# Help! How to get a cockatiel to take a bath when he hates it?



## aquaabby13 (Jan 9, 2013)

HELLP!! I want to bathe my cockatiel, but he HATES it. Literally. Once I try he just gets all cross and upset and doesn't want to play with me for the next five minutes. I have tried EVERYTHING! I've tried the sink, but it just gets frightened and flies away. Spray, he thinks I'm scolding him and he does the angry chirp. I've tried putting a dish of shallow, lukewarm water into the cage, gets all angry and tells me to get it out. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING. Please help. Please.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Here's a thread with strategies in it: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32556

 

Welcome to the forum!


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## Ghosth (Jun 25, 2012)

The easy answer is take him into the shower with you. The thread above is a great one, take the time to read it.


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## cheery (Nov 15, 2012)

Beauty used to hate baths and would try and climb up my hand to get out. Oscar seems to be of the same opinion about water! 

I read a few of these threads and have started to take Oscar in the bathroom with me when I shower. He stands on the top of the shower screen watching me. I picked him up and lowered him down to get a spray and he didn't seem bothered.

The next time I had a shower we did the same thing and he was walking along the top of the screen onto a dry facecloth. I was shampooing my hair and I heard something land at my feet. I though it was the facecloth, it was. On the other side of my feet was Oscar though getting wet and looking sorry for himself!:blush: I picked him up and put him onto the screen. He sat there and preened himself with the little bit of moisture he had collected. 

He also wanders down the draining board in the kitchen watching Sarah wash up. He falls into the 1/2 sink and sits looking up at her wondering what is wrong. Hopefully he will get used to bathing one way or another.


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## Rose (Nov 15, 2012)

*Cheery's idea*

That's great! It seems that with tiels', "If you have it and you like it then I want it!" Same with doing things. "If you're having fun, I want in!"


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## hysteriauk (Jun 24, 2012)

I feel your pain zippy is being a typical boy and running away from any hint of bathing my nickname for him is now stinky tho he does not really smell lol


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## marcello.capone (Jan 9, 2013)

*shower*

I take Tina into the bathroom when I have a shower. I set her on the top of the shower screen and when I'm under, she is happy to get in there with me. Start off with just outer spray and after a while you can slowly get them well washed.

I usually only do this once a week and on sunny days so she can sit in the sun to dry.

Give it a try and good luck.


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