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To spray or not to spray???


lisachristine

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Rosie, my rescue CAG, is not fond of water, however I try to spray her once every couples of weeks. I know this is very important, but I noticed that after I spray her she throws a temper tantrum then pulls a few feather out. She is a former plucker (still has a tiny area on her chest) so I'm concerned that this will trigger her to pluck as bad as she did before I owned her. Should I continue to spray or not?? What do you guys think? She also has nothing to do with me for days after.

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Have you tried taking her in the shower with you? Jasper doesn't care for spraying or misting at all so I got him a shower perch. While he isn't always keen to actually avail himself of the water I think the steam and moisture is good for them. If nothing else put her on the shower rod when you shower. Just be sure to give her a fav foot toy so she isn't tempted to eat the shower curtain. =)

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My 2 greys get hysterical if I try to spray them, they shake, get shortness of breath and occasionally blood tears. I have tried all methods since they were young. They HATE it. I leave a bowl of water on my table when I wash my floors or vacume. For some reason that spurs them into giving themselves a bath, but not always. Sometimes they are interested, sometimes not, I leave it up to them. They don't seem to have any problems, I let them chose just as they would in the wild.

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Lest we forget, misting is a stimulus to mate.....Longer days with more sun in the sky, warmer weather, misty showers, a rise in humidity, soft warm food = love to our Greys and parrots. Some parrots like you to put a little water in a shallow pan with fresh parsley for bathing.....They roll in it and play.....

 

We have a ritual now, I [gooney bird] get in the middle of the bed, with our fids around me and Maggie sprays us all. we get into some fights, nothing bad..[big plucked turkey in the middle]

Edited by Jayd
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Charlie and I have the same issue. He doesn't want to step up or leave the safety of his cage. A sprayer - which I use on some of the other animals, puts him into fits of terror. So, I have a large rubber bowl that I put an inch or two of water in and leave in the bottom of his cage. If he wants a bath, he goes right to it, and if not, I'll take it out after about ten minutes. Usually, he's in it pretty quick and having a high ol' time! I've learned to cover his cage when he bathes so that I'm not mopping up the bathwater for the rest of the day!

Our Parrotlet will sometimes bathe in the sink, and sometimes in a dish, but never the same way twice in a row!

Good luck!

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All my birds love a shower, or spray.... except Sophie. She watches them shower, but whenever I have sprayed her or showered her, she thinks I have attempted to murder her and is mad at me for a day. Whatever I have done, and believe me, I have tried it all, Sophie DOESN'T like water! I get it! She grooms herself quite well but once in awhile... I apologie from the beginning and spray her. She is dirty and needs it.She gets truly pissed at me, but I know she will forgive me.

If I had a former plucker or a rescue bird, I would be very careful about introducing a shower or spray. The trust has to be there 100% before I would attempt it. Just my opinion. Nancy

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Thanks Nancy. My gut is telling me to hold off. She is just now, as of last week, letting me scratch her head (after two years of hard work). I guess my question is how important is bathing? I keep a pan in the bottom as well, but I've never seen her in it. I do work 8 to 9 hour days, so maybe she is playing in it while at work??? I really wish I had a birdy cam. How fun would that be! :)

Edited by lisachristine
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Great decision Lisa. You shouldn't force it, like Nancy said, they will usually tend to themselves on their own. It isn't worth breaking the bond you are trying to build. My birds won't use a bowl or pan of water in their cage, but put it on top of the kitchen table or counter and when I'm not Looking and IF they feel like it......they will enjoy it, but again usually when I am mopping the floors with water.

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Have you tried taking her in the shower with you? Jasper doesn't care for spraying or misting at all so I got him a shower perch. While he isn't always keen to actually avail himself of the water I think the steam and moisture is good for them. If nothing else put her on the shower rod when you shower. Just be sure to give her a fav foot toy so she isn't tempted to eat the shower curtain. =)

lol I never thought about bringing her a toy in there marco has tore up my shower curtain :mad: thanks!

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You never know, she may be. Timber doesn't mind being sprayed, but doesn't want a real bath as often as I would like. After I spray him, he will sometimes go to his water bowl and throw water over his shoulder. That is my signal to get the baking dish of water to put in the bottom of his cage and he will dive right in. In other words, a full bath is on his terms only. I have a birdie cam and it gives me a lot of peace of mind. Also, free entertainment at my desk! :)

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If spraying/misting isn't met with enthusiasm, then stop! From what you describe, your grey is seeing this as a negative, and it is impacting her trust with you. No need to continue, and many reasons to stop. As has been said, make sure a bowl of water is available to splash in and leave Rosie to get wet when she wants to.

 

Work on trust and training so she will happily step up and interact.

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