Mango hates the bath :(

[MangoBabyy]

From the first time I got Mango, he has absolutely HATED bath time. I try to give him one every 2-3 days but he still hates it. I’ve tried sprinkling water gently on him, making him a little bird bath in a glass bowl, leaving a small bath in his cage, nothing works. And then I have to practically force him into a bath because he has poop all over his tail and fruit skin on him (he throws it everywhere), but he won’t stay in the water for more than 5 milliseconds before he tries to fly away as if he’s in extreme danger. I’m not sure what else to do. I don’t want to keep forcing him to take a bath because it breaks my heart to see him so scared. Did you guys have trouble getting your feathered friends to like bathes when you first got them? Do you have any tips on how to get them more used to the water? I read somewhere about how taking them in the shower with you might help but I’m not sure if the hot water would be good for him.

 

[itzjbean]

Have you tried using a spray bottle? They're cheap and effective and isn't as harsh as trying to force him into a dish. My cockatiel loves spray bottle baths, my old tiel hen didn't like the mist but enjoyed dunking herself in her water dish.

 

[DoubleTake]

My guys are pretty much ducks. But at the beginning I would just use my finger to splash the water in the blow and they would be curious and come over.. then they would get excited and jump in. I'd like to note that my two boys like baths and my female liked showers with the spray bottle or a mister.

 

[Scott]

Definitely advocate the use of a new, clean spray bottle. Dollar-type stores offer them with an adjustable nozzle. Begin with room temperature or slightly warm water in a very fine mist, and spray upwards at an offset angle. This allows the water to fall from above similar to rain and seems less threatening.

Keep fresh water inside, and periodically clean or discard/replace to avoid bacteria buildup in the spray mechanism.

 

[Aratingettar]

Cytrynka enjoys bathing, especially when it's hot or when she's going through her molt. I come with her on the shoulder to the sink, let the water go from the tap, and I form a "bowl" with my hands (palms) so it fills with the running water (hand comfortable temperature, not too cold not too hot). When she sees the "spring" in my hands she travels down from the shoulder over the arm to the hands, initially tastes the water and if she finds it good temperature she sits in the formed "bowl" with tap water running on her back, splashing it with her wings. Sometimes she puts her neck under the running water, too.
After bath she seeks some calm place to dry. She prefers drying "bat style" hanging down on the window curtains.
If Mango is hand tame, try the "hand spring" trick. Don't push him, let his curiosity lead him down to investigate what's happening.

 

[T00tsyd]

I was going to say the same about curiosity. Syd hates showers and sprays and runs with a look of terror. He started dunking in his tiny water bowl so I got him a bath that clips to the cage. This was fine for quite a while until one day when I was washing up. He was on my shoulder and before I knew it was running down my arm towards the bubbles.

Whoops! I scooped him up and let fresh water run slowly into a shallow but quite large bowl so it overflowed into the sink. Nowadays I put it on top of a flowerpot so it is level with the draining board. He was fascinated by the bubbles that are created as the water hits at first then tried to catch them in his beak and before he knew it he was dunking away merrily. Now he stands in the middle and splashes as much water as he can on me and everything else close. The cage bath hasn't stood a chance since. If I forget to provide the wash room for him he heads for the dog bowl so I have to be on my guard. They find their own way in the end we just have to think up as many variations as it takes until they find something that suits.

 

[Sandy19]

Peanut hates bathing and she hates the spray bottle even more, she acts like I'm trying to kill her with it. I've tried running the sink water hoping she'd get curious about it and that hasn't worked either. She was starting to get dry and flaky so I had no other choice but to turn on the shower, put her on my hand and put her under the running water real quick before she runs back up my arm. So that's how Peanut gets her baths. She actually seems content afterwards so I do think it makes her feel better.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

BB also hates baths. Spray bottles,water bowls,droplets of water from my hand..nope..he runs away as fast as his little feetsies can carry him.

Only a couple times has he tried to bathe. Usually I put him in the kitchen basin. It's pretty deep and he cant climb out. I'd put warm water in a coffee mug and chase him. He'd yell his fool head off at me as he tried to escape.

A couple times however,he'd stop,then face plant himself and open his arms as he wildly flapped and rolled around in the basin yelling in complete estasy looking like he was having some sort of seizure! But this happened maybe three times
Now with Amy,she showers with me and really likes it. She'll hang upside-down from her perch stick,getting all poofy,waving madly,and yelling as loud as she can in Amazon lingo,so now I've been taking Beebs in with me but he still doesn't groove on the idea
I end up holding him in my hand and drenching him,untill the water no longer beads up on his back. He gets a total wash job. I gently lift and open his arms,spread his rudder and gingerly message him,then wrap him up in a small bath towel and pat him down good.

