To those who shower with your birds, are there risks?

[GreenCheek44]

I didnt realize so many people people showered with there birds. Is it safe to have them around shampoo and soap?

 

[clark_conure]

I have a towel draped over the sliding door.

The birds just sit and watch like perverts.

Occasionally if they haven't done a water dance in a while after I'm clean I'll have em step up and let the sit in the corner getting misted or water glance off, barely hit with water, with cooler water than I'm used too. Clark usually sits on my foot, and just gets the drop offs.

They never try to jump in during my shampooing or body washing.

 

[saxguy64]

Seems there's risks in pretty much everything we do. Mine shower with me, but I've developed some weird skin issues so any soap or shampoo with dyes or fragrance causes a reaction. So, stuff that I use is inherently safer for them. No I don't use it on them, just that there's no smelly perfumey stuff to expose them to. That said, it's always the unforseen things... My Ekkie, Tucker once somehow managed to knock a large shampoo bottle off the shelf, and it spooked him. He fell to the shower floor, and the bottle fell with him, inches away from landing on him and crushing him. Needless to say, I don't keep anything on the shelf any more.

 

[Laurasea]

If I remember, 2 burds have died, a slip and fall, and accidentally crushing. When birds are all wet, soaked, they can't fly. Anyway I rember 2 stories, one from EllenD, I think......
And one that sorta git to much water in nose abd died, tho that one wasn't as clear, but died right then.... for smaller burds I feel us bugger risk, all my memories are smaller burds, conures and such

 

[bug_n_flock]

Lmao clark! With the laughs as always, thank you.



The first time Alex did his water dance poof fall forward flap wings it terrified me. Of course, that was close to 20 years ago and I was still a relatively new bird owner. Immediately turned off water and cuddled him until he looked at me like, "hey dummy, I was enjoying that. What happened to the water?". I thought I had caused him to aspirate. Nowadays we just mist them with a spray bottle. We don't have indoor plumbing yet at the farm, so we humans use a bucket of warm water and a cup to "shower". We are working towards being able to take baths, but are currently having issues with our septic system(again) which was a diy install by the previous owner, and is not to code. Thankfully soon we will have normal plumbing and a well installed septic system, to code.

 

[saxguy64]

Yep, mine don't like the direct spray. The perch is on the far wall, and they get the overspray that bounces off my shoulders, more like a heavy misting. Tucker gets really upset if I take a shower without him, and likes to tell me so!

 

[fiddlejen]

My birds like to join me in the shower but they do Not want any actual droplets to hit them.

I only bring them in if I'm gonna take a long hot soaking shower. What they Love is the steam-humidity in the room. At first I only brought Sunny in, but I when I realized how much she loved to relax in the hot steam, I brought the semi-tame budgies as well, and they clearly love it as well.

To bring the budgies into the shower, I have to first "trap" them inside their own cage - by waiting till they're inside and closing the door - and then either roll their big cage from the front of house to back - or else reach in, catch them in my hands to put in smaller cage to carry back to bathroom.

In the past, any time I did such a thing, they would avoid being "trappable" for days, exiting their big cage when I came near. Also determinedly avoid my hand if I would reach in.

However, since starting occasionally bringing the budgies to join me for a steam-shower, they have done the Opposite! Hanging around INside their big cage when I come near. For the most recent shower, LETting me take them in my hand with barely a token avoidance-hop. Jefferson even once has flown to the back of the house to check whether I might be running a shower...

Once I actually complete my shower, they are NOT interested in exiting the bathroom. They will sit in there for hours if I let them, even after the steam has visibly dispersed. And they just seem to love it.

So. I hope they are never injured by this, since they seem to love it so much. I am always as careful as I can be. Part of the reason I don't shower with them as often as they would probably like, is the safety measures I feel compelled to take before bringing them in there, such as covering inaccessible areas, trying to put away any dangers I can perceive, etc. I probably don't need to bother, since the budgies just want to spend the time sitting on the tension rod over the tub. (It's an extra shower curtain, installed OVER the tub, to use for hang-drying of clothing items. Only, now it's my birdeis' shower perch.)

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

My birds shower with me also but one at a time,and different days. They perch on the shower rod and I do my thang. I then turn the water pressure and temp down. Amy sits on his perch stick as I bring it in and out of the stream and he opens his arms up wide then hangs upside down. BB just sits on my fingers as I bring him in and out also. No soap or shampoo is ever used (except on me).


Jim

 

[Caitnah]

My Pineapple showers with me occasionally. When he was under a year old, I would be able to have him on my finger and quickly swoosh him under the shower spray. He doesn't care for that now. But he does like being in there with me.
He sits on a wall perch away from the shower and talks to me.

 

[chris-md]

Perverts is right!

[ame="https://youtu.be/1Ze7TAV_iE0"]My nightly ego boost: Parker the Eclectus wolf whistles - YouTube[/ame]

Agree it’s all safe since they aren’t actually interacting with the soap/shampoo etc. I’ll pull Parker in with me on Saturday’s for a weekly shower (I shower at night which is not really a good thing for parrots). Other than that he’ll sit up on the curtain rod like he does in the video.

 

[clark_conure]

OMFG that was awesome!

 

[texsize]

I had a near miss/ lose call with Bella in the shower the first time.

Our bathroom is at the opposite side of the house as the water heater so it takes time to get hot water.
We keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while we wait for hot and use the bucket water for other stuff.

When I tried to pick her up from the shower railing to try getting her wet she panicked and landed in the bucket full of water.
I got her out right away and she does enjoy the bathroom but going down into the shower is a no no

 

[20brio19]

For me it wouldn't really work for either party. My boy get stressed out at the sound of running water as it is so I don't think he'd be calm up there. Also for some reason I don't feel comfortable with my bird seeing me naked. Or that he'd poop near my feet while I shower. I don't know maybe some day I'll change my mind and try.

 

[noodles123]

There are risks- If your bird gets water in his/her nose/eyes etc --too much can be dangerous. They should not sit with their heads under the stream directly.

Shampoos and soaps can also be toxic, and a scared bird can get overwhelmed and have a heart attack if very frightened by the sound of the shower etc. Never force it