birds in the shower

Moderator: Mods

Post Reply
stewartsma
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 6:19 pm

birds in the shower

Post by stewartsma »

I have been considering getting a shower perch for my birds (stewart and indian ringneck and lexi a quaker). I was thinking of suctioning it to a mirror while I shower and once they are comfortable with that allowing them to shower by themselves. My concern is I take very hot showers that leaves the bathroom very hot and humid. Is this ok for my little birdies?

I also have a question about my stewart. I brought him home 9 days ago and hes such a great little guy. Hes started calling to my quaker which makes her content to know theres someone else here with her. Anyway ive noticed stewart has been sneezing. He acts normal has quite an appatite and is very active theres no ooze coming from his nostriles though when he sneezes I can feel some clear liquid expelled from them. He mainly sneezes after sticking his head in his water bowl or after playing with a certain toy (it has a lot of brown nesting type material in it)...is there a need to be worried?
InTheAir
Posts: 2040
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:24 pm

Re: birds in the shower

Post by InTheAir »

Hi,

Our ringneck loves his shower perch!
From what I have read, I believe it is best to shower birds in cool water.
We have a routine at shower time; after I have finished washing I call the bird over and turn the hot water right down and he has his shower. There is a slight drawback though, he splashes me and shakes himself out all over me after I turn the shower off, so I never feel clean afterwards (and I'm cold).

It is a good practice to quarantine a new bird for atleast a month and to get a well bird check with an Avian Vet. The sneezing may be nothing to worry about, I don't know though. Our bird sometimes sneezes after preening and covers us with goobers :wink:

It's nice that your quaker likes having someone to talk to. Quakers are so cute, they always give me that "take me home" look when I go to the pet shop.

Regards,
Claire
stewartsma
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 6:19 pm

Re: birds in the shower

Post by stewartsma »

Stewart is in quarantine. Lexi is in the living room while he is in the bedroom.

Is it okay for them to be in the bathroom while I shower or should I wait and bring them in after?
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: birds in the shower

Post by ellieelectrons »

I take my birds into the shower with me. We have suction cup perches that sit inside the shower stall. Our shower stall is big enough that they can sit on them without getting wet. If they want to get wet, they sit on my hands. I know some people won't take the birds into the shower whilst they shower themselves as they are concerned about the risks of them swallowing or getting covered in soaps and chemicals you use whilst showering. I'm very careful to keep them away from the birds.. and I guess it also helps that it's quite a big shower.


Ellie.
Jen&Bug
Posts: 98
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 5:02 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Jen&Bug »

My IRN Bug finds the shower too scary (even though he loves a spray bath on his cage), but when I had a quaker he used to love it. He perched just beyond the main flow of water, so he got the steam and a bit of spray, but not a drenching in hot water. I'm pretty sure it never did him any harm. The funniest thing was that he used to "sing" in the shower - he would chatter non-stop while the water was running! I probably wasted gallons of water having longer showers just so I could listen to him :D
martinclukey
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:23 pm

Re: birds in the shower

Post by martinclukey »

Some birds have not been conditioned to accept bathing, and resist contact with water, despite the fact that daily shower filters would be a part of their natural beauty. thanks
showerfilterstore com
ranechild
Posts: 295
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:57 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: birds in the shower

Post by ranechild »

We take our IRN and Quaker in the shower with us. ONe sits on a suction cup perch, the other on the curtain rod (they don't behave well enough to share the perch). After I'm done washing in the water that is hot enough for me, I add cold water to the stream. It stays warm enough that I don't feel too uncomfortable but cool enough that the birdies won't get overheated. Camo the QP will not go into the shower stream. neither does he like the stream to be re-directed towards him. He does enjoy to be on the curtain rod enjoying the humidity and water droplets. Enjoyment is evidenced by chatter and squaking. He also simply enjoys the echo of his voice in the bathroom :) Fats the IRN though, he will go into the stream. I usually redirect the stream onto him. He comes out soaked all the way through!!!
martinclukey
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:23 pm

