Bathtime troubles

[wurking girl]

My new lovie hates getting wet. I just got my first lovie named Willy about 3 days ago :D. He is around 2 months old and he is the sweetest little baby ever. I tried to let him play in the sink the second day home, but he was terrified. I tried spraying him gently with warm water and he didnt like that eather. He also won't play in a dish of water. I heard that you could put wet lettuce in a dish and they would flip around in it and maybe get a little bath, but he would always just fly right back to me. Is this normal? What can I do to tempt him? :confused:

Thanks for any advice!

Roxanne

[chromasnake]

Some chicks take to bathing right away, and some don't. I've had one of mine start splashing in the water dish at five weeks, and the rest don't like to even be in the splashes yet--not even now at seven weeks old. So maybe your Willy is a little young yet.

Yellow Bird took a long while to want to bathe; hated getting sprayed, and even after discovering the pleasures of the bath, would only stand on the edge of the "pool" and use his head to splash the water all over. Tourmaline is the same way. (As opposed to wading right in the pool -- which is a water catcher from a very large flowerpot -- and reading a magazine like my Quaker does.)

How about getting a bowl of water once in a while, sitting near your bird, and splashing your own fingers in it like you are having the most marvelous time of your life. After a while he might get curious. Then he might get interested. And then he might like it enough to demand going to the sink or shower with you every time you turn on a faucet.

[lemonypickett]

My Eddie was terrified for the first 3 weeks I had him. I would give him some time before trying to do something like bathing. They are vulnerable when bathing, and only do it when comfortable.

Eddie takes a bath in my hands now.

Good luck, I am sure yours will settle right in. Be patient.

[wurking girl]

He is very comfortoble with me just playing around or sleeping on me, and he will step up on my hand when I put my hand in his cage (if I want him to or not).
Roxanne

[Gill]

Sticky will rarely have a bath in a dish but still wont get that wet but loves to sit on my hand by the running water out the tap and has a good bath! Bobble, the girl wont do that at all and takes a bath in a dish even more rarely! I occasionally spray them with a mister which they like! :D Theyre fussy little things i think!

[nfmgirl]

Sticky will rarely have a bath in a dish but still wont get that wet but loves to sit on my hand by the running water out the tap and has a good bath!

Yep, same here. Odie has no interest in bathing in a bowl of water, but loves to bathe under the bathroom faucet (turned on a very gentle stream). He'll jump off my hand and run around in the sink bathing as long as my hand remains in the sink. That's his security, since he can't fly.

The only other way he has ever bathed is in a cap from a liter size water bottle. If I put a little water in a water cap and hold it in my hand, he will do his best to bathe in that!

[unstuckpilgrim]

I keep a large, shallow dish of water near my bird's jungle gym on the coffee table. He drinks out of it and occasionally bathes there, too. I think it took him about two weeks just to get used to it being there and for him to be willing to give it a try. He also occasionally bathes in the water dish in his cage which is not so big, and so it's hilarious to see him try and fit into it! But he didn't start bathing until he was three months old! I'd say just wait and he'll come around.