Do your pois like to bathe?

[thekarens]

Mine doesn't. She figures water is for torture, not pleasure. Once a week I take her into the shower with me and she sits on her perch while I mist her with a water bottle and acts like I'm beating her to death. She doesn't try to get away, just hunches down and makes her feathers as tight as possible.

I have tried warm water, cold water, room temp water. I have tried bowls, shower heads and water bottles. I have tried sitting in the bathtub with her with just a little water in the tub. I have tried getting a pie plate with water and playing in the water to encourage her. I have tried running the vacuum and the kitchen sink. She would just rather not bathe.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's a poi thing.

 

[avs]

mine are the same, i spray them in the warm summer months, but they look at you as if to say "don't even think about coming near me now you've done that" pure hatred! lol

 

[RavensGryf]

Robin also hates baths. I use a spray bottle, but he hates it and never got used to it. However, I can get him to stand somewhat still while I hold his wing up and get his armpits! He gets mad and won't take a treat from me after.

 

[RavensGryf]

Maybe it's that way since it doesn't rain as much in Africa as it does in the South American jungles? Maybe that theory isn't true though, since some Cockatoos are from drier areas also and still love baths.

It will be interesting to see on this thread what other Poi owners say about baths.

 

[riaria]

Luna, our Meyer's parrot, likes to have a "bath" when she feels like it (usually in the aviary in summer). However, her "baths" is basically just her flapping in the water and getting her head and maybe belly wet - she won't do any proper bathing and get wet all over. She also dislikes showers, except for sometimes when it's really hot and she's outside. There are rain forests in Africa as well, but I think Meyer's, at least, live in the drier areas? So I don't know, maybe that's got something to do with it?

Our African Grey shows no interest at all in having ja bath, but has relatively recently started to enjoy misting/showering. Her feathers are so waterproof (possibly due to them being ground feeders?) though that she hardly ever gets properly wet...

When we had a green cheeked conure, he loved baths and he'd get absolutely soaked, straight away.

In general though, our three (Meyer's, Grey, and Ducorp's cockatoo) are only really keen when they're outside in summer. The cockatoo will (try to) have a bath in his water bowl when we're hoovering, but will ignore any larger bowls of water, and will avoid showers inside as well (though I'm working on getting him into our shower - have a feeling he might like that!). In the aviary though, he absolutely LOVES having a shower. Funny little creatures, they are!

 

[Megapixel]

One of my sennies sometimes likes to be misted but only when I spray up so that it falls on her from above.

 

[RavensGryf]

Yes, it rains in Africa and even on open plains, I just meant not as much as a rainforest in South America.
Actually I just remembered that Robin does like to try to bathe every now and then in his water bowl. He uses a hooded crock, so he can't fit his body in there very well.

 

[thekarens]

One of my sennies sometimes likes to be misted but only when I spray up so that it falls on her from above.

That's exactly how I have to bathe Sammie and she never gets wet all the way through.

Julie, I had to laugh at the image of you lifting Robin's wings to get the armpit.

After I mist Sammie she will often dunk her head in the water bowl, but that's as far as it goes. She's never been properly soaked.

 

[RavensGryf]

I'm really lucky with Robin, in that he is completely touchable in every way. That means I can even hold up an outstretched wing to do his clips!

 

[riaria]

Yes, it rains in Africa and even on open plains, I just meant not as much as a rainforest in South America.

No, Africa has proper tropical rain forests as well. Obviously there are differences in flora as well as fauna compared to the South American ones, but they're still "real" rain forests

 

[RavensGryf]

Yes, it rains in Africa and even on open plains, I just meant not as much as a rainforest in South America.

No, Africa has proper tropical rain forests as well. Obviously there are differences in flora as well as fauna compared to the South American ones, but they're still "real" rain forests

You're right, and I wasn't arguing in the least Isn't the rainforests where the mountain Gorillas live? I've seen pics of Greys at the edge of a forest clearing too. Not sure if Grey's are from a rainforest habitat?

 

[riaria]

You're right, and I wasn't arguing in the least Isn't the rainforests where the mountain Gorillas live? I've seen pics of Greys at the edge of a forest clearing too. Not sure if Grey's are from a rainforest habitat?

I think the Greys are from the rainforest areas, but the pois are not? Not sure though! Maybe they travel around...

 

[riaria]

If I'm interpreting Wikipedia correctly, the Greys live in the primary and secondary rainforest in Africa, with the Timnehs sometimes venturing into the drier parts. While the poicephalus mainly inhabit grasslands, savannas, and woodlands.

Interestingly, the Swedish name for Meyer's Parrot is "stäpppapegoja", which literally translates to "steppe parrot".

 

[RavensGryf]

The Red Bellied are from the more arid areas and plains in East Africa. Poor wild guys probably don't see too much water lol

* edit - I just read they also inhabit semi-arid forests and woodlands also... Seems like all the wild pics I've seen of them are on the savanna.

 

[JamesC]

Sidney won't bathe often. Maybe once every two weeks. But when he does he will do it thoroughly. Usually he starts in his water bowl then I'll put a bigger bowl in for him and he will switch back and forth between the two. He won't bathe when I put a bowl in for him. Ever. Only on his terms when he wants.

 

[thekarens]

Sydney is precious!!!!

 

[JamesC]

Thanks. He has his moments but he can also be a Class A1 brat when he wants to be. But I'll keep him.

 

[thekarens]

There's a reason why I call Sammie "pinchy parrot" at times. They can be little terrorists at times.

 

[Mitchan]

Interestingly, the Swedish name for Meyer's Parrot is "stäpppapegoja", which literally translates to "steppe parrot".

Really? I've only ever heard people say "Meyerspapegoja" But you're right, the correct name seems to be stäppapegoja. I had no idea! That's cool.

 

[riaria]

Interestingly, the Swedish name for Meyer's Parrot is "stäpppapegoja", which literally translates to "steppe parrot".

Really? I've only ever heard people say "Meyerspapegoja" But you're right, the correct name seems to be stäppapegoja. I had no idea! That's cool.

To be honest, whenever I speak with Swedish friends or relatives I cheat and say meyers, ducorps, and senegal. I can't get used to the "official" Swedish names, lol! (I didn't have parrots when I lived in Sweden)