Re: birds in the shower

Post by martinclukey »

As per my knowledge some birds have not been conditioned to accept bathing, and resist contact with water, despite the fact that daily Shower filters would be a part of their natural environment. they bath on natural water ....thanks.
showerfilterstore com
SkyeBerry
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:14 am
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada

Re: birds in the shower

Post by SkyeBerry »

Regarding the sneezing. My sun conure will dunk his head when he has access to water. A sneeze after this would be a normal reaction to getting water in his nostrils. He also collects dust in his nares which causes him to sneeze - maybe why he dunks his head? Anyway, when he starts to sneeze I take him to the vet and she rinses his nares. It lasts about 8 months are so. I thought she said he had extra hyperculum (sp?), but from doing a quick search for spelling I think she must have meant extra high operculum. The operculum is a structure that helps prevent the inhalation of foreign bodies - so I just learned. Regardless, I would recommend having an avian vet look at the bird. The cost of an exam is so insignificant compared to medical care for your other bird. And if this bird does have something wrong, the sooner any treatment is started the better - for the bird and your wallet. When deciding if I am going to take a bird to the vet, I also factor in my piece of mind knowing if its or is not something that needs to be dealt with.
Mary
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: birds in the shower

Post by AJPeter »

I took my Alex Billie into the bathroom to have a shower l tried to get her to stand on the clothes horse but she ran up my arm and hid behind my head l think it will be a long road before she accepts the clothes horse and shower but she loves me misting her when she is in her bath.
SkyeBerry
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:14 am
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada

Re: birds in the shower

Post by SkyeBerry »

Yes, Skye loves a dish for a bath or the spray bottle. I have taken him into the washroom and carefully turned on the tub water but it startles him into a panic. I have the shower perch but I likely won't be using it for a while. I have a bad habit of using the toilet for a garbage can at times. Without thinking I flushed when Skye was on my shoulder... :o You would have thought some animal had just pounced at him. I am surprised he still lets me take him into that room at all.
Mary
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: birds in the shower

Post by AJPeter »

I throw unwanted cooked food into the loo, to flush it away also when l clean the plastic tray from Billies cage the debris goes down the pan besides what the pan was designed for, ah also bits of tissue l have used to clean up pooh in her cage.
I have to tell visitors who want to get up close and opersonal with Bille "Don't stand on he paper it is like an open sewer round her cage. She really likes pooping onto my carpet. I do change the paper every day, they are the free ones that litter our buses.

If you want to know how Winnie the Pooh got his name check out Parrot speak easy.
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

Suction cups won't work on my shower wall. Is there something clever I can construct that would work and not take up a ton of space?
MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: birds in the shower

Post by MissK »

Could you use or modify something like this?

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www ... mdZrVR20_g
-MissK
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

I probably can't use that object itself but making something to hang from the shower head is a good idea. I'll run with it and see how it goes.
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: birds in the shower

Post by AJPeter »

Sometimes showers come with a soap dish, alhtough l do not think that will be much good as it out of the spray, l have the same problem in that my shower is not tiled but a Heath Robinson device l hung on the wall, but l did try to get Billie to stand on a folding plastic clothes horse, l think if l preservered she might take to it, and that can be positioned in the stream of the shower.
SkyeBerry
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:14 am
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada

Re: birds in the shower

Post by SkyeBerry »

I wish I could somehow draw here because I am not sure how to describe it, but I am sure you could make something to hang over the shower rod and extend out into the shower spray using some 1/2" pvc pipe and some elbows.
Mary
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

yeah that's basically what i'm thinking skyberry
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

My bird (mr bell) has not bathed or showered in probably a month now. His willingness to get wet was diminishing and has faded into nothing now. That's his choice. Is it unhealthy though??
SunniDai
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2013 4:49 pm
Location: Washington state, USA

Re: birds in the shower

Post by SunniDai »

