How To Take a Bath?

[Caitnah]

I have an adopted (25 years old) Grey. I have only had him for a few weeks.

As far as a bath...a few times he tried to take a bath in his water bowl which is wayyy to small for him.
He HATES being misted and, at this point, I cannot get him into the shower as we are still trying to build trust.

I even tried putting a large dog bowl at the bottom of his cage and so far all he has done is shove the bowl around. He has taken a drink from it so he knows the water; but he hasn't gotten in yet.

You may say to just leave the bowl until he gets used to it, but with his toy shredding and poop, no matter where I put the bowl, this stuff gets in quickly.

I am very concerned for his health so am looking for any suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[itzjbean]

If he able to be handled and taken out of his cage?

If you can take him out, you could try placing him on a table with nothing on it but a clear glass bowl or casserole dish, anything that's as shallow as you can get it and that he can see through. BUT if he's not able to be handled I'm afraid there is not much you can do besides offering a larger clear dish in a corner of his cage for him to explore and figure out on his own. Yes you will have to change the water but you don't have to offer it every day.

 

[EllenD]

Yeah, this is a tough one if he cannot be moved to a different room...

A lot of birds love taking showers in the actual shower, but they hate the misting with a spray bottle. I think a lot of them perceive the misting with a spray bottle as a kind of punishment. Plus, in the case of my birds, they seem to really like the warmer water and the steam in the shower, especially my Senegal, he absolutely LOVES his shower-perch, but he hates being misted and he hates baths...

But if your Grey has actually tried to get into his water dish to bath, then that's a good sign that he does like water. The only thing I can suggest is to keep trying different bowls for him to bath in, it may be that particular bowl that he doesn't like, as they're funny like that (or smart like that). Like I said, he's trying to get into his water dish to take a bath, and he's familiar with his water dish as it's inside his cage all day long. So it's quite possible that he just doesn't like the bowl you're using. A lot of the time it's all in the little, tiny details that to us seem insignificant...

Also, when you've tried misting him with a spray bottle, have you tried not actually misting him directly, but rather spraying the water above him, so that it falls onto him like a shower? Sometimes they like that, but they hate being directly sprayed...

Otherwise, I suggest buying or building a shower perch with suction-cups to put into your shower, either way he is going to eventually really like to shower in the shower, and once you earn his trust and he bonds with you, he'll love taking a shower with you. I've built several PVC shower perches, they are extremely easy to build, and the PVC piping, the 4-way T, the 1 90-degree elbow, and the 4 end-caps only cost about $6 or $7 at Lowes, the vet wrap is only $1 or $2 at Tractor Supply, and Walmart sells a package of 3 of the large suction cups with the nipple on them for $2.50...Takes about 30 minutes total to cut the 3 pieces of piping for the anchor-legs that the 3 suction cups attach to, then cut the longer piece of pipe for the actual perch, then drill a hole in the 3 end-caps that go on the ends of the anchor-legs, making the hole much smaller in diameter than the nipple on the suction cup, then shove the nipple inside the hole in the end cap so that it's secure and can't come back out, then put it all together and wrap the perch part that they stand on...Easy.

And if you can get to the point that you can move him to the bathroom on a long perch/dowel/branch, and allow him to simply sit in the bathroom with the shower running, so that he can get used to the sounds and the steam, they typically will adjust very quickly. Then move him to the shower perch without the water running, then when the water is running but not on him, etc. Some have a pace faster than others, but Greys typically absolutely love the shower...In the meantime, I'd keep trying different bowls, and putting the bowls of water in different places, like in the bottom of his cage, on or under his stands, etc. Sometimes it's the bowl, sometimes it's where the bowl is...

 

[ChristaNL]

One way to entice my grey (Japie) to take the plunge is to place the empty bowl in the cage and splash it full.

The higher I pour the better he likes it - maybe it is a distant rainsound?
Or he just loves to see water fall



Oh...and vacuum ... it is amazing how many parrots dive in their waterbowl when the vauumcleaner blasts away.

Mine never have but I keep reading the stories.

 

[Caitnah]

Yeah, this is a tough one if he cannot be moved to a different room...

A lot of birds love taking showers in the actual shower, but they hate the misting with a spray bottle. I think a lot of them perceive the misting with a spray bottle as a kind of punishment. Plus, in the case of my birds, they seem to really like the warmer water and the steam in the shower, especially my Senegal, he absolutely LOVES his shower-perch, but he hates being misted and he hates baths...

Also, when you've tried misting him with a spray bottle, have you tried not actually misting him directly, but rather spraying the water above him, so that it falls onto him like a shower? Sometimes they like that, but they hate being directly sprayed...

Otherwise, I suggest buying or building a shower perch with suction-cups to put into your shower, either way he is going to eventually really like to shower in the shower, and once you earn his trust and he bonds with you, he'll love taking a shower with you.

Thanks. My Conure would RUN to the sound of running water. Always loved being under the faucet. Until the day I took him in to the shower. He has his own perch in there. He tolerates it but he's really not a fan. Now he won't go near the faucet. Plus he is now bathing in his water bowl since he learned that from the Grey.

As far as the Grey, I always tried misting from above and he still hates that. I really believe it is the sound that spooks him. I had heard that one of his owners only misted him; and if he hates it and they kept doing it, well.....

One way to entice my grey (Japie) to take the plunge is to place the empty bowl in the cage and splash it full.

The higher I pour the better he likes it - maybe it is a distant rain sound?
Or he just loves to see water fall

Yep, tried that also just to show him it's "fun" water. No interest. The reason I am so stuck is because we have a real trust issue going on. His first day home his behavior was excellent. Step-ups and head scratches were no problem. 2nd day he chomped while stepping up and drew blood. So we both have trust issues. Have been working with target training but when he is out of his cage he is a demon. Inside, no problem.

 

[MonicaMc]

You could try providing bathing opportunities in different ways. Here's some ideas!

• Try luke-warm water
• Try cold water
• Try ice-cold water
• Try a spray bottle
• Try a plant mister
• Try in the sink with the water running or just some water in the bottom
• Try in the sink with the sprayer
• Try in the tub with some water in the bottom
• Try a casserole dish or similar with some water
• Try the dish with ice
• Try the dish with foot toys
• Try the dish with some small rocks or pebbles
• Try the dish with some leafy greens like endive or other types of lettuces that may create a "natural" bowl
• Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner running
• Try in the shower with you - watching you having a blast getting wet!
• Try dancing the bird into the shower with the water already going
• Try spritzing yourself, and have fun doing it! Then spritz the bird
• Try outside in an empty cage large enough to spread wings during a nice rain shower
• Try outside in an empty cage using the hose with a mist/shower attachment
• Try playing videos of other birds bathing

Don't hate on any methods until you've tried them! Birds are weird!

 

[ChristaNL]

LOL Monica, now that is nice line-up


Mine loves to go fishing for berries (like bobbing for apples).
But only as a foraging-game.
He will never bathe in a bowl (the same one he uses for swimming) once there is food/ fruit in it.