My M2 also hates the water. She's absolutely terrified of water sounds, such as the shower or a facet running. She tolerates a light misting from a water bottle, but will not let the water bottle out of her sight (like when I try to get under her crest). She does not enjoy it; she won't get all fluffed up to allow the water to penetrate her skin. Then, once bathtime is over, she will sit and "pout" until she's dry. She refuses to preen/bathe while she's wet. Once she's dry she'll preen herself.

that's EXACTLY what my U2 does Jeepers! She sits and pouts until she is dry and won't have anything to do with water ever unless I bring her into the shower with me! I thought I was the only one with this problem

My D2 does not like shower time as well. I just manually hold him with both hands under the light shower making sure that water gets on his body as well as underneath the wings. After the shower, he is placed on his perch where he will "pout" and sit quietly for an hour or so. My CAG doesn't like showers at all either. However I have seen both birds, on their own volition, try to take baths in their water dishes. It is quite a sight to see.

Boy, they are all different aren't they. The D2 will sit on the shower door until she sees me doing my shower. Then when she decides it is OK to join in, she will get the wings going and I bring her down to the perch. I can then turn the shower on her and get her really wet. Then to the hair dryer which she really seems to enjoy.

The U2 is another story. Mike does not like to leave his cage unless it is to visit the D2's cage. So we have worked on the misting. I get the vacuum sweeper and away we go. When I turn it on, Mikey goes into full display and I can really give him a good soaking. He finally seems to really enjoy the misting and actually comes to the side of the cage to get close. This has only taken a year, so be patient.

The mini-Macaw will also take a shower without too much resistance. He also gets warmed up with the hair dryer.

Then comes Snooks, the Grey who hates water. I will give her some of the misting or at least as much as I can give her. When I mist, it is with 1 part aloe and 3 parts water. Boy, do we have fun!

Missymoo (U2) loves showers. I just hold her by her feet and spray her and she wags her tail and spreads out her wings and flaps. I'm always wet too when it's over. I wrap her in a towel and hold her for a bit and then I use the blow dryer which she loves too. I consider myself very lucky to have one that loves showers.

Echo, my M2 also hates water. The only thing that works for me is putting him in the kitchen sink. I fill it about 1/4 of the way and put him in the sink, then between the squirter on low pressure and a wash cloth I get him clean. I have to lean way over and he holds a piece of my shirt in his beak while I bath him. He also seems to know when it's bathtime as he refuses to step up and turns his back on me. Afterwards he pouts, with this pathetic look as if to say "How could you?"and he refuses to preen until he is almost dry. Jeesh....!!! Janet

Mimi (G2) L0VES her sprays. She's not too sure about the shower, but she absolutley loves to be sprayed. she stands on her play top perch and lifts her wings and her tail to be sure she gets wet all over. She also splashes in her bowl of water that's hooked to her perch! She stomps in it to splash it as much as possible! My CAG just tolerates the spraying!

Rock - the M2 hates water & showers but LOVES hair dryers... If you get him wet, he shakes himself and pouts, won't have anything to do with you until he's dry... But use a hairdryer and he's right in the bathroom with you in a flash; fluffing his feathers, rocking back and forth, jumping around and laughing if you point it at him..

Coco the LSC is just the opposite - he LOVES showers - even pouts if you won't let him in with you when he wants a shower (usually at least once a week).

Your post could have been written by me! sounds just like Aubry and boy does she love that blow dryer afterwards. I like to make sure she is perfectly dry before putting her back in cage when it is winter time.
the only thing missing from your post that Aubry will do which is hysterical to watch is that she will sometimes cover her head with her wings! she still wants the shower but not on her head anymore. And..when she has had enough she will grab the towel with her beak to climb back on to the top railing of the shower and then is content to watch me from above. She usually does her shake, shake her booty thing when she's up there. Funny to watch how she shakes the water out of her tail feathers. Though sometimes she just HAS to climb back down and get back in! Does your too like to drink from the showerhead? If I put it on soft spray she will get close to it and stick her tongue out and then gobble up the water. I have to be careful that she doesnt drink TOO much though. In general she loves the shower!! IN the summer, she also loves to get near the outdoor sprinkler but will do the spread wings over her head thing.

Lynne,

When we took Gijit to the vets the other day he suggested that we increase his showers from twice a month to once a week because he was so itchy. Previously we had just misted Gijit, but this time we tried something different. My son, Nick, took Gijit into the shower with him for the first time and it was so funny. The bird perched on Nick's shoulder and put his head under the spray tentatively at first. However, he quickly got into the swing of things. He seemed so happy, fanning his tail, grinding his beak and chattering away. This was the most relaxed we had seen him in a while.

