Kamara has decided that showers are evil

[hrafn]

Because she's one of the dustiest species on earth, I try to give Kamara a good misting at least daily to help keep her dander in check.

Until recently she's tolerated her gentle showers, but as of a couple days ago, she has decided that the spray bottle is Satan incarnate. She has also decided that my thrice-daily ritual of meticulously spritzing and wiping down her cage and toys is no longer acceptable.

Normally she just vents her anger by muttering and grumbling to herself, but this time she doesn't just seem angry; she's terrified. She fluffs herself up like a big grey pillow and SCREAMS like she's being tortured, panting and lunging until I quickly stop what I'm doing.

I don't want to "encourage" her fear, but I'm definitely not about to flood her, either. She may not have been afraid before, but she's afraid now, and it would be monstrously cruel to make her sit through something that puts her in that state.

How can I help her? I can't take her out of the cage to see whether she'd tolerate a shower in the tub, because she is deathly afraid of hands and sticks. I have tried running the vacuum to see if she'd have a bath in her bowl, but she was afraid of the vacuum.

For her health and safety (not to mention Taco's), it is absolutely necessary that I keep a handle on the amount of dander in her cage and the surrounding area. I can't simply stop and let it build up, but I also can't cause her extreme undue stress. She's so massively fearful that I don't think it's unrealistic that she could have a heart attack.

I have a lot of air purifiers, which does a world of good for the air itself, but they don't prevent the fine coating of dust that she gets on every surface.

Help.

 

[hrafn]

bump

 

[BertAllen]

We Tinker has just lately decided he likes the spray misting where before he would scream at it and fly away. Teresa began spraying water on her hair with the bottle in the kitchen instead of the bathroom where he is not allowed. He got close one day and she let the spray fall onto him. He fluffed up and seemed to enjoy it. After a few days she purposely sprayed him and now we try to do it daily. Sometimes he allows more than other times.

He also sits on the cage when I do the weekly wash and wipe. As for vacuuming, I have a central vacuum so the first time he saw that long hose he stayed on top of the fridge watching with beady eyes but now he doesn't seem to care.

 

[Revali]

The single best piece of advice I've received and put into practice from here is when something scares or angers your bird BACK OFF for a while and go slow. I'm new to birds but today I was able to hold my bird for the first time. If this were my situation I'd go slow with him. I'm still working on bird baths with my bird he doesn't seem to like being sprayed either so now I don't. But later we can work on it now that I can hold him I can show him the faucet and a plate of water and if that doesn't work slowly i'll keep trying.