I dont know what to do with my parrot!!!!?

Question

i have an african grey and he is beginning to lose his color. i know i should bathe him or give him showers, but HE IS AFRAID OF THE WATER!!! any suggestions to what i should do?

Answer 1

I have a Grey that hates water, except how he wants to do it which stepping in his water dish and getting his feet wet and everything around it.  I still take a spray bottle and mist him he doesn't like it, but I do it any way just for a minute he doesn't hate me at all.  Loosing his color ,check what kind of food he is getting.  If he is just on pellets no good. Pellets are fine, with some seed and fresh vegetables and fruits.  If that doesn't help see a vet. I just don't think the bathing is doing it.

Answer 2

Hi my grey didn't like water neither when I first got her to be honest I don't think she ever had a bath before she came to me ... I have a shower perch and I would bring her in the bathroom with me and turn it on and just putz about in the bathroom ... Then turn it off and talk to her the whole time until she started to get a little curious... She would see me put the other birds in there and my Ekkie screams with joy in the shower hard to get him out lol so eventually she started to let me use the sink sprayer just lightly on her toes then we worked up to her underbelly then to a full fledged sink shower.. after that she loves the shower I put her in 2x a week in the summer and 1x a week in winter and she sings now while she showers... So my advice is to go slow get a water gun and let her play with the water streaming out it sounds dumb but if she feels that she in control she will take to it quicker... Good luck

Answer 3

did you try just putting a bowl of water (about 1 inch of water) in his cage? I had a bird who didn't like the water when I tried to wash it, but it would wash itself in its drinking water dish all the time...drove me crazy!

Answer 4

Other than the being afraid of water does he brhave a little weird with other things? If you're really worried ask a vet about his condition. But I think he'll be fine. Oh and please email me at [e-mail] cause I want to know what it's  like to have an african grey parrot cause going to get one soon. (thanks)

Answer 5

what type of food is he on?  If a bird is losing color I think it has to do with diet not that he is dirty.

Answer 6

Get a large sized (1 quart) mister bottle from the supermarket or hardware store.  Fill with WARM water, and MIST him.  The warmer water will not startle him as much as cold water and it cools as soon as it's sprayed.  

DO NOT spray him in his face, but rather on his back or wings and do it slowly with a very fine mist.  At first he might be disturbed, but keep it up for a few seconds, then put down the bottle and walk away.

Come back 15-20 minutes later and try again.  As he bird becomes used to the feeling of being wet, he SHOULD begin to enjoy it.  You will know when he opens his wings and "begs" for more, perhaps becoming joyful and excited.

Don't give up.  Don't yell at your bird, or have noise or shouting going on while you are trying to do this.  Make sure the room is warm (at least not drafty) and relatively quiet without other distractions.  If you bird has a favorite food, offer it the minute you stop spraying.

The area you spray will get REALLY wet, so put newspapers down on the floor, or if you do it while he's in the cage, remove his seed and other items you don't want to get soaked.

Good luck!  You can do this!!

Answer 7

sounds like he is molting and will be fine l wouldn't worry if your bird doesn't like a bath .

Answer 8

I do the same as Mouse does with my Amazon. She doesn't like taking a bath either, other than dipping her head in her water bowl, so I put warm water in a spray bottle and wet her down that way. She doesn't like it, but as soon as I stop spraying she goes right back to talking. If you use a spray bottle, it should be one that chemicals haven't been kept in. All birds are different, my Lorikeet gives herself a bath in her water almost daily. My Parakeets don't play in their water, but don't fuss too much when I spray them.