Radiant

Margaret, you beat me to it. I saw this post and the first thing I thought of was a story my father had told me about his dog getting sprayed by a skunk when he was a kid. He said that the only thing that got rid of the smell was a tomato juice bath. Not sure how this would do with carpeting though. Anyways, if it worked 50 years ago, it's bound to work now!!

Oops, got the names mixed up. That last response was to NaDeana.

Hello all! My name is Kurt and I just became the proud new dad of a 3 1/2 month old Grey. I spent 3 days trying to come up with a name. I finally settled on Dobie. Let me give you some background on what I have observed with Dobie so far... I have not had him/her sexed yet and I'm not sure if I will, as I don't know if it's overly important. But for the ease of typing, I will refer to Dobie as a he. So far, Dobie seems to be adjusting to his new environment rather well. We also have cockatiel which he does not appear to like at the moment. Not sure why, possibly due to his new home. According to the breeder, he was weaned approx a week before I got him. He seems to eat well and does not appear to have lost any weight based on the simple scale that I was loaned. He really likes his water softened pellets, which I am gradually making less soft. I have treated him to some veggies and fruits which he likes to throw around after chewing on. He still occasionally does the "baby bird wanting to feed from momma bird actions". To my surprise, he seems quite social with myself, my wife and two children. Even though he likes to wrap his beak around a finger, he doesn't really bite. It seems more like teething. Also, when sitting on my shoulder, he "preens" my ear much like he would his feathers. (with the occasional attempt at finding something in my ear) All told, I think he is well behaved. He even likes to cuddle in a sense, by burying his head under a chin or in a blanket/towel. (Sticking his butt right up in the air) I'm sure there is more which I haven't stated here, but if there is anything I should have provided, please ask. Although I have been going over as much info as I can, I still have some questions which I would like to get 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinions on. 1. At 3 1/2 months, should I be feeding him "baby food" or just continue with pellets and veggie/fruit treats? 2. How often should he be fed? (currently he gets breakfast, lunch and dinner) 3. What behaviors should I watch for when feeding that might indicate he is getting enough, not getting enough or is even at the right stage to accept certain food items? 4. What is an appropriate and effective method of potty training? 5. What is a safe wood to make a fun and interesting perch/gym for him to play on? 6. Is it a good idea to play a CD with sounds/phrases that I would eventually like him to say or mimic? (while we are at work and school) 7. Should his cage be covered when we put him to bed? 8. What are the best and most informative links on the internet for African Greys? I know I have more questions, I just can't think of them right now. Any advice and information would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to make any mistakes that would cause harm to my new found friend.