The water is ALWAYS luke warm for both of them! to the point where it's chilly to me.


Jim

 

[Violet_Diva]

The sound of the vacuum cleaner or hairdryer gets mine in the mood. They start bathing in their drinking water and are much more receptive to the spray bottle then too

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

The sound of the vacuum cleaner or hairdryer gets mine in the mood. They start bathing in their drinking water and are much more receptive to the spray bottle then too

Now that is funny lol



Jim

 

[EllenD]

My Green Cheek is like a fish, he can't wait for me to even put his bathtub down after I fill it...My other guys all like showers, not baths, so I highly recommend getting a shower-perch (or making one), and sticking it to the wall of your shower (they are basically just a piece of PVC piping with a suction-cup on one end that you stick to the shower wall).

The way you do it is to put the bird's shower-perch towards the back of the shower, so your bird will be just out of range of the water spray from the shower. What I do is I put them on their shower-perch, then I get in, and I take my shower in hotter water than they like, obviously. They all absolutely love to sit in the warm steam, they all talk to themselves or beak-grind while they're in there with me. Then once I'm completely done with my shower, I adjust the water temperature so that it's warm but not hot, and then I'll adjust the shower-head so that it's right in-front of their perch. Usually they'll start bathing themselves by sticking themselves under the water streams, sometimes I'll just flick some water from the shower stream on them. They all definitely prefer the shower to baths, well, except for Bowie, lol...

So if you're very bonded to your bird, just the fact that he's in the shower with you and you're getting wet and in the water will help tremendously to calm his fear of water.

 

[bingbing]

BingBing has always dunked himself in his water bowl and loves it he does it a 3 or 4 times a week on his own. What I do is quickly after each dunk get him new water and he often jumps right back in. I like the water bottle idea during the times he is dunking himself I may try that and see if he like it I never considered any other method as he always has done that.

 

[Sandy19]

The sound of the vacuum cleaner or hairdryer gets mine in the mood. They start bathing in their drinking water and are much more receptive to the spray bottle then too

That's weird because sometimes when I vacuum the porch Peanut will immediately start playing in her water bowl. It's not a proper bath, however. She doesn't soak herself or anything, all she manages to do is get her head wet and fling the water everywhere. The vacuum definitely triggers it though.

 

[cethlinn]

Pidgey hates the shower water on him but loves to sit in the shower with me. He also bathes himself in his water bowl everyday. He did this all on his own (I think he secretly wants to be a fish) this is not something he did at the breeders but only started here in our home.

I agree with the op about taking him in the shower with you so he can see that the water is a calming/good thing.

 

[MonicaMc]

You could try providing bathing opportunities in different ways. Here's some ideas!

• Try luke-warm water
• Try cold water
• Try ice-cold water
• Try a spray bottle
• Try a plant mister
• Try in the sink with the water running or just some water in the bottom
• Try in the sink with the sprayer
• Try in the tub with some water in the bottom
• Try a casserole dish or similar with some water
• Try the dish with ice
• Try the dish with foot toys
• Try the dish with some small rocks or pebbles
• Try the dish with some leafy greens like endive or other types of lettuces that may create a "natural" bowl
• Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner running
• Try in the shower with you - watching you having a blast getting wet!
• Try dancing the bird into the shower with the water already going
• Try spritzing yourself, and have fun doing it! Then spritz the bird
• Try outside in an empty cage large enough to spread wings during a nice rain shower
• Try outside in an empty cage using the hose with a mist/shower attachment
• Try playing videos of other birds bathing

Don't hate on any methods until you've tried them! Birds are weird!



[ame="https://youtu.be/zSrbLjhpPog"]Bird meets Bird - YouTube[/ame]


[ame="https://youtu.be/bEDT9_nheIY"]Charlie's Bath - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I don't think I've ever heard of a sun conure NOT liking water, lol, but I can't say much about green-cheeks since I've never owned one.


I do know sunnies are often referred to as 'water babies' and with good reason.


Skittles likes to flap around in a large casserole dish that I fill with water. He will often walk over to the corner and 'wait' for me to cup water and pour on his back.



I recently found a small spray bottle at Walmart for a dollar and filled it with water and had it on 'spray' (do NOT use stream as its too powerful). I just cup my hand around Skittles head (to protect his eyes and nares) and spray it on him and he loves it!