Mango hates bathing

[MeganMango]

My red belly Mango has just seen the vet and he has dry skin. I have to bath him everyday, but he absolutely hates it. He yells at me tries to run away if I mist him so I cant really get him wet at all. Dave was laughing at me so hard he had to sit down :20:. We must have looked so silly with him hollering and running an me trying to catch him in the water spray. I tried putting some water in the sink but he gave me a dirty look and just tried to jump out. I even tried getting in the tub with him with a couple of inches of warm water but he climbed all the way to the top of my head and grumbled. When I finally got him kind of wet, he cuddled into me grumbling and wouldnt let me put him down. All this drama over a bath! I called the vet and she said to just take him in the shower with me tomorrow and even if he hates it just keep doing it because he is so dry he really needs his baths. Has anyone had this problem with their Poi? Do they learn to like it, or is this going to be a long term battle? Im worried because the more he misbehaves the more I laugh, I really just find the whole thing quite funny, but Im probably encouraging his behavior. Hes just so freaking cute!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Definitely bring him in the shower, let Mango sit on the shower door and get it all humid(but not super hot), I'd also check out the bird bath spray called rain. It's only water and aloe and is very soothing for a birds dry skin. Be wary of any other bird bath sprays, most say to avoid food and water which is a big red flag.
You can also buy pure aloe and mix it with water in a mister, I find rain more convenient though since I never get the ratio right and when I use a fresh aloe plant it's too chunky.

My galah hated baths when I got her, now a year and a few months later she has learned to accept them but only once in a blue moon does she actually spread her wings and get excited. She enjoys a bath more when she's sitting on the shower door after watching me wash my hair.

 

[Karigan]

Kito hates it too, but has learned to accept it. She stays still for the mister when on my hand, and sometimes I shower her in the sink and she's learned to stay put and suck it up, since she's too short to jump out of it.

 

[MeganMango]

I got the bird rain from the vet, and thats what I was chasing him with yesterday. I thought maybe it had a smell or something to deter him. I will just keep trying and hopefully he learns to tolerate it. He will shower with me tonight, and then I will mist him and he will have to deal. He also hates his new pellets. He likes to try to steal food from our plates so Im hoping I can trick him into thinking he stole it, but so far throws them out of his dish and eats what he wants. Hes a little underweight so I dont want to take his other food out, maybe can I offer him just the pellets while Im away and give him the rest in the afternoon? Im not sure how to convince him to eat them.

 

[suebee]

sorry for lol, but nuts not a lover of water, other then to drink bath water, when its her bath day, i take her out in the morning in her sleep cage an mist her, while she is giving me the omg look at the start and progressing to, wait till i am out of here, look!!!!

but she is happy to drink hot bath water, an take a bath in her water dish every now an again

as for meal times she has pellets on offer all the time an fresh given at meal times, given the choice she will not eat her pellets

but all this has taken time, good luck with mango an hope all goes well

 

[Riio]

They are such dramatic little guys huh? LOL Ive read that some birds like a shallow dish with large lettuce leaves or similar in the bottom and a little water, they feel more secure that way. My lil Rio would bathe sometimes 3 times a day in her water dish, the sink, etc. Sunshine on the other hand, not so much! Rio loved to bathe in a big tupperware lid with the water running into it. Sunshine is ok with this only sometimes. Anywhoo both like(d) the shower with me. I have a shower door so they will/would just sit up top and enjoy the steam. If I took Rio off and tried to get her wet she freaked out, but sunshine does not mind. I keep meaning to get a shower perch so that way he is more in the shower so he can get the steam and also some splashes of the water.
Some people also say that spray misting scares their birds (like from a squeeze trigger spray bottle) but dont mind the misted bottles like the kind you pump air into and then they spray an even and constant gentle mist, maybe one of those would work for your lil guy.
Best wishes and good luck, if the man can stop laughing enough to get a video of the bath time antics we would love to see one! LOL

 

[MeganMango]

Ill try to get a video of when we spray him. I have a hug cage for him and I want to stock it full of toys as his day-time cage, so when I go to the store Im going to get him a shower perch. I imagine it will be drama! There wont be videos of this since I will also be in the shower and that would probably be a little inappropriate. I tried to video his this morning and he was having none of it. He was dancing when we put the radio on for him!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I got the bird rain from the vet, and thats what I was chasing him with yesterday. I thought maybe it had a smell or something to deter him. I will just keep trying and hopefully he learns to tolerate it. He will shower with me tonight, and then I will mist him and he will have to deal. He also hates his new pellets. He likes to try to steal food from our plates so Im hoping I can trick him into thinking he stole it, but so far throws them out of his dish and eats what he wants. Hes a little underweight so I dont want to take his other food out, maybe can I offer him just the pellets while Im away and give him the rest in the afternoon? Im not sure how to convince him to eat them.

Is it the Harrison's pellets? I've tried getting Rosie to eat that for the longest time but she never liked it, finally months later I decided to try the fine sized pellets and she loves them XD So now she eats a mixture of tops and harrisons.

 

[MeganMango]

Yes, its Harrisons pellets. I let him have his regular food this morning, and then I took it out and left the pellets for the day while I was at work. He threw a couple out but he pulverized the rest. I dont know how much he ate, but Im giving him back his other food now for a few hours and then Ill do the same tomorrow. Hes at least trying it and hes only 7 months so hopefully he takes a liking to it.

 

[MeganMango]

Mango hated showering with me at first, but by the end he was standing in the water blinking real slowly and looking content. Much better! I think I have found the answer! I was careful to keep him away from any soap, but Im worried my shampoo might get on him. Could shampoo harm him? I use head and shoulders for sensitive skin. I kept him away, but he wanted to be close, if its a serious risk I will have to take him out before I wash my hair, or bring him in after Im done.

