Towel Fright!

[lolitas_dad]

Hi All,

Lolita has since day one been afraid to death of towels and any cloth for that matter. I have tried to very slowly get her used to the most simple touch of them but she runs away like I have an axe in my hand! She is 8 years old. How should I strategize in gaining her acceptance of such things?

Thanks,

Mike and Lolita

 

[JokerGirl]

Turn it into a game. I usually fold laundry on the bed and will let him run around and "help me" do it. We often play peek-a-boo with the t-shirts I'm folding. The other thing I'll do is play it with a blanket if I'm lying on the couch with him. It's seemed to work over the years. Whenever he's toweled at the vet, they always comment that his heart rate is never elevated.

 

[Birdman666]

Essentially, you have to desensitize them to it over time...

Use the towel somewhere in the room. Then set it down and leave it out where the bird sees it 24/7.

A few days later, use it again, and again set it down - this time closer - and leave it there.

And so it goes, moving the towel closer to the cage every two days or so. Each time you use the towel for something you show it to the bird and reassure the bird that "It's just a towel."

Play peek e boo with yourself... from across the room. (Don't use it on the bird yet.

Then, when the bird no longer freaks out over the towel being set down in front of the cage, the next time you fold it up and leave it on top of the cage... Open the cage door. Let the bird explore it on his/her own. Figure out that it's an inanimate object that isn't going to eat her...

THEN you start playing peek e boo, and tug of war, and such with the towel.

Somewhere along there you need to expose her to toweling for grooming purposes... Putting her on your lap with the towel, where she gets treats and a head scratch while in the towel usually helps somewhat...

They'll still usually scream bloody murder come grooming time, but that's life... they get over it.

 

[mh434]

Totally agree. Our dear, departed Paulie was terrified of towels, too, and I did the same thing Jokergirl and Birdman666 did. When I had Paulie playing on the bed, I'd have a small towel there. I'd flip one corner over his head, and when he shook it off, I'd say "Peekaboo!". It only took a few tries before he started to enjoy it.

Gradually, I covered him more and more with the towel and eventually, when he was completely covered, I'd play the child's game, saying "Where's Paulie? Where did he GO?". There'd be a rustling under the towel, followed by chuckling noises, and suddenly he'd pop out from under the towel, and I'd say "Peekaboo!" again. Paulie grew to LOVE that game...and towels were a joyful thing rather than something to be feared.