Foot massages

[Nychsa]

Hi there everyone!

 

Have you had an experience with your grey wanting their feet massaged?

 

Bella and I have a play routine, she likes to run around the back of the couch during the evening and she'll jump on my shoulder, and play fight with my hair, and I'll reach back, flip her upside down, blow some rasberries on her bellie, let her dangle upside down on my fingers and swing her back and forth (she gives kisses when she swings my way) and then I'll roll her into my arm on to her back and play with her feet.

 

Well, during our play time, she's started to hold out her feet to me, one after the other and she holds my finger very gentley with her foot and bobs her head up and down (while lying on her back in my arms :laugh: ).

 

The first time she did this I was watching TV, so I just massaged her foot. Then she switched and gave me her other foot. I didn't realize until after about 15 minutes that she was really getting into this foot massage things.

 

In the mean time I'm finding myself having to give her all kinds of foot massages! She also seems to enjoy a good full body rub. I found this out when I would flip her upside down and hold her I would rub my fingers under her wings, her sides and her belly and she really seems to like that.

 

So, I'm wondering if mssages are a theraputic treat for our parrots? Does anyone have any experience with massages for greys?

 

Cheers!

Terri

[BMustee]

Elmo really likes having his feet played with. Sometimes he even likes me to chew on them...he'll be chewing his nails and then he'll stick them in my mouth:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: .

[judygram]

Josey doesn't much care for me fooling with her feet but thats great that you two have birds that love their feet touched and massaged but I don't know about your's Berna, Elmo sticking them in your mouth, yech, ewwww spit tooey, you don't know what those feet have been walking in:sick: :whistle: :laugh:

[BMustee]

Hahahahaha, he keeps his feet clean...he still refuses to poop in his cage!

[Nychsa]

Hi there BMustee! That is funny with Elmo!!! So, he likes his feet played with too. I've been rubbing Bella's feet with my finger and she seems to stretch her feet out and push against my hand then for more. I know a foot massage can be very theraputic for humans, I'm wondering if it's good for her too. I tried to find something on line about it, but I can't seem to find anything about parrot masaages.

[BMustee]

It seems like more macaws and cockatoos seem to like their feet played with, not so much for greys. The way I look at it is if they enjoy it it's not going to do anything but good for them. Another thing I have noticed is when I do trims at my work I would say 80% of the birds I hold calm down when I rub their feet while the other foot gets the nails done...esp. the birds that ball up their toes.

[Nychsa]

I think you're right Berna.

 

I've found that a good, gentle massage is something both Bella and Jiggy really enjoy. Bella used to get very upset if you touched her under her wings. But I was concerned that she needed to allow me to handle her in any manner as I can't help her if she gets injured and she won't let me touch her. So, I slowly started working my fingers under her wings, rubbing her. Now she enjoys it when I put her body between my hands and give her a good, gentle rub all over under her wings, her belly, her back, her legs. It might help stimulate her skin and help her when she has the itchies from something.

 

 

Cheers!

Terri