Stubborn old dirty bird

With patience and all the great advice in stopping the screaming (and biting others) I’m hoping there might be some help in the bathing department as well. Precious is stubborn and refuses to take a bath. He freaks out when he sees the sink on, when we have a spray bottle, or any running water at all. He won’t get into a bath in his cage like the budgies will. I ordered a perch for the shower, mainly to get him used to the idea. He LOST HIS MIND without the water even running. He was so scared he bit my arm and even pierced the skin just enough for a tiny little drop of blood to come out. Now, mind you, the bathroom door was open, the cats were locked up in the basement so if he flew out he was safe, and he had every opportunity to fly away. He just froze up and freaked out. The shower curtain was wide open. I was just trying to get him used to the idea of perching there. He’s fine in the bathroom and will hang out on the towel rack, but the shower totally set him off. I know that he was given a bath twice at the store, and both times he bit hard enough to draw blood. I’m thinking this is a fear for him, and is possibly related to either not bathing in his previous home, or being forced to take a bath either at the store or at his previous home.

So far pass the bird has worked very well, and he’s finally figured out that he can still get me, but everyone else wants him too, so he has to wait a bit first. His screaming is much less, though he usually screams for about 5-10 minutes after I put him back in the cage. That’s much more manageable than the constant screaming when I was home. All in all he seems to be settling in pretty well. But this whole bath fear...It’s so strange and unexpected...


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When I first got Sunny she was a bit reluctant for showering. Although nowhere near the extent you're experiencing. The day I brought her home from store she had clearly been playing in her water dish that day. (She was dry when I came back later and got her, however.) But then it was a few weeks as I recall. I got a fine-mist-mister from Sally Beauty, and she still didn't like that. So for a while I would stand in front of her cage spraying down MYSELF with the mister, moving around like the budgies did if they were preening themselves. After a while she got interested and would accept the spray somewhat.

At that time, I would often hang a spiral perch in a particular window for her. Every now & then I would stack up some boxes with a bowl of water on top that she could get to, and she would sometimes bathe in that.

Then came a day I was putting her in a smaller cage to go to a friend's, and I had put only a small water dish only WAY too high up in the cage. APPARENTLY this was her ideal bathing dish, she immediately went to it and started splashing herself. I offered her some spray shower and she was delighted.

And this inadequately small dish is Still her only preferred birdbath. It's now in her regular cage. It is WAY to small to bathe in, and she only wants to bathe in it when it is very near the top of her cage. IF she wants to bathe herself, she goes to this dish. Also if she wants a shower she goes to this dish and Pretend-Bathes until I notice. (It can be quite difficult to differentiate her whole-body-sign-language in this regard!)

Anyway... sorry for my long story... but my Suggestion for you to try is to get a VERY-FINE mist spray bottle, and then frequently Enjoy taking some time to spray-down YourSelf in front of his cage ((or if needed, Far Away from his cage but still somewhere in his sight)), making a big deal of fluffing your hair-feathers & your shoulder- elbow- and side-feathers & etc whilst doing so. After a few times get closer / let the overspray get into his cage / on him etc.

Additionally you Might try the same thing, after a while, when he is happily perched on your towel rack. However I'd recommend make Sure he is comfortable with the game Outside the bathroom first.

Hey my Salty used to go all thin and scaredy on me when we first introduced baths, showers or any other water (and he's an Amazon !!!) Just took him a few times and the right technique and now he loves shower time. We sttled on a spray bottle, set to fine mist, and I let it fall down on him, not shot directly at him. Keep experimenting. Warm, not hot water, seems to work best, but try it all. Good Luck.

Budgies don't bathe as often as other parrots. No need to force them to.
Often the sound of splashing water, or they like to bathe on wet lettace leaves..
I think mine have only taken 3 baths in two years... My other parrots choose every other day or so.

Master Wrench took the words right out of my mouth. Precious’ previous experience with water may well have been someone shooting it at him from a squirt bottle directly into his face, perhaps even as a form of punishment, hence his dislike for it. Always spray above the bird so the water falls like a natural rain shower. He might still take some time to get used to the idea but that’s where I’d start.

We will work on getting him comfortable with a spray bottle before we try anything else. Maybe just have it within sight and reward for good behavior and slowly work from there.


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"Some", say to use a sprayer to stop biting. I don't hold with that because it can cause this sort of fear behavior. Large forceful stream you know. You might start doing some spray around the bird on occasion (but not on or too near) to let the bird know you wont do this to him. Doing the wet tshirt dance in a warm mist sounds like a good inducement too. lol jh

Clearly sounds like some past idiot used water to punish (abuse) your Parrot.

Truly great recommendations above...

With the knowledge that your Amazon has been abused in his past, introducing things are just going to require longer periods of time with things showing up at distance and over time working their way into his life. Accept it as a reality and life will be happier for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to learn and adapt to the needs of your Amazon! I can assure you that your work will be reward at some point in the future and when these magic moments occur, it will be Wonderful!

Spray bottles make noise which scare many birds, mine included. Nike does take baths in her bowl about once every 2 weeks.

Even with your past experience, I still think that the shower might be the least intimidating. Have the water already flowing slow and quietly and then walk into the bathroom with Precious, holding his toes. With his back to the shower, slowly ease him in and let the water fall on his back for a second or two and then take him out. That's it, reward him and return him to his favorite place. Try again tomorrow and keep it up until you can get him suitably wet. He may never actually love the shower, Nike doesn't, but I will at times when I think that she needs a bath get her wet like that and then put her next to her large water bowl where more often than not will finish the job.

1oldparroter said:

"Some", say to use a sprayer to stop biting. I don't hold with that because it can cause this sort of fear behavior. Large forceful stream you know. You might start doing some spray around the bird on occasion (but not on or too near) to let the bird know you wont do this to him. Doing the wet tshirt dance in a warm mist sounds like a good inducement too. lol jh

Click to expand...

The wet t shirt dance! That’s a good one. That had the hubby and myself cracking up!


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heh heh, it was a joke but descriptive. jh

bill_e said:

Spray bottles make noise which scare many birds, mine included. Nike does take baths in her bowl about once every 2 weeks.

Even with your past experience, I still think that the shower might be the least intimidating. Have the water already flowing slow and quietly and then walk into the bathroom with Precious, holding his toes. With his back to the shower, slowly ease him in and let the water fall on his back for a second or two and then take him out. That's it, reward him and return him to his favorite place. Try again tomorrow and keep it up until you can get him suitably wet. He may never actually love the shower, Nike doesn't, but I will at times when I think that she needs a bath get her wet like that and then put her next to her large water bowl where more often than not will finish the job.

Click to expand...

I attempted this technique this morning and I’m proud to say Precious kept his beak to himself. He didn’t like it and was definitely a bit miffed at the idea, but didn’t freak out. He refused his treat in preference of preening. For now we will try this every couple of days in addition to trying to desensitize him to a spray bottle. The perch was also removed from the shower and is attached to a wall in his room. He hates that perch. Maybe because it’s plastic and blue?

I am happy to know we are on our way to a slightly cleaner (and less dusty) Precious!


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