Grey doesn't want to shower

Zirstonas · Jul 22, 2015

My african grey has never wanted to shower, I tried to put him under the shower but he always hurt himself by flying away or panicking. So I've always showered him using a water sprayer, He doesn't like it but it's the only way. When I spray him he always keeps his wings tight against his body, so he doesn't really get wet like my macaw gets wet. Does anyone have tips on how I can shower my grey?

chris-md · Jul 22, 2015

What worked for my ekkie male is to take him with me when I shower. I have a metal wire shower caddie in the far corner, so I put him on the bottom wrung whee he only gets mist. The whole time (did I mention the whole time?) I'm talking in a happy high pitched voice making it clear I enjoy this. During, I would throw some water drops in the air and let some fall on him. He VERY quickly came around, and now I can pull him slowly into the water. He even beaks at/drinks some as it falls.

He was punished with spray bottles so he hates them, nor did he take to the sink. This was the only way I could get him wet. He doesn't open his wings but as long as he's getting soaked all over his body, it's getting down in there.

KevH · Jul 22, 2015

When you have hold of him on ur fingers keep hold of his feet with ur thumb he can't fly away then

thekarens · Jul 22, 2015

krev said:
When you have hold of him on ur fingers keep hold of his feet with ur thumb he can't fly away then

This is a bad idea. Don't trap him and force him to shower.

LeaKP · Jul 22, 2015

My grey isn't fond of showers either. He does tolerate it. He prefers misting with the hose outside on his perch.

SoCalWendy · Jul 22, 2015

krev said:
When you have hold of him on ur fingers keep hold of his feet with ur thumb he can't fly away then

Please never force him, he will learn not to trust. Poi's can hold a grudge for a long time. The shower idea is great, just let the mist hit him as you're taking your shower. Hopefully he will gradually come around. You can try an mist him with a spray bottle, but if he doesn't like it, then don't do it. keep us posted. You can also just put him in the shower w/o you going in and give him some privacy.. Can your birds shower together?

AmyMyBlueFront · Jul 22, 2015

My Smokey didn't like showering of any kind..If I used a spray bottle she would just sit there and shake her head back and forth,not opening her arms.
I ended up putting her in the bathtub and drenching her with the shower head..and as soon as she went back in her house,she would immediately go to her water bowl and dunk herself silly

Jim

KimKim · Jul 22, 2015

Try putting a glass pie dish on the bottom of his cage and see if he will do it himself.

jiannotto9492 · Jul 22, 2015

You could always try to slowly put him under the water or put water in a cup and slowly pour it on him and work your way up into the shower.

riddick07 · Jul 22, 2015

The water in a bowl is the suggestion that I would try first and taking him with you for a shower.

If that doesn't work my cockatoo Folger won't take a bath by himself or misted or any other way I have tried. So I put him in a smaller bird cage put that in a shower stall and spray him down that way. He sits perfectly still then but being a plucker and a cockatoo he needed baths and this was the only way it was going to happen with him. The only thing he will give a bath by himself is his head....he is a strange one I know...

Zirstonas · Jul 23, 2015

Thanks for the replies! I did take him with me one time, and put him on a perch next to the shower. But are the shampoo damps not harmful for my grey? He sometimes already tries to shower himself in his water bowl, so he does like a shower, but he doesn't like it when I shower him I guess

Birdman666 · Jul 23, 2015

Mine hates bathing as well. I make him do it anyway. It's been a struggle...

These days he puts up with it... but he always tries to get out of it.

He acts as if I intend to drown him!

I actually do the wicked witch scene from the Wizard of Oz every time I bathe him, hoping that one day when I put him in the water...

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I'M MELTING... MELTING... MELTING...!!!"

Now that would be funny!

SoCalWendy · Jul 23, 2015

Birdman666 said:
Mine hates bathing as well. I make him do it anyway. It's been a struggle...

These days he puts up with it... but he always tries to get out of it.

He acts as if I intend to drown him!

I actually do the wicked witch scene from the Wizard of Oz every time I bathe him, hoping that one day when I put him in the water...

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I'M MELTING... MELTING... MELTING...!!!"

Now that would be funny!

HHAHAHA

When I go to spritz Kiwi, if I am not fast enough she will fly down to the floor and chase after me all while stomping around pitching a major fit

as if to say "how dare you!" Well thats the nice version. Really we all know she is cussing me out the way a parrotlet does when having a hissy fit

Birdman666 · Jul 23, 2015

My CAG hates bathing.

With all the other birds, I have the opposite problem. I have to turn the water off on them, because they're playing in it...

The shower tends to be the loudest room in the house.

Christinenc2000 · Jul 23, 2015

I finally bought a pump sprayer. I holds a little over 16 oz. Pull trigger and it puts a fine mist on him. This he will tolerate. No noisy spray sound. He is finally getting to the stage where he will talk and open wings just a little.

All_Hail_King_Rufus · Aug 15, 2015

krev said:
When you have hold of him on ur fingers keep hold of his feet with ur thumb he can't fly away then

That's a horrible idea

All_Hail_King_Rufus · Aug 15, 2015

My CAG is the same way but I am getting him used it. In the beginning I tried putting him on the shower floor but he hated it. So far a few days I would bring in one of his training perches and have him stay on that while I used the shower, just to get him used to the noise and humidity. As of now, he perches on the curtain rod. I'm not sure how I feel about sharing a showing with a bird but I hope I can get him to go in alone in a few weeks. In the mean time, I also try to mist him while bribing with treats. My records is 4 mists before flying away. Also, Don't try to hold his feet unless he is already used to it or it will just freak him out more.

Darci · Aug 27, 2015

thekarens said:
krev said:

When you have hold of him on ur fingers keep hold of his feet with ur thumb he can't fly away then

Click to expand...

This is a bad idea. Don't trap him and force him to shower.

agreed. This is how you break trust with them, and it can take a long time to rebuild this trust. Greys are notorious for being sensitive birds. More importantly, it's really cruel.

As for mine, she doesn't like mist or showers either but she bathes in her dish. I figure as long as she's happy and has what she needs it's all fine. It doesn't hurt to try and get her to come around but each grey is different.

KevH · Aug 30, 2015

Amy that's exactly wot I do with my grey he's sound once in the bath lets me lift his wings up so I get him underneath just sits there

LeaKP · Aug 30, 2015

I've been diligently working with mine to shower and this past week, he STEPS DOWN into the shower and waits for me to help him get soaked. He makes little humming sounds, cute. I know he's only tolerating it for me.

Grey doesn't want to shower

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