Bathing Beauties

[felisdomesticus]

Scarlett hates water. Hates it. She probably was never given a bath or shower in her first 2 years of life with the family that had her. I've tried her in the kitchen sink and she flew/climbed out or climbed up my arm frantically. I've tried misting her in her cage and she just runs around trying to get away from the water. The best success I had was during the summer when I had her cage outside. I was able to blast the bottom pan and grate with the jet feature on the hose (after taking them out of the cage obviously) and I also could use the mist feature to get Scarlett wet. She didn't seem to mind that so much.

I have read about people bringing their birds in the shower but it just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. And I considered a shower perch but then I read somewhere about it falling off of the wall and a bird dying as a result. So I haven't tried the shower approach.

She did fly off of my boyfriend's shoulder once and landed in a swimming pool. Who knew birds could "swim"? That was probably the closest we'll ever get to her voluntarily bathing herself.

I've been using a spray bottle on her lately and she hates it. She also refuses to talk to me for a few hours after the whole ordeal.

[kathleen]

I use a spray bottle for Pumpkin and try to bathe him/her in the sink but it's not a pleasurable experience.

[FeathersNFur8]

Originally Posted by kathleen

I use a spray bottle for Pumpkin and try to bathe him/her in the sink but it's not a pleasurable experience.

I like to mist in between showers, especially with the heat on now. Kady was hating the spray bottle. I just bought the "Misty Mate." There is a night and day difference, from the spray bottle to the Misty Mate, he LOVES being misted with that. I think he didn't like the spray bottle coming at him.

Karen

[volvobirds]

we have one of the shower perches. we just leave it low in the shower, say like 2-3 inches off the floor. that way Jasper and Peaches can either sit on it or get rowdy on the shower floor. Jasper enjoys a good shower, Peaches merely endures them for now. but she is getting better. the folks who had her before us never bathed her in the 2 years they had her.

Sylvester enjoys water. He gets a good soaking when he can:
1. get in the shower with someone.
2. fly his self into the sink when water is running.
3. sneak a dip in Marks coffee cup.(because he knows he gets rinsed off in the sink when he does this).

Snak is strictly a bowl bather. he considers his water cup both drinking/bathing water. yeech!

[willowbirdy218]

Mango likes to take bathes in a small dish of shallow water that I will put on his play gym. Sometimes though, he will take a bath in his water dish.

Willow on the other hand, he doesn't like bathing very much. He does have a good time splashing around in a bowl that I give him about once a week, but he usually only gets his feet and tail wet. Also, if he decides that it is too soon to play in the bowl again, he won't even go near it. Therefore, I have to give him baths in the shower on a shower perch about twice a week to try to get him wet. He doesn't like it but will tolerate it...kinda. Right before I put him on the perch he will whistle a few times, then he gets in the shower and tries to attack the shower head thing, and as soon as its over he starts talking up a storm?

[SweetPea]

my b&g was never showered at her former home...so we're working on it... i let her see my other birds go all out...but she is still terrified every time i mist her.

my conure absolutely gets all into it at least once a week. and i mean, water splashing everywhere! if i dont give him a dish to bath in, he goes right in his bowl...

one of my lovies will bath herself every other day, either in her water bowl, or in a bowl i give her..

my other lovie? she's lazy. she likes it when i mist her, and only once in a blue moon give herself a bath

[Kateykat]

Mojo absolutely loves the water. Whether it be in his water dish, a casserole dish filled with water on the table or getting in the shower with me when I come home from work, he just loves having his bathie. He has a bath nearly every second day, any longer in between and he jumps into his water dish. LOL.

[Stizby]

The only water-hating birds here are my CAGs. They just barely tolerate getting wet.

My amazon LOVES the shower. She will do her little happy amazon trill everytime she hears the water on in the shower. She dips and plays in it and I could leave her for hours if I wanted.

At first my U2 was not crazy about the water. She was not given showers in the shop from where I purchased her. But after whooping it up with my amazon in the shower a few times, Izzy just could not hold out for long. Pretty soon she would lean down from the shower door and ask to get on me. It was not long before it was a contest between she and Stella (the amazon) as to who liked to take a shower the most with me.

My B&G macaw, Cooper, is just 6 months old. I take him into the shower on days when the others do not go in with me, because, well, there's only so much room in the shower! In fact, he is on his playstand now preening and drying off from the soaking shower he took with me this morning. I never forced him in but would just set him on top of the shower door and watch me shower. I would act all happy and goofy in the water and before long, he would ask to "step up".

The greys are simply indifferent to water. I've tried the shower, the sink, a large bowl of water, and the misting setting on my garden hose. Nope, they just don't seem to like it.

My male ekkie is a true bather. He is not wild about showers but loves for me to put a large, shallow bowl on top of his cage to bathe in. Here are some photos of Charlie at his bathing best from just last month! He sure does splash the water around!

[Mr Five]

Most of ours will bathe in their water dish. We do have some that like to shower. And then there are a few that we have to spray. That is why I voted other.

[Kateykat]

Originally Posted by Mr Five

Most of ours will bathe in their water dish. We do have some that like to shower. And then there are a few that we have to spray. That is why I voted other.

Aww look at those cute little chicken legs!!!