# why does my pigeon refuse to bathe?



## GrilledGusto

So..

It's been about 2 weeks since I got Potato, my feathery pigeon friend. She Is starting to calm down infront of me. She will now fly around my room, land near me, relaxes around me (preening and such). She still freaks out if i try to pick her up, won't take treats, etc. But it's a working relationship at the moment. I'm hoping she improves over time 

Aaannnyhooo, I've been told that pigeons ( and other birds for that matter ), like to bathe. Well she must be the exception to the rule. she won't bathe in offered pans (even IN her cage) and gets angry and grunts at me, running away, when i try to mist her with a little water bottle i have. 

Is there something wrong??


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## Lovebirds

MOST pigeons do love to bath. I've got one that might or might not take a bath on any given day. I don't know why, but that's the way she is.
I've also got a cockteil that will walk around in the water, but in 6 years, he's NEVER taken an actual bath............just keep offering it and don't spray her with the mist for now. Just put some bath water out a couple times a week and let her decide what she wants to do.


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## spirit wings

WHAT!!!...yes that is unusual.....is the water in a kitty litter type pan?...did you swish your hand in it to show her?...perhapes you need to leave it out for her longer and just stand away for awhile...once she does bath it's hard to keep them out of it....


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## Lovebirds

I just went back and read where this bird came from. It's possible that she's never seen a bath pan before.


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## GrilledGusto

sometimes she stands in her water dish (small, about 3 1/2 inches in diametre, about 2 inchs deep) but I think that's out of boredom when I don't have her outside the cage. 

but i've tried getting her to bathe many times, and like i said, have misted her lightly, but she hates it. 


perhaps she's just weird. lol


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## Victor

I would like to encourage you to take your pigeon and bathe her yourself. Gently hold her with her wings closed, and gently slash water on her except her head. Swish the water a bit with your free hand to show her. She just needs a lesson on bathing. I have done this with a few of my pigeons and it works like a charm. Happy bathing!


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## Jay3

Victor's right. This often works. I had one Rescue though, a banded bird from someones loft. But I don't think he had ever had a bath offered to him. He would sit right on the edge of the pan, as if he wanted to go in, but never would. Another one, a rescue, also from another loft, wouldn't bath, until he mated up with Gully, who loves the water. He followed her in, and now loves it. Yours will get to love it eventually.


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## RodSD

Several possibilites:
1.) the bird is sick
2.) too busy incubating --wrong time to bathe
3.) scared of the bath pan--too deep or can't perch
4.) don't like the water after tasting
5.) maybe it is a cat

My birds are crazy with bathing. They fight for it. My baby birds even tried trying to bath in my waterer. Make a splashing sound with your hand on the bath water. Your bird might be just scared. Some birds wont get in until one bird goes in and they all follow. But, no, you are too big to fit on the pan!
6.) etc....


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## Jay3

RodSD said:


> Several possibilites:
> 1.) the bird is sick
> 2.) too busy incubating --wrong time to bathe
> 3.) scared of the bath pan--too deep or can't perch
> 4.) don't like the water after tasting
> 5.) maybe it is a cat
> 
> My birds are crazy with bathing. They fight for it. My baby birds even tried trying to bath in my waterer. Make a splashing sound with your hand on the bath water. Your bird might be just scared. Some birds wont get in until one bird goes in and they all follow. But, no, you are too big to fit on the pan!
> 6.) etc....


This is funny. I think you have to have a sense of humor with any animal, and pigeons are certainly no exception!


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## tuxedobaby

maybe try a shallow pan or one of those shallow tupperware bowls


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## GrilledGusto

I appreciate all the great advice! Thanks everyone!

I went shopping for her today and picked up a table top stand/activity centre and I'm converting the top shelf of my book shelf into a little haven for her 

she picked the spot, not me  which is good. 

I bought her a water fountain with flowing and free falling water, since she really likes one of my fishtanks (she sits on the cover for it and sucks from the water coming from the filter. (it's a natural filter, so there are not chemicals, and I keep it very very clean)

Anyhow, I am setting up her little area tonight! I'm considering screwing a few perches onto the wall as well. 


perhaps I'll take a few pictures!


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## RodSD

Thanks Jay3!


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## Jay3

Yes, get pictures. We always like to see pictures.


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## Garye

That is unusual - a pigeon that does not like to bathe. Maggie loves a bath - she's a feral I found that couldn't fly so I brought her home to live with me. The first time I put out a pan with water in it, she just jumped right in. Grunted at me when I tried to take her out. She enjoyed it that much.

I did find out that since she couldn't fly, she liked to have an easy way to get in and out of a pan of water. I created some steps that allowed her to go in and out very easily. Maybe you could try that. Maybe your bird is afraid of getting stuck in the bathtub and won't venture in. Also, leave the bird alone (or at least not let it know you're around) and they'll think they're safely alone and then venture into the tub. Maggie does not like to take a bath if she knows I'm too close by but if she can't see me, she'll jump in. She's very cautious.


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## TerriB

Be patient. A wet pigeon is very vulnerable, so it may take a while till she feels relaxed enough. Keep offering her bath water several times a week. Put it someplace she is comfortable with (in her normal living area), leave it out for at least an hour, and give her some privacy. Too bad you don't have a second pigeon - bathing is contageous!