 

[Artist]

I am having the same problem with Baby. I have tried the lettuce bath...and she just pulled the lettuce out without going in and threw it on the floor. I tried without the lettuce and she would not go near it. the mister she didn't like, and It is one with a very fine mist. she will sit on top of the shower curtain rail and watch me shower, but will freak out if I try to get her down from there when the shower is going. Keep us posted on how Mango is doing. If you find something that works, I may need to try it with Baby.

 

[MeganMango]

Mango is like a different bird in the shower, he absolutely loves it. It took me about 10 minutes to get him to go by the shower curtain without panicking, and he was anxious at first, but once he was on his shower perch he relaxed. As soon as the water turns on he calms right down. He walks into the spray, closes his eyes and puffs up. He will drink the water and will step right into the shower stream. I also have a noise machine for sleeping at night and it makes a running water sound. We noticed he really likes that too, it takes all his anxiety away. He have been working on his fear of hands and he does much better with the noise machine on. He will cuddle close to my face and he lets me kiss him on the side of his body, but he gets really upset when our hands move, even if its relatively far away and very slow. He is new to us and hes improving, but I cant help but wonder if someone smacked him or something. When hes in the shower he lets me touch him all over, he even looks like hes smiling. You should try a shower perch with Baby, I thought for sure Mango would hate it. I was imagining flapping and screeching and feathers everywhere all while Im standing nude in the shower but it went really well. I actually look forward to having him with me now, and Dave and I have been arguing over who gets to have him on which days. I dont know if it would be good to shower twice or not?

 

[Riio]

Mango is like a different bird in the shower, he absolutely loves it. It took me about 10 minutes to get him to go by the shower curtain without panicking, and he was anxious at first, but once he was on his shower perch he relaxed. As soon as the water turns on he calms right down. He walks into the spray, closes his eyes and puffs up. He will drink the water and will step right into the shower stream. I also have a noise machine for sleeping at night and it makes a running water sound. We noticed he really likes that too, it takes all his anxiety away. He have been working on his fear of hands and he does much better with the noise machine on. He will cuddle close to my face and he lets me kiss him on the side of his body, but he gets really upset when our hands move, even if its relatively far away and very slow. He is new to us and hes improving, but I cant help but wonder if someone smacked him or something. When hes in the shower he lets me touch him all over, he even looks like hes smiling. You should try a shower perch with Baby, I thought for sure Mango would hate it. I was imagining flapping and screeching and feathers everywhere all while Im standing nude in the shower but it went really well. I actually look forward to having him with me now, and Dave and I have been arguing over who gets to have him on which days. I dont know if it would be good to shower twice or not?

Im so glad you found something that works!!! Sad that I didnt get to see a video of you chasing a pouffed up ball of feathers giving you the stank eye with the spray bottle though!!

 

[MeganMango]

Mango is like a different bird in the shower, he absolutely loves it. It took me about 10 minutes to get him to go by the shower curtain without panicking, and he was anxious at first, but once he was on his shower perch he relaxed. As soon as the water turns on he calms right down. He walks into the spray, closes his eyes and puffs up. He will drink the water and will step right into the shower stream. I also have a noise machine for sleeping at night and it makes a running water sound. We noticed he really likes that too, it takes all his anxiety away. He have been working on his fear of hands and he does much better with the noise machine on. He will cuddle close to my face and he lets me kiss him on the side of his body, but he gets really upset when our hands move, even if its relatively far away and very slow. He is new to us and hes improving, but I cant help but wonder if someone smacked him or something. When hes in the shower he lets me touch him all over, he even looks like hes smiling. You should try a shower perch with Baby, I thought for sure Mango would hate it. I was imagining flapping and screeching and feathers everywhere all while Im standing nude in the shower but it went really well. I actually look forward to having him with me now, and Dave and I have been arguing over who gets to have him on which days. I dont know if it would be good to shower twice or not?

Im so glad you found something that works!!! Sad that I didnt get to see a video of you chasing a pouffed up ball of feathers giving you the stank eye with the spray bottle though!!

He still runs around giving me "the look" when I try to spritz him with the bird rain. I wait until I get him back to his cage and when he fluffs his feathers I give him a spray. He is not impressed with this in the least, although he isnt as bad as the first time. That was just outrageous! Ill see if I can get some pics. Hes pretty pathetic when he is all water logged after his bath anyways.

 

[Artist]

Thanks Megan,

I am planning to get a shower perch. I will either have to order one on line or make my own, because they don't carry them at the pet store here.

Anyway, I had a major breakthrough yesterday. she decided to come down and join me in the shower and didn't seem to mind getting all wet. I think it was just a trust issue. I have now had her for almost a month and she is much more trusting of me.

 

[Zuzu]

When we first got Zeus he didn't care for the baths much either, but the lady we got him from said he didn't mind them. so after he was really finally used to us, we tried the kitchen sink, wanted no part of it, but the plus part is he couldn't climb out. So we just started by putting him on the shower doors while we took a shower and after awhile he liked the humidity, he'd fluff all up, but now its no prob, he can do the kitchen sink or the shower with us. but the funny and crazy thing is, the very next day he does circles in his cage and keeps dunking his head and back in the water dish and flings it everywhere. He'll walk across his food dish to the water dish dunk his head and body, fling it everywhere run up the side ring his bell, run along the ceiling, back down sit on food dish for a sec then do it all over again and again til he's soaked then sits on his sandy branch and shakes. Go figure ud think he'd like the warm water over the cold water baths.