Should they be showered?

[LoriBabies]

My 2 lori's adore their baths - in their drinking bowls. They will generally bathe 2-3 times a week, though as often as 2-3 times a day depending on how their mood takes them.

Neither of them seem to like running water and just panic and climb when confronted with it in any way shape or form.

My question is, should I be attempting to shower them (obviously training them not to be scared) or are their drinking bowl baths sufficient?

 

[Wings]

Drinking bowls are okay too! There is no reason why it wouldn't be. As long as their water is clean and not too cold/hot they will be okay. Remember keep it clean! They will be drinking out of it too!

 

[LoriBabies]

Thanks Wings Thats what I figured but wanted to be sure. They're water is definitely clean, and funnily enough they rarely bathe if we aren't home - they also insist on swimming right after I've taken their cage outside for a hose down...coincidence? I think not! haha.

I have tried a ceramic dog bowl and also a plastic container as a swimming pool, but they are only interested in their drinking bowls it seems.

 

[MikeyTN]

People have let them take bath in sinks and tubs. They put toys inside to get them wanting to go inside to play. It's quite cute! I can't get my Lory to do bath period, he absolutely HATES it...He'll do it in his water dish though....

 

[LoriBabies]

Mikey, your lory sounds like my two - I've been able to do NOTHING to coax them into swimming/bathing anywhere but their water bowls haha.

 

[MikeyTN]

Brats! That's all I can say about our lories....lol....

 

[LoriBabies]

Perfect description methinks!

 

[Wings]

LoriBabies, same here. Budgies are known to be the best swimming parrots, and i have a long, shallow tub of water at the bottom of her cage to do little laps of swimming. Of course, i only put it in there when she's being supervised by me, but it is so cute I love how birds waddle through the water. She HATES misting and running water...

 

[LoriBabies]

That would be so cute!

 

[Wings]

Next time she does it i'm going to take pics (if i can get her to sit still) If you look at My budgie's album, not very exciting pics because when she is eating or wet is the only time she sits still! lol...she eats alot. one of the funniest things she does is steps on the squishy fruits and veggies if they aren't small enough to "crush" them...so she literally hops up and down on her tray of veggies... i wish i could get a pic...

This may be a little off topic but i wanna hear about Pistachio and Zazu's funny habits. I love hearing stories like that

 

[LoriBabies]

I would LOVE to see photos/video of your budgie swimming and squishing its food, adorable!

Zazu has this super annoying habit of literally dropping from his top perch to the bottom of his cage, I've watched him, he doesn't fall or flap, it’s a controlled drop. Scares the bejeezus out of me every single time. He won't eat up-right, he has to hang from above his food bowl to eat. He also runs around the bottom of his cage attacking and playing with a bell in a cat ball, chattering away and telling it off. That's about all from Zazu, he's only just FINALLY starting to come out of his shell.

Pistachio on the other hand is a nut-job (which is actually how he got his name). He LOVES green apple, like a whole side of the apple, none of this cut up stuff and he has recently discovered he can fly with the empty peel in his feet, so when he's done, he flys to me, drops the empty peel on my shoulder and returns to his cage. He’s also started hiding when we try to put him back in his cage…we have a blanket that we cover the cage with at night, which is bundled up across the top of the very back of the cage, hes worked out he can run along between the blanket and the wall and hide, so all you see is this bright blue head pop up every now and again to see where you are, then disappear again.
The other thing about Pistachio, which annoyed me a little for a while but is quite endearing now is he is what I would describe as a typical boy. “Don’t bother with the affectionate cuddling rubbish, FIGHT with me!” He likes nothing more than being rolled around on his back, ‘attacked’, tickled and fake punched. He puffs up and growls, but always comes back for more. Heaven forbid you dare stop before he’s ready, he’ll come after you, take your finger and roll onto his back, waiting for more. In all that, though, he is super gentle. A little rougher with my male housemate but has never properly bit either of us, except when we’re doing something we KNOW he doesn’t like.

Ugh I’m sorry! This turned into such a novel. Guess I’m just a bit obsessed with my babies, but they’re so cute!

 

[Mayden]

With regards to bathing, we try and encourage Merlin to bathe in anything BUT his water dish!

We bought a 'macaw size' type food/water dish and that's big enough for him to bathe and stretch his wings in etc, without contaminating his actual drinking water. We just top that up once a day.

He's also a bottle drinker for the most part.

We're considering these for our budgie's too as they do enjoy misting but haven't taken to bathing. We have shallow pot/clay type dishes like this :

that we're thinking of just putting at the bottom of the cage. Shallow enough for a small bird to stand in and really fluff about in and heavy enough so it shouldn't tip either.

 

[LoriBabies]

I tried exactly that, Mayden. Unfortunately they were not even remotely interested

 

[Mayden]

I tried exactly that, Mayden. Unfortunately they were not even remotely interested

That's a shame

Our budgie's LOVE being misted, Lucie especially will fluff up and rub herself against the wet bars of the cage, opening her wings and stuff for more. You said they hate running water but have you tried misting them? (Sorry if you had said you have, I'm sleepy!)

Might just be a case of having to keep an eye on their water! Maybe try bottle training them too so they can have a bottle as their water source and their dish as their bath?

 

[LoriBabies]

Thanks for the suggestion. Sadly, misting has the same effect as running water, do not like! haha.

I will certainly think about the bottle training though, thanks.

 

[Blancaej]

Quincy has never liked bathing anywhere else then his water dish. I just recently found a large stainless steel bowl for him to use and he pretty much sticks to that now instead of his drinking dish. I got Savannah one too. I'm hoping to try showers with Savannah at some point.

 

[coltfire]

lorribabies are those olive lorries, in your pic, i used to breed lorries for over 8 years, and most of them would only bath in there water bowls, all tho the my breeding stock which where in the outdoor avery i had a soaker hose attached to the roof and when i turned it on the all would just love it.

 

[LoriBabies]

lorribabies are those olive lorries, in your pic, i used to breed lorries for over 8 years, and most of them would only bath in there water bowls, all tho the my breeding stock which where in the outdoor avery i had a soaker hose attached to the roof and when i turned it on the all would just love it.

Hi Coltfire - Pistachio is just a normal lori, but you're right about Zazu - he is indeed an olive. Hes my beautiful little bubba - he's only about 6 months old.