He refuses to bathe

[chezron]

Hi Grey lovers,

 

Brutus will not bathe! We take him into the bathroom and he sits on the shower door, but he flies away if we try to get him wet. He seems to be shredding some feathers, and I imagine his skin is dry and irritated. One time he stepped into some water, but that is it. I am desperate to get him wet! I think I will try to put him in a smaller cage and take the whole cage into the shower. I don't know what else to do. I know he will feel better if I can get his skin wet.

 

Thanks,

Chezron

[judygram]

If he won't take it willingly then by all means do the smaller cage into the shower or if it is warm outside where you live you could do the same thing.

 

My grey is not overly fond of a shower but she will tolerate it, I think he will feel better afterward and if you have to do this from time to time to get him wet then so be it.

[Luvparrots]

I find a spray bottle full of Aloe Vera juice or water works great. I sometimes take my fids outside in their wire travel cages and mist away getting them soaked. They enjoy the sunlight on their drying feathers and Ana Grey just chats away.

[pearllyn]

Hi Chezron,

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with Brutus. I had the same problem with Alfie and I ended up doing what you are thinking of. Here's a short Youtube vid of her showertime.

 

 

Basically, this is how she showers now, and while I don't know if she will ever enjoy it, it doesn't freak her. I posted a thread here about how we got to that stage if you're interested.

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/the-grey-lounge/158638-bathtime-breakthrough.html#180918

 

Good luck with him - Alfie's proof that compromise can be found!

Edited April 12, 2010 by pearllyn
changing links

[Xtreme575]

I can take Paco into the shower with me, but it occured to me that he doesn't seem to like the chlorinated water. I've now been misting him with distiller water from a mister. It seems to be working out for him. I think the smaller cage in the tub should work for you.

[danmcq]

The others gave GreYt advice.

 

Your on the right track by either misting or showering him in a cage. Thats the only way we can bath Dayo as well. Most Greys abhor water, unless they enter it themselves. About 2x a month, dayo will jump in a large dog bowl (Sanitized) and get himself wet down to the skin, He only opens those feathers up when it's his idea. Any other time, the flaps are all down tight against the body.

[Lambert58]

Since Leo and Willow were about 8 weeks old, I've taken them in the shower with me. I'll pick them off the curtain rod and we do a parrot car wash. They're not loving it, but they put up with it. I use the guest shower on those days cuz it's tiny and they have nowhere to run! HAHAHAHA! /cough /ahem.

[pearllyn]

Lambert, this is the mistake I made with Alfie - I didn't start bathing her quick enough. I thought I'd give her a chance to settle in first. I should have just started the showering straight off.

[Lambert58]

Lambert, this is the mistake I made with Alfie - I didn't start bathing her quick enough. I thought I'd give her a chance to settle in first. I should have just started the showering straight off.

 

Don't get me wrong, they still hate it. There are plenty of days when I have them on my hand marching to the shower and they know EXACTLY what's about to happen and fly off, not to be caught lol. What I try to do, though, is mix it up. Not every day that I take them in there and put them up on the shower curtain do they get wet. Sometimes I just bring in a couple nutriberries and we just have a good chat while dad showers. Gotta keep 'em guessing

[judygram]

Gotta keep 'em guessing

 

That is exactly right, when you settle into a set routine then they know but mix it up some and keep them guessing, excellent!

[Brittany]

Lambert, this is the mistake I made with Alfie - I didn't start bathing her quick enough. I thought I'd give her a chance to settle in first. I should have just started the showering straight off.

 

 

Same here . Pepper doesn't freak OUT and a lot of the time he'll step up if I say "Wanna take a shower?" and he'll even crawl to the bathtub when I am bathing. I think that after we bring him in the shower he definitely feels better, just doesn't like it while it is being done. We've never gotten bit from it though -- so I guess it isn't too bad

[rbpittman]

I have had great luck with getting Beau to bathe daily - but that was by doctor's orders - and you know when the doctor say's bathe the bird, you bathe the bird! He now readily perches on the shower perch for his daily doses of misting - one with straight water, the other with either aloe juice or feather-in. Dixie on the other hand doesn't care for misting or the shower at all and expresses her displeasure quite loudly. I still carry her to the bathroom for this process, if the only thing she does is sit on the shower rod while I shower and she benefits from the humidity of the shower. I have found that she will gladly dunk herself in her water bowl after this process. I purchased an oval shaped casserole (corning I believe) and have started putting that in her cage with about 1/2 of water in it after we enjoy the humidity shower and she will bathe herself about half the time in it. Of course I have two sun conures who take two baths a day by their choice - weird little birds - I think the like to listen to me about having to change their water so often (they are also dunkers!)

