Cast of Characters
(Listed more or less in order of appearance and by type.)
Indoor Animals
Bunnies
Binky: Stubborn Dwarf Dutch troublemaker
Bertha: Feral Netherland Dwarf captured in suburbia
Bertie: Netherland Dwarf brother to Rollo
Rollo: Netherland Dwarf brother to Bertie
Walter: Large-headed Checker Giant rescued from barn
Parrots
Ollie: Ill-tempered Brotogeris 'pocket parrot'
Stanley Sue: Gender-switching African grey Timneh
Dusty: Chatty author-biting Congo African grey
Other Birds
Howard: Amorous Ring-Neck dove
Chester: Non-hand-tamed canary
Elliott: Feisty canary successor to Chester
Farley: Parakeet senior citizen
Rossy: Ollie's female parakeet suitor
Reggie: Howard's male parakeet suitor
Sophie: Demure female parakeet
Tillie: Visiting dove
Weaver: Special guest starling
Cats
Penny: Grey reclusive female intended as Binky's friend
Agnes: Bold outdoors-woman discovered under bird feeder
Outdoor Animals
Ducks
Daphne: Muscovy from auto parts parking lot
Phoebe: Black and White Cayuga smitten by wanderlust
Martha: Blue Swede with ear-splitting voice
Peggy: Heroic Call Duck protector of Chloe
Chloe: Mallard who learned to limp
Blabby and Wing Ding: 'Smelly' Call Duck delinquents
Stewart: Khaki Campbell brother to Trevor
Trevor: Khaki Campbell brother to Stewart
Marybelle, Clara, and Gwelda: Unexpected mixed-duck offspring
Hector: Cantankerous shoulder-sitting Muscovy
Richie: Richmond Pond foundling
Timmy: Unexpected son of Richie
Geese
Liza: Lap-sitting African goose sister to Hailey
Hailey: Slightly less friendly sister to Liza
Turkeys
Hazel: Victim of sneak attack
Lizzie: Presumed perpetrator of sneak attack
And two that remain nameless
Ordinary Humans
Bob Tarte: Put-upon author
Linda Tarte: Long-suffering wife to unfortunate author
Joan Smith: Sister to victimized author
Rupert Murdoch: Non-billionaire duck breeder
Jacob Lestermeyer: Operator of petting zoo/meat market
LuAnne Grady: Owner of indoor orphan Green-Winged Teal
Bill Holm: Mocking yuppie friend of pathetic author
Marge and George Chedrick: DNR-affiliated animal rehabbers
Lettered Humans
Alanson Benedict, DVM: "So you've been badmouthing our practice"
Katherine Stallings, DVM: Prescriber of questionable ointments
Michael Hedley, DVM: Amiable zoo consultant genius
Alice Colby, DVM: Doesn't do turkeys
Owen Fuller, DVM: Avian expert extraordinaire
John Carlotti, DVM: Made Howard a collar
Carl Glaser, MD: "Do you hear voices?"
Jerold Rick, MD: Heartless hippie shrink
