lday998
Just Hatched
This is why I don't have a smart phone
Joined: April 2013
Posts: 2
Pets: Pascal - CAG, Cooper - dog, Onyx - dog
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Post by lday998 on Apr 2, 2013 10:19:06 GMT -7
I'm new to the forum. I have a 10 month old African grey parrot named Pascal that I brought home at the end of November 2012. So far everything's going pretty well, although I'm having the hardest time trying to convince him that baths/showers are good for him. He's absoluately wonderful, although he and my fiance are not super fond of each other. He is rarely nervous about new things presented to him and is constantly exploring. He is also a complete clown, which I wasn't expecting. He loves to swing from a rope from one end of his cage to the other, attacking toys as he flies by. Luckily he isn't very clumsy so far.
I wanted to check out the forum so I'd have somewhere to go when (not if)  I need help down the line.
I guess I'm also looking for help in the "shower" arena. I frequently have him sit in the bathroom with me while I shower and I have been briefly spraying him with a mister (much to his dismay). He still doesn't seem any more comfortable with the idea of being wet than when I first brought him home so I'm looking for suggestions on how I can help him along. Being a dusty grey, I'm concerned with him not being willing to get really wet like he would in the rainforst and I don't want his dust to make him sick. It's strange because he is so inquisitive and is almost never afraid of anything presented to him. He is perfectly happy to sit on his stand while I'm in the shower, but wants nothing to do with it himself, so he's just getting "steamed", which I guess is better than nothing. I haven't tried putting him on the shower rod like I've seen some people suggest online; it just seems like he might slip. He's not really clumsy but I don't want him to fall from that high. Anyways, ideas are welcome! |
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Post by Jane on Apr 3, 2013 4:06:53 GMT -7
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Some Greys love water, some hate it and the rest are inbetween. My Monty has always liked water and enjoys being sprayed and playing with his toys in a heavy dog bowl of water. Mitzi has never been so keen but from time to time she seems to really want to be sprayed. They will both try to bath in their drinking water bowl from time to time. They tend to know instinctively when they need to. Being in the steamy bathroom will be good for him. His dust won't make him sick, they come into contact with it all the time when preening. Try using a small sprayer such as the sort used for airplants and spray upwards so that the spray is light and gentle landing on him.
Jane
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Post by dorothydot on Apr 3, 2013 5:19:58 GMT -7
If he doesn't like the shower, maybe you could try a couple of inches of water in the tub, then dribble water onto him? I had a few canaries who loved splashing about in waterbaths. The first time I had Koba in the shower, I kept him out of the direct spray and let water from my long wet hair drip on him - back, head, wings, etc. He didn't object, so then I put him in the direct shower spray. He wasn't wild about it, but did okay (until the shower curtain came crashing down). Even then, Koba sat on his table perch and didn't freak. Afterwards, he kept telling me, ""Want shower. Show-wer. Koba want shower".
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Post by Haz on Apr 3, 2013 7:32:35 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum.
Chyloe doesn't like the shower. She will take a bath in her water bowl and I spray her but if I put her in the human shower, she goes crazy trying to get out then sits huddled and miserable.
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Raechel
Weaned Todd
Joined: April 2013
Posts: 59
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Post by Raechel on Apr 30, 2013 15:03:06 GMT -7
My Rocky is only 15 weeks and I take him into the shower on a shower perch so that he is in the shower with me but not getting sprayed by the water. Then depending on how he reacts I move him closer and closer to the water each time...if he looks nervous I move him back to where he felt safe again. Sometimes I sit on the floor of the shower snuggling him while we both get misted by the ricochet of the water for a few minutes...or I hold him on my hand close to my chest with the shower head set to mist and slowly move into the water (if he gets nervous I stop and let him calm down) then I put him back on his perch to watch me finish my showering. All the while praising him up like he just won an Olympic medal and showering is more fun than winning the lottery :-D.
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I need help down the line.
