New baby coming soon!

[Echo's Mom]

Bathing should start fairly soon so she doesn't develop a fear of it!

 

You could try using a lasagna pan with water in it - put it on a table and put some macaroni or something in there to make it enticing.

 

Echo loves to take a bath like this.

 

I can also use a spray bottle on mist - Echo's not "thrilled" with this, but she doesn't fly away (Echo has full flight, so I'd know if she hated it!) or freak out about it.

 

The shower is loads of fun BUT I'd wait to make sure Zoe is really comfortable with different perches, etc. AND START SLOW!

 

I bought a shower perch (this is Echo's favourite way to have a shower) and did slow steps.

 

1 - getting Zoe used to the bathroom (it's scary in there LOL)

2 - getting her used to sitting on the perch

3 - getting her used to being on the perch with water running (not on her)

4 - getting her used to being on the perch with water running, and the shower curtain / door closing

 

Once you've got those down pat (it might take days / weeks / months) you can start introducing the water.

 

I'll try to explain how I did it - keep in mind every bird is different!

 

Echo's on her perch at one of the shower, and I'm in the shower under the spray. MAKE SURE YOU COOL THE WATER DOWN!

 

I would cup my hands and gather water and toss it just under the perch - I did this a couple of times and it was hilarious - she was trying to catch it. (repeat a couple of times)

The next time I tossed the water onto the perch - so her feet got wet ... again, she kept trying to catch it. (repeat a couple of times)

The next time I got her tummy wet, etc. and slowly moved up - I was never "tossing" water over her head just around her and on her tummy and feet. This got her used to getting wet.

 

This whole process took me about 2 weeks - I was lucky - I got Echo as a baby, just like you have with Zoe - so I had no previous fears to work through.

 

CRITICAL - make noise and make it fun - Grays love drama - so when I was tossing the water under the perch I was hooting and hollering - wow, look at that - yippee, we're having a shower, OMG this is SOOO MMMUUUCCCHHHH fun!!!! YEAH ... (I lived alone at the time, so could be as loud and vocal as I wanted LOL)

 

Once she got used to that, I turned the water pressure down really low, and the temperature too, and had her on my hand. I'd duck her under the water for a second - like passing her under it ... and remember - it's a celebration - OMG Echo - did you see that? You got wet ... wasn't it wonderful .. WOW ... lots of fun ... and I'd do it again and again ... While I was doing this, she had access to her perch so she could fly off if she wasn't liking it. She never flew off ... she was chirping and whistling and having a grand old time.

 

Once she was an "adult" I increased the pressure a bit more and would wave her around on my hand under the water ... she LOVES it ... she makes all kinds of noises, whistles, yells WOW at the top of her little birdie air sacs, flaps her wings, opens them up under the spray, and has a grand ol time. (I now live with my dad, and the first time he heard me in the shower with Echo he had no idea what the heck was going on! He was trying to figure out why his daughter was so thrilled to be having a shower! LOL)

 

So that's what I did, and I've had success ... I also leave it up to Echo to decide HOW she wants to have her shower / bath. Some mornings when I go to bring her to the bathroom, she flies back to her cage and says NO NO NO ... OK, so no shower today. What I then do is put down a pan of water for her. Some days she likes that, other days, she doesn't.

 

I've never forced her to take a shower / bath with me ... but I have done the misting with the spray bottle if we get past 5 days of no shower / bath. And funnily enough, the day after she gets misted, she ALWAYS wants to come in the shower with me ! Not sure if it's because the misting reminds her of how good it feels, or a matter of FINE, I'll take the dang shower, just quit misting me LOL

[TXWildflower]

Thank you, Echo's Mom, for taking the time to give such detailed advice! I love the part of Echo hollering "Wow" in the shower. Too funny.

We want to do it right with Zoe so that we don't scare her, and end up injuring her mentally. She is such a sweet loving bird. The trust is there right now. We don't want to ruin that.

 

Thanks again.

[Echo's Mom]

You're welcome ... and if Zoe gets frightened on step 3 (for example) go back to step 2 and make sure she's really happy about step 2 and then try again with step 3 ... as long as she sees you aren't forcing the issue ... (i.e. do this or else) ... she will start to trust that the new things can be fun!