[Luvparrots]

Ana Grey has always enjoyed a bath. I started the day after I brought her home, she was so new and wanting to please that it was easy to give her bath. Now Sully I just spray him, he is so set in his ways!!!

[pearllyn]

I've been wondering how you've been getting on at bathtimes Robin, I remember you having the same sort of trouble I did! It's good to hear you're getting on ok with it.

Brittany, Alfie often shows an interest when I'm in the bath too, she may come to prefer it to the shower!

[LovingGreys]

It is best just to give them a shower!! Almost all greys hate "bath time", but it REALLY helps if you tell them how beautiful they are after a shower!! Sometimes during the shower when I keep telling mine how great he is looking he actually starts flapping his wings and singing!!!l

[jessdecutie18]

Yoshi tolerates the shower most times... just the odd occasion she will be in there chattering away and having a great ole time. Usually she stands on her perch and pouts until its done, but is still good about letting me lift one wing, then the other, and spraying underneath them. As soon as I turn the water off, I say 'All done!' and she gets all excited. About half the time as soon as she gets back onto her cage-top she gets in her water bowl and sprays water everywhere, yelling and having lots of fun, so I know she doesn't hate water really! Then she will usually sit contentedly on my shoulder or leg and preen her feathers and chatter quietly lol. They are so cute

[JillyBeanz]

Harvey will tolerate the shower (I think I showered him on day 2 of bringing him home) but HATES with a passion the spray bottle! I have to shower him in the bathroom first, then put him in his cage, where he can't escape to mist him with aloe - it's like a comedy turn in our house - my friends can't believe what I go through with a bird!

[Keywe]

Keywe goes in the kitchen sink with the sprayer...Doesn't care too much for it but it works and she sits there while I wash her down...EASY AND QUICK!

[chezron]

I figured out what to do and it works! After a visit to the vet we found out Brutus' calcium was low. It turns out they need sunlight to turn Vitamin D3 into D which helps with taking in calcium. Plus this process is closely tied to hormone regulation which could explain his recent nervous feather shredding. Well since the vet visit we have done two things 1) He gets put into a small cage and brought into the shower every Sunday and 2) Brutus comes outside with me into the sun for about an hour every day. We set up a dog crate outside and we put his small cage in it, so there is a good foot above and around him. Even though I sit right there with him I still worry about hawks. The good news is he is totally back to his old self- goofy and fun-loving. He has not hurt his feathers since we started taking him out, and I feel the sunlight (especially) changed his physiology! I cannot tell how happy I am for him. I am so glad he is obviously feeling better and happier!

[lovethatgrey]

Lots of patience and time is required. Both of my parrots LOVE showertime, but it took alot of time, effort and baby steps for them to feel this way.

[reggieroo]

You guys are not alone Murphy doesn't seem to enjoy the shower either. I had read somewhere that greys are the only Parrots that don't like a shower but I didn't believe it.......I do now. I tried the bottle with a fine spray as recommended & he hated it with a vengeance, he is shit scared of it & just flys off. I can take him in the shower with me & he just stands on my hand very quiet & tolerates it. I have tried talking to him & making a happy scene when I'm showering so he can see me enjoying it but so far he still doesn't like it.

 

I had an Amazon who loved it more than anything in the world, if he seen me get the hose pipe out while in the garden he would scream with delight. The minute the water touched him he was in a very happy place Murphy just looks like the world has ended!

[Elvenking]

Issac makes an 'I am irritated' sound when I get him under the shower head and climbs to safety, like I am trying to kill him. Not sure if he will ever enjoy it but I get him wet from time to time.

[esknomoe]

It must be the name Brutus...LOL. My Brutus absolutely hates being misted. I've tried taking him into the shower, and he'll have no part of it. I've taken a spray bottle of water and tried spraying it straight up in the air over him, so the water will rain down on him; again...no dice. Once in a great while he'll splash around in his water bowl in his cage or on his play stand.