When Walter (our first pigeon) first joined us, it was several months before he took a bath. (I rinsed him off at least once a week until he took over.) When he finally figured it out, he bathed for over an hour!!! Now that he's living with other pigeons, he occasionally bathes, but MUCH prefers to shower in the rain....usually late on a cold afternoon....so I bring him in for a quick blow dry so he is warm and dry for the night.


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## GrilledGusto

BATHING SUCCESS!!! 

She's rolling about in a dish of water as we speak!

I decided to start with a small dish, thinking it would be less threatening than a big pan. 

so i gave her a shallow ceramic dish full of water and put it up next to her perch. after a few seconds of hesitant interest, she dove in 


i'll let her do this a few more times before giving her a bigger pan


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## Jay3

GrilledGusto said:


> BATHING SUCCESS!!!
> 
> She's rolling about in a dish of water as we speak!
> 
> I decided to start with a small dish, thinking it would be less threatening than a big pan.
> 
> so i gave her a shallow ceramic dish full of water and put it up next to her perch. after a few seconds of hesitant interest, she dove in
> 
> 
> i'll let her do this a few more times before giving her a bigger pan


Told Ya!


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## KIPPY

> *BATHING SUCCESS!!!*


Yay, I thought you were going to have to take out back and hose her down.



> Yes, get pictures. We always like to see pictures.


Yes, to pictures.............................


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## TerriB

Excellent! Great progress!


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## GrilledGusto

well, I didn't get a chance to screw any perches into the wall yet, but here's a picture of my darling potato on the perch I have for her in my room at the moment. 

she's cute <3


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## Jay3

She/he's adorable. But ya know what? Instead of perches, you could put up a shelf. Pigeons really don't like to perch on a small round perchs such as the one she is sitting on in the photo. If you do put up a perch, make it square and much larger. They prefer it. But something like a t-perch would be nice. She's very cute though. Here is a picture of a perch she would like. Much more comfortable, and she can stand up or lay down as she wishes.








I just use a 2X4, and cut it about 6" or 7" long. Attach it to a 1" X 4" board, and screw the board to the wall. Easy.
Actually, the perch can even be attached to the wall with a corner bracket. Easier!


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## TerriB

What a beautiful pigeon! Jay3 makes an excellent point. Unlike perching birds like songbirds and parrots, pigeons don't have strong gripping muscles in their feet. When they sleep, they like to relax onto a nice flat surface, looking like a feathered water balloon.


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## GrilledGusto

I offer her both flat and rounded perches (some thicker then others)

it seems to depend on her mood where she perches.. But I definitely give her options! 

Her cage is huge, and the bottom is solid, sometimes she goes for a stroll along the bottom, she sleeps on a flat level that's about 3/4 a foot wide and as long as the cage (about 3 feet) and she also has many perches at different levels of the cage that she enjoys. one rope one that's quite thick, a thin wooden one, and a sandy perch. she uses all of them.


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## spirit wings

GrilledGusto said:


> I offer her both flat and rounded perches (some thicker then others)
> 
> it seems to depend on her mood where she perches.. But I definitely give her options!
> 
> Her cage is huge, and the bottom is solid, sometimes she goes for a stroll along the bottom, she sleeps on a flat level that's about 3/4 a foot wide and as long as the cage (about 3 feet) and she also has many perches at different levels of the cage that she enjoys. one rope one that's quite thick, a thin wooden one, and a sandy perch. she uses all of them.


she will use all of them because they are there, but those are meant for small birds like parakeets and parrots that grasp and have strong feet, pigeons find flat wide surfaces for their feet because it is better for their build which is heavier, she may get sore muscle or cramps from small perches...stay with the flat boards or bricks...


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## Jay3

This is why if you look, you don't normally see pigeons perching in trees. Spirit wings is right, and another good thing about the brick is that it will help to keep her claws trimmed. We really are not trying to give you a hard time. We are just trying to share with you what we know. If you choose to take our advice or not is up to you. Small perches are not good for a pigeons feet. Just trying to help.


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## RodSD

pigeons usually don't perch in trees because they descended from cliffs like this:

http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/votacio.phtml?idVideo=8641&Columba_livia


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## Hambone

Both of those birds are cute as a button ! 

Hambone


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## Ed

How cold is too cold to give my birds a pan with some water to bath in.
I thought I read somewhere that the hens like to bath when getting ready to lay eggs.
I cant put a pan in the loft with them.
I think it would drench everything and just make things bad for them.
I would like to put one out in the aviary on sunday if its warm enough.
I think its supposed to be in the high 40's low 50's
Is that too cold?
Do I just wait until Spring to do that?


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## Lovebirds

StoN3d said:


> How cold is too cold to give my birds a pan with some water to bath in.
> I thought I read somewhere that the hens like to bath when getting ready to lay eggs.
> I cant put a pan in the loft with them.
> I think it would drench everything and just make things bad for them.
> I would like to put one out in the aviary on sunday if its warm enough.
> I think its supposed to be in the high 40's low 50's
> Is that too cold?
> Do I just wait until Spring to do that?


NO, don't wait. As long as it's above freezing and the wind isn't blowing to kingdom come, the birds will take a bath. I always try to do it in the early part of the day so that they don't go to bed wet. And yes, put the pan in the aviary, not the loft. Don't want to floor getting wet.


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## Ed

Ill grab a kitty litter pan this week and see if they take a bath this weekend.
