enslaved by Ducks, Fowl Weather) and his wife Linda talk about how they went from a blissful, pet-free existence to a life of constant demand from over 40 animals. They discuss some of their first animals and extol the virtues of doves as companion birds. Linda explains how you can be a part of the show and share your experiences with birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, rabbits, tarantulas, rats… you name it! More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep1.html" > MP3 Podcast -From Pet-Free to Forty -with Bob Tarte on PetLifeRadio.com</a>

PetLifeRadio.com - Episode 00 Welcome to "What Were You Thinking?"

tomdock@myvnn.com — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:27:59 GMT

Bob Tarte welcomes everyone to his new show, "What Were You Thinking" about exotic pets, and gives a preview of what to expect in upcoming episodes. More details on this episode <a href="http://www.markiac.addr.com/PET_LIFE_RADIO/thinkep0.html" > MP3 Podcast -Introduction- Welcome To "What Were You Thinking" with Bob Tarte</a>