Help! P'let versus mashed potatoes and gravy!

[kiwismom]

Help,,,,,, how do you get gravy off your baby? We were eating supper, and as usual, Kiwi sits on my finger while I'm holding onto my plate and he startled and sure enough, he jumped right on top of the mashed potatoes and gravy (don't worry, it was only lukewarm) I ran him under the faucet but I'm worried it didn't get him clean enough. Any ideas how to get him clean??? He's leaving for the mountains in 3 days and he wants to look his best.

[LovelySydney]

I think that for the most part he will be able to clean himself off. He will preen and beak rub and do all that birds do to look fabulous! Don't worry, he will most likely take care of this himself.

[lineola]

Birds have difficulty preening grease and oils off their feathers. If he feels greasy, you can wash him gently in a 1% solution with liquid Dawn hand dishwashing soap (that's one part Dawn to 99 parts water; it's not much). Avoid getting soap in his eyes. Then he has to be rinsed thoroughly to remove all the soap. Then gently towel dry him. It's the procedure rescuers use to clean oiled birds. Read this first:

http://www.ibrrc.org/oiled_bird_procedures.html

Maddie

[kiwismom]

I guess I'm not real worried as the gravy was made only from buttermilk and cream of chicken, with no chicken droppings, and birds do get pretty mess sometimes while eating their mash. He had just looked so pitiful! At least he smelled more like his birdie self this morning!

[aprilluv2]

Just a note maybe you can try and get him his own little birdie play stand that can sit over next to the table next to you. This way if he should be startled again there is never a chance he land in anything that may be hot.

I have seen so many birds whose owners have kept them or had them on them when they are in the dining room during meals or in the kitchen end up with burns or near drowning or getting into thigs they should not be into.

Please consider making him a safe place to enjoy meals with you.:o


April

[AcxiDenTe]

Reminds me of last week when I was having a bowl of rolo icecream, and Edy just couldn't resist being part of it, so she flew from my shoulder intothe bowl which was half melted, and got it all over chest. She jumped out of it pretty quick when noticing how cold it was, and I promptly brought her to the sink and washed off as much as I could, and then it took a couple days for her chest to look fully clean again, even after a couple good preening sessions.
Such curious little monsters, but its hilarious!