Inara Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Was just now in the kitchen cooking up a pasta salad to take to a BBQ later this evening. HRH Inara was safely in her cage (away from boiling pasta pot). House was quiet, Inara had been quiet, napping I presumed, while I was cooking. I heard hear stirring a bit, then clear as a bell she said, "I want to go out and take a shower." She often says, "I want to go out and cook the cookies," or "I want to go out and see the squirrel," etc. N E V E R has she even said the word "shower," let alone ask for one. She, by the way, did not have her morning shower today as I was busy doing 4th of July/birthday of a friend preparations. Naturally, I dropped what I was doing, told her I'd be happy to take her to get a shower, walked over to her cage, she stepped right out onto my arm, we headed into the bathroom, where she was happily misted until the bottle ran dry. She gave herself a few good fluffed up feather shakes, got a small grape as a treat and is happily beak grinding in her cage as I type. Just had to share. When she first came to live with us legend had it that she detested showers. She wasn't that happy about them, but over the past many months of morning mists and a regular routine, apparently she knows they do feel good in this super arid climate. whee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Priceless. Always love it when our birdies love the water and showers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Just has to let you know what she wants - and of course, you drop everything and do it!! LOVE IT!! LOL HRH reigns high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2birds Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 That's really cool. These greys amaze me all of the time. I'm glad that she is actually enjoying her showers now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 She is SO smart! Wow. What an amazing girl you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve 2 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 That's great. My Toulouse has usually tolerated his daily baths. But now I do notice that if I miss his daily bath he will often bath himself in the water dish. Boys will be boys and hygiene in not often a priority!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Nice! I wish my guy would tell me what he wants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Thanks for sharing this. I always enjoy reading the phrases all our greys come up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kizzybird Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 That is so great to hear! When Kizzy is asked if he wants a shower, he yells, "NO!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 It is great that Inara likes her showers. What is even cooler is that she uses language to ask for what she wants. The more they know language gets results, the more they use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Sophie understands what shower means. She is polite, and will say no thank you. This weekend is " shower weekend". It gets done and I warn her it is going to happen. She will scream " NO ROM"...she will think I act like I am murdering her, but I'm not! I am empathetic, but showering will get done Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Brat Birds, yes HRH does rule the roost, literally! Jeff, I agree that when we respond when our fids are communicating with us, and they learn that what they say with our language gets results, the more they will be inclined to communicate meaningfully....if that is their personality. As well as on the flipside if we respond to their nonverbals and their own native sounds, the more they appreciate the bidirectional communication. This morning, Inara again specifically asked for a shower, this time by saying, "I want a shower." So of course she got one right at that moment. She really is an excellent communicator and usually talks in complete sentences which just blows away my friends who come to visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytness Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Very cool! I wish Maalik liked taking showers, or being misted for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Sophie understands what shower means. She is polite, and will say no thank you. This weekend is " shower weekend". It gets done and I warn her it is going to happen. She will scream " NO ROM"...she will think I act like I am murdering her, but I'm not! I am empathetic, but showering will get done Nancy Poor Megan - she is on daily showers. I was using that Soother spray daily, but didn't like daily use of the quaternary ammonium which can build up and requires being showered off regularly. It was a screaming, biting fight to get her sprayed and another challenge to thoroughly rinse her at least twice a week. We are still using it, but not as often. It involves a small half-bath with the toilet lid down and the lights off, a towel and lots of screaming. She's actually very strong for barely a pound of bird. So recently I started making my own spray - strong brewed chamomile tea (pure chamomile with fresh rosemary) and aloe vera juice with only a little water. SMELLS wonderful! Megan disagrees. Spraying down a fully flighted bird is a real challenge, and often the floor is soaked as is anything else she is on or near. She hasn't learned to say "No" yet but we are working on that. Not that I want to hear "NO!" every time I want to shower her, but I'd rather hear that than get a bite