We then tried blow drying Gijit the because it is so cold here. Although I was worried he would be afraid, he absolutely loved it. We actually had him in his cage with the dryer on low and pointed at one corner. Gijit would then run to that side, fluff out his feathers and put his head down so the warm air hit him there. He actually began to fall asleep while being blown dry.

Thanks for all of the ideas that everyone shares. You guys have helped us make Gijit's life really great.
:-w


Linda

Mellie (Goffins) hates water too, or at least it seems so because she just sits and stares at me angrily until I stop showering her and looks at any water dishes like they are evil, but at the same time she gets furious if anyone dares to shower the other birds and not her. Silly girl. She sure doesn't get jealous of other birds being in the shower with me though! I've never tried a blow dryer as it's always pretty warm here during the day.

I know exactly what you all are dealing with...I think my M2 was a cat in her previous life..because one sign of water or shower this M2 is headed in the other direction.

We have had to force her into the tub...to where it is filled to a level that covers her feet..but this M2 will perform amazing houdin tricks to get out of that tub.

We are still working on her every week, but yet to no avail of breaking her of the boogeyman in the tub...

Fynn (G2) tolerates showers and so does Layla (TAG). Layla however LOVES the squirt bottle. She flapps and sqeals with delight while Fynn high tails it in the other direction. He surprised us the other day though. Layla had just finished enjoying a particularly long squirt session and Fynn comes up and spreads his wings. My husband looked at me confused. I told him to give it a go. So he ever so slightly misted Fynn a few times before Fynn turned around and shook himself off. It was rather shocking.

We try and bathe weekly- especially because Fynn seems to constantly be riddled with pin feathers and Layla is a dust ball.

Oh! That reminds me....

Is there such a thing as a 'cow lick' for feathers. Fynn has a feather amongst his crest that has a curl to it. He looks like Alfalfa from the Little Rascals.

All of my birds absolutely love the squirt bottle, but hate the shower, so I get them soaking wet 1-2 times a week with the squirt bottle and they absolutely love it. The only bird I have had that liked the shower was Bongo (G2). He adored the shower and would go in with me every morning when I was getting ready for work. Most of the time he would just sit up on the door and enjoy the steam and mist, but at least 1-2 times a week he would climb onto his shower perch and really spread his wings, flap and scream. I never put him on my shoulder, but one time in the shower. That was the last time, because when he got too excited, he would bite and believe me, I did not need to lose anything I considered important to my anatomy

It's during showers that Victor (U2) really comes to life. He goes into full display, coos, shakes the bootie and goes downright nuts with glee. Like HB, he started with off barely tolerating the offspray. Now it's a complete soaking and God forbid he can't drink the water too. Afterward, it's a brief towel-dry and message and then off to the blowdryer. He again goes into full display, even to the point of turning around and giving a full moon. It took us over a year to get there, but with patience, most do come around.

Mordecai (RB2) was one of those who started out pouting but now will occasionally get excited. Normally he just sits there until the shower is done, then he goes into full display. He also likes the blowdryer.

Buddy (WFA) is a sulker and just tolerates it. He's been with us for almost 6 months now and I think I saw the beginnings of some happy reaction. Time will tell.

Marcus the tiel enjoys his showers but only on his terms and when he wants to, which thankfully is frequent enough to keep him clean and healthy.

The rest of the flock hate it.......so far.

I have a Ringneck that absolutely loves to bathe. He will bathe every day in his pie dish, which I fill with water for him. After observing him for a bit after he first came here, I thought that since he liked bathing in his dish so much, I'd try taking him into the shower with me. He just about went into rigor mortis, he hated it so much. He stood there, as flat and tall as he could make himself, pressed against the shower wall. I had to have my husband come rescue him.
Itchy (Citron) tolerates showers when he doesn't want them, but when he does decide he wants to be there, he goes crazy, and it is very adorable. He clucks, screams, goes into display, fluffs and shakes his feathers, and of course does the booty shake. We have pictures of him in the shower, but they're not digital! Dang it, I want to get them scanned. You all would love those pictures.
I have wondered about blowdrying to make them warmer... When I'm not dried off, moving air makes me cold, and even warmed air feels cool until my skin has dried. Are we making our birds more cold by putting the blowdryer on them? At some point obviously it would be warm, but in the beginning, don't you think they'd be freezing cold?
Bono just drinks and drinks and drinks in the shower with me. But, 'Zilla has taught him how to bathe in his water dish when I vacuum, and I love that. He is really a party animal when the vacuum is running!
Itty Bitty is the only 'Tiel that likes to bathe- she opens up her wings and leans forward into the spray and gets soaked and looks so, so, so cute.