08/26/2026
EVERYONE loves shower day around here. 😂💦🦜
Bathing is such an important part of caring for your parrot. It helps keep feathers clean, removes dust and dander, supports healthy skin and feather condition, and gives those new pin feathers a little extra moisture, especially during a molt.
But shower day looks different for every bird.
Some are FULL SEND.
Wings out. Tail spread. Hanging upside down. Dancing around like they have been waiting their entire lives for this exact moment.
Others prefer a little privacy. 😂 They wait until you move along, then quietly lean into the water and enjoy their personal spa experience without an audience.
And then we hear this one all the time:
“My bird HATES water.”
Ehhhh… maybe.
Or maybe your bird doesn’t like HOW the water is being offered.
Some like a fine mist. Some like bigger droplets. Some want water coming from above like rain. Some want to sit near the spray before deciding to participate. Some need you to keep going long enough for their little bird brain to finally switch from, “What are you doing?” to “OH WAIT. IT’S SHOWER TIME!”
Give them choices. Give them time. Watch their body language. Don’t force it.
There’s another piece of this that matters.
We have birds come into rescue who were sprayed with water bottles as punishment, sometimes simply for making noise and being… a parrot.
That can create a negative association with spraying and water. So when those birds come to us, we don’t assume they “hate baths.”
We work on changing what water means.
We make shower time positive. We let them watch other birds completely lose their minds enjoying it. We give them space to participate when THEY are ready.
And sometimes you get to watch that association change.
The bird who once moved away from the water starts leaning toward it.
Then the wings open.
Then the tail fans.
And suddenly…
IT’S SHOWER DAYYYYYY. 💦🦜😂
Just another little piece of loving them where they are, learning what they’re telling us, and helping them move past whatever came before us.