any day! She hasn't plucked or snipped any feathers for about a week now! Hopefully this is helping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Brat Birds, yes HRH does rule the roost, literally! Jeff, I agree that when we respond when our fids are communicating with us, and they learn that what they say with our language gets results, the more they will be inclined to communicate meaningfully....if that is their personality. As well as on the flipside if we respond to their nonverbals and their own native sounds, the more they appreciate the bidirectional communication. This morning, Inara again specifically asked for a shower, this time by saying, "I want a shower." So of course she got one right at that moment. She really is an excellent communicator and usually talks in complete sentences which just blows away my friends who come to visit. That is an amazing little girl you have there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 The one thing you can count on with a grey, is the unexpected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 The one thing you can count on with a grey, is the unexpected. Nobody expects the unexpected Steve n Misty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Well, HRH continues now to ask for a shower every morning and sometimes a time or two after that and hops right up to go get them all. She has become a shower fanatic this week in particular, perhaps because it has been raining every day, which is very unusual for our climate and she sees and hears all the water outside of the window. Her latest version was yesterday afternoon with, "I want to go out there and get the shower." So I thought that she may have meant, that she wanted to go outside and be in the rain. Having my hands full with other things and not willing to put her in her travel cage, put on my own rain gear and go out, I merely took her and misted her in the shower as usual -- and she was okeydokey with that. Here she is just after this morning's shower: Water drops still clinging and feeling wet and sassy. This too may pass after the novelty of being able to have me shower her at HRH's every whim wears off for her. She's also now enjoying several times weekly brief "beaky talons" -- the bird equivalent of a "mani-pedi" where I lightly buff the tips of her talons and beak with an emery board. She hangs onto her cage and closes her eyes with a look of bliss. Next, she'll probably start asking for crown jewels !! The white part near the tip of her beak is a remnant from her old home, where she had worn down her beak and her neck feathers from trying to constantly get out of her cage. It's slowly working its way to the very tip as the rest of her beak continues to grow in nice and healthy. Edited July 17, 2014 by Inara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Looking good Inara! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 So beautiful, so lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 She really is moving forward in a big way, soon she will have you jumping through flaming hoops for her entertainment. More power too Miss Inara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 She's so beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I AM SO JEALOUS! Sophie does EVERYTHING, I ask of her, but showering and spritzing is not on her agenda. If she could talk in complete sentences, I imagine it would go like this.... Rom (mom), I love you to death. I have learned to " stepup", never bite you, Sean or Ryan. I treat Ollie like he is my own baby, and share my peanuts. I care for Sunny, and snuggle with him, as he is so needy. PLEASE don't squirt that bottle on me, as I don't squirt you. It is insulting! I know everyone loves a shower, but I don't! You have tried like two dozen times... I don't like it! I'm never going to like it! Give me the warning that I need to " get clean",I'll do it.... but I am going to complain all the way! I'm not going to punish you like I use to do. ( not talk to you for a day.) BUT... I think two hours of ignoring you is reasonable! Sophie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I AM SO JEALOUS! Sophie does EVERYTHING, I ask of her, but showering and spritzing is not on her agenda. If she could talk in complete sentences, I imagine it would go like this.... Rom (mom), I love you to death. I have learned to " stepup", never bite you, Sean or Ryan. I treat Ollie like he is my own baby, and share my peanuts. I care for Sunny, and snuggle with him, as he is so needy. PLEASE don't squirt that bottle on me, as I don't squirt you. It is insulting! I know everyone loves a shower, but I don't! You have tried like two dozen times... I don't like it! I'm never going to like it! Give me the warning that I need to " get clean",I'll do it.... but I am going to complain all the way! I'm not going to punish you like I use to do. ( not talk to you for a day.) BUT... I think two hours of ignoring you is reasonable! Sophie Hahahaha, Nancy! At least your "punishment" does not include blood loss. Megan's idea of punishment is not only to bite, but to bite down and TWIST while biting down, for maximum pain and bruising! Her feathers are almost all grown back (thank God) so I have slowed down on the showers and am praying for at least a few days off between bites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittykittykitty Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 That is so painful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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