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[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Sept
26-27, 1998
Featuring Toby the Amazing Prairie Dog
from
Pawprint
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The
Interview
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TOBY: My humans call me amazing because I am! Actually, I guess the amazing part comes from the fact that I have my own web site about exotic pets. Not every prairie dog can use a computer. ----------------- Wyman: What are your nicknames? TOBY: Sometimes, my rather strange humans call me Toby Won Kenobi or The Tobinator. Go figure... ----------------- Wyman: How old are you in human years and in prairie dog years? TOBY: I'm three and a half years old. Pet prairie dogs live up to 12 years, but my wild cousins don't live that long. ----------------- Wyman: What do prairie dogs eat in the wild? TOBY: Prairies don't have lots of good eats, so we're opportunistic feeders. That means we'll eat pretty much whatever we find! Mostly grasses and shrubby vegetation. ----------------- Wyman: They don't make Purina Prairie Dog Chow, do they? What do you eat at home? TOBY: I get all the grass hay I want. I also get 2 or 3 rodent blocks a day and some fresh leafy greens or vegetables. Dandelion greens and kale are my favorites. Other than that, my humans are pretty stingy with the food. They say it's for my own good, but I'm not so sure I agree with that! Sometimes, I steal a bite from the cat's food dish. ----------------- Wyman: I guess special food is easy to get your paws on, since your humans own an exotic pet business. Where's it located and what's it like? TOBY: Pawprint is in Seattle, Washington and sells specialty foods and supplies for small and exotic mammals, mostly by mail-order. Appropriate food and other items for unusual critters can be pretty hard to find, so my humans ship all over North America. Pawprint is also a USDA Licensed Breeder, so there are lots exotic critters here. ----------------- Wyman: You also have a website at http://www.nwlink.com/~pawprint Tell us about everything available there. TOBY: There's a lot about exotic pets like sugar gliders, hedgehogs, short tailed opossums, degus, prairie dogs (of course!) and other critters - including care recommendations and background information. There's also a photo gallery and areas covering nutrition, choosing a new furry friend and other topics critter considerations. Our catalog of specialty foods and supplies is also there. ----------------- Wyman: What is your role in the business and the website? TOBY: As Pawprint's Official Spokespet, I'm a pretty busy prairie dog. I'm the on-line host for our web site. I help write a quarterly newsletter for Pawprint. In fact, I have my own column. In addition, I'm the head product tester here at Pawprint, but I get help from the other critters. Also, my humans attend lots of pet shows and usually I go along. If I ever figure out how to answer the phone, I could probably run Pawprint all by myself! ----------------- Wyman: As a Dachshund, I can admire your ability to wrest control of the business from your humans. What other exotic creatures are you in charge of? TOBY: This place is pretty much a zoo. My humans raise sugar gliders, chinchillas, degus, Richardson's ground squirrels and pygmy mice. And, there are hedgehogs, short tailed opossums, rats, a rabbit and some other critters here. My humans also plan to get a few other animals, but they won't tell me what. They probably don't want me to get jealous. -----------------  Wyman:
Who's the most popular creature besides yourself at Pawprint? TOBY: Anyone who sees a pygmy mouse is amazed by them. They're only about one inch long. That's pretty tiny. The chinchillas are also pretty neat and I like them. But, the sugar gliders are probably the most popular. The fact that they glide is pretty cool. I have to admit I can't soar from one side of the room to the other and land on your shoulder! ----------------- Wyman: Sounds like a lot of fun, but have you ever had an unpleasant experience with any of the new pets or strangers? TOBY: Prairie dogs and rabbits do NOT like each other, so the bunny here is in a different room and we're never loose at the same time. I'm sure she is nice and all, but I still have my wild instincts. Rabbits and hares eat the same things prairie dogs do, so in the wild we wouldn't live near each other. Also, we prairie dogs are territorial. We don't like strangers in our space. That includes rabbits AND humans. If a strange human come into my room, I'm not very happy about it. ----------------- Wyman: What are your favorite treats? TOBY: Almost anything my humans give me other than hay and rodent blocks. But I really, really, really like peanuts! They are my absolute favorite. Better than sunflower seeds. Better than pine nuts. Even better than the cat's food. ----------------- Wyman: I can tell you're quite obsessed with peanuts. Can you ever get enough? TOBY: If I could, that's all I'd eat day and night until a giant pile of peanut shells surrounded me. There was one time I managed to get out of my cage when my humans weren't around, so I had free access to the peanuts! My humans thought the peanut jar was well hidden, but they aren't very clever. The put them on the top shelf in my room. I guess they didn't remember climbing a few shelves is no problem for me! So I did. But I knocked the jar off the shelf and followed it right to the floor. What happened next is a bit fuzzy. I think I must have landed on my face because I broke my front teeth. ----------------- Wyman: So what did they do about your broken front teeth? TOBY: I went to the vet, who