That's a good question, Donovan. One I would like to know as well. Sunni showers with me on a perch, the other three love it when we turn a fine mist on the outdoor aviary with the hose. Or they bathe in the rain. When it's been a while, though, they get awfully dusty. I don't know if this is good for them or not either. It's not great for MY sinuses, but for them?
~Dana

Image
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: birds in the shower

Post by AJPeter »

I am pleased to say that when Billie wants a shower she happily sits on the clothes horse but has not got the confidence to get under the shower completely but we are making progress, when l have a shower l use 1/3 a bath of water when Billie has a shower she uses a whole bath full, (I put the plug in). But she does not want a shower every day but uses the water in the bowl in her cage. She makes me laugh as she holds the rim of the bowl with her beak like some novice swimmer who clings to the side of the pool.
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

Neko showers happily .. Mr. Bell has grown to want nothing to do with a bath or shower and he has -always- been afraid of a mist bottle. I am sure that his not wanting to bathe or shower is my fault. Him being my first bird he has had a number of negative experiences with me that I have been able to refine with Neko.

Today Mr. Bell is outside in the aviary by himself and it has gotten pretty hot out, so i turned on a sprayer on top of the cage. Basically it's sprays a mist upward and it falls back down into the cage. Well Mr Bell wasn't having it .. so i had to turn it off. Somehow he managed to squeeze into one little corner to avoid getting wet...

He used to love showers but i left him under the water for like 30 minutes more than once and he got completely saturated. I thought he was loving it since he did have the option of getting away from the water. But still this was probably a negative experience for him

My main concern is about health though. If he is going to stop bathing.. is it okay
AJPeter
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 3:17 pm
Location: Birmingham England
Contact:

Re: birds in the shower

Post by AJPeter »

Mr Bell believes only dirty birds shower. Good one Mr Bell. Keep trying, offer a treat as a lure and as reward
sanjays mummi
Posts: 2050
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:07 pm
Location: Bedfordshire UK

Re: birds in the shower

Post by sanjays mummi »

Sanjay has phases where he hides to avoid his spray bottle, but eventually comes around to a shower again. When I got him I asked if I'd be able to take him in the shower (wet room) with me eventually, and I was told "no", I wasn't just lied to about his gender, then.
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

Sanjay I don't don't think you were lied to.. as much as you were informed by someone who didn't know a thing about birds.. maybe.. the people I bought Neko from looked at me funny when they realized i had one fully flighted bird already.. they were very unimpressed by that fact and fussed at me .. otherwise they know their birds...

Anyway.. how long do those phases last that you mentioned??.. couple of weeks?.. months?..
MissK
Posts: 3011
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 3:46 pm
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Re: birds in the shower

Post by MissK »

Why don't you offer a pan of water? Rocky used to try to bathe in his little water cup - OK, sometimes he still does..... But I provided a large stainless dog bowl with a little water and a flat rock (for safety, to prevent slipping). As soon as I saw him drinking from that bowl I pulled the little water cup. Eventually he learned/braved up to bathe in the dog bowl and I brought back his separate drinking cup to promote sanitation. Not too terribly convinced he knows my intention, but he has progressed to getting completely in the dog bowl by now. It's really not big enough, but I can't fit anything larger in and out the door of his cage.
-MissK
sanjays mummi
Posts: 2050
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:07 pm
Location: Bedfordshire UK

Re: birds in the shower

Post by sanjays mummi »

Sanjay was, allegedly, bred by an experienced breeder, as for how long his wuss stages last, it's difficult to say, sometimes a week or two, sometimes longer, he is fickle about most things, sigh.
Donovan
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 4:18 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: birds in the shower

Post by Donovan »

Missk, he has a bath. In fact he has two. One is a plastic pan. The other is like a big Tupperware tub. Its big enough his wings and tail don't touch the sides. Botb birds could bathe in that one. Fact is, mr bell has sworn off baths and showers. So i'm hoping it's just a phase like sanjay has suggested.
Post Reply