How to Give a Bath to a Pet Bird

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By BlueOx
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Birds are incredible pets.

Most experts agree that a dust bath is best for birds, since their feathers are naturally water-resistant. However, anyone who has ever watched birds playing in a bird bath, or had their pet bird follow them to the shower, can tell you that birds really love bathing in water. In fact, if you let your bird go too long without bathing, you may catch him dipping his little head into his water dish and attempting to spread the water around. Why deny these creatures what they love so much. Here is how to give a water bath to your pet bird.

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A squirt bottle with mist setting
Clean water

Step 1

Never use a squirt bottle that has had anything other than water inside.

Obtain a new squirt bottle. It is important for the bottle to have a mist setting so that you can cascade water onto your bird instead of squirting the bird with a hard stream. It is also of the utmost importance that this be an unused bottle. You should never, at any point in time, use this bottle to hold soaps, detergents, cleaning solutions or anything other than plain water, as these items can be toxic to birds and may result in death.
Step 2

With the bottle filled with water and adjusted to a fine mist setting, aim the bottle above your bird and begin to spray. Do not spray the water directly onto the bird. Spray the bottle into the air above the bird and let it fall down like a fine mist rain.
Step 3

Observe the behavior of your bird. Birds receiving a mist bath will usually hold their wings open, as if they are gliding. Your bird may also twist and turn to try to get all of his feathers wet. When the bird stops reacting to the mist, you know he has had enough and it is time to stop spraying.
Step 4

Use a napkin, paper towel or dish towel to wipe up any excess water that has accumulated in the area.