sedated me and filed down all my teeth. Being a rodent, my teeth grow continually. By filing them all down, they'd all be the same length when my top teeth grew back. Luckily, they grew back quickly, and it wasn't long before I was plotting new ways to get those peanuts! My humans laugh about it, but dental problems in rodents can become serious. Any pet rodent who has a dental problem should see a vet immediately! ----------------- Wyman: Have your humans ever run out of peanuts and left you in the lurch? TOBY: They wouldn't dare. ----------------- Wyman: How do you get attention if you start to get lonely? TOBY: I'm really good at begging. Not only for peanuts, but for attention. I'm not in my cage very much, but when I am, all I need to do is bark. It sounds a lot like a small dog barking. In fact, that's why we're called prairie dogs. When I do that, my humans always come running. I have them well trained. When I'm let out of my cage, I crawl into a lap for a long snuggle session. ----------------- Wyman: What are some of the benefits of having a prairie dog or an exotic pet? TOBY: Many unusual critters make great pets. Some, like prairie dogs, become extremely friendly. They also bring a bit of "the wild" into your home. For most humans interested in exotic pets, this is a big attraction. ----------------- Wyman: But having one isn't for everyone, right? TOBY: No, they aren't. My humans like to say that unusual pets are not hamsters. That seems obvious to me, but it's a good point. It's important to know a lot about an unusual critter before deciding to get one. That's true with any new pet, but especially with exotics. All unusual pets have unusual care requirements. If you don't know what those are before you get a new pet, you won't know if you can provide what is needed...or if you really want to! There's also that wild thing I was talking about. Exotic pets aren't domesticated. If we were, we wouldn't be exotic! People need to understand and respect our wild sides. We have a whole area on our website called "Pet Particulars" about deciding to share your home with an exotic pet. ----------------- Wyman: You're getting ready to take your show on the road aren't you? TOBY: My humans are attending two pet shows next month. On October 3 and 4, they're going to the Unique Animal Expo at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon. Then, on October 17 and 18, they'll be at the Northwest Captive Breeders Expo at the Puyallup Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington. ----------------- Wyman: What kind of fun do you have there? TOBY: Even though I don't like strangers in MY space, in public I'm extremely outgoing and like meeting all the people. I also like hearing how cute I am. I know that already, but it's nice to hear from total strangers! I won't be at the Unique Animal Expo in Albany, though, because prairie dogs can't be kept as pets in Oregon. ----------------- Wyman: On the lighter side, do you ever get to dig in the dirt? TOBY: My humans used to have a "dirt box," but I never used it. Too much work. Besides, I've already got a spacious home with a sleeping box, a litter box and lots of different levels. That's almost like having a whole tunnel system without all the work of digging! My humans give me lots of toys and other stuff to keep me entertained. ----------------- Wyman: Besides the treat jar episode, have you ever been a 'bad dog'? TOBY: I think I'll pass on this question. TOBY'S HUMANS: Hahahaha! There was one time when -- TOBY: Why don't we go to the next question? ----------------- Wyman: I think I'd like to hear this. TOBY'S HUMANS: Actually, he's usually very well-behaved. I think his Big Dental Adventure taught him a lesson. Like any prairie dog he sometimes tries to gnaw on the furniture or "graze" the carpet. But, he knows what the word "no" means. Sometimes, however, he chooses to ignore us. Like a cat. ----------------- Wyman: Speaking of cats, love 'em or hate 'em? TOBY: I admire their well developed talent at ignoring humans. Sometimes I wish I was better at it! TOBY'S HUMANS: Except when we have a peanut for you. TOBY: Well, yeah, not then. Bailey the Cat, who also lives here at Pawprint, is pretty nice. He does, after all, let me share his food sometimes. Bailey and I also play chase and once in a while curl up together for a short nap. Bailey never comes into the Animal Room, though. He won't admit it, but I think he's afraid of the sugar gliders. ----------------- Wyman: Any final words of advice for anyone considering getting a prairie dog or an exotic pet? TOBY: You should talk to other humans and see what the animal will REALLY be like as a pet. That's as important as knowing how to care for the critter. My humans are always willing to answer those kinds of questions. Also, get your new pet from a reputable, knowledgeable source. Anyone who sells exotic mammals is required by law to be licensed by the USDA. So, make sure the seller has a license. That helps assure you're getting a healthy, happy pet. Finally, when you get any new pet, remember he deserves the best care possible for his entire life. ----------------- The above interview took place via email with David Flack taking dictation for Toby the Amazing Prairie Dog, and Dale Taylor taking dictation for Wyman--whom, of course, is just a cartoon character. If you know of a pet or animal that's a true star on the internet and should be a featured guest please email Wyman . Guest stars are not limited to dogs but open to anyone. Please note there is a very long waiting list, but Monica Lewinsky, Liz Phair, or Douglas Adams will be bumped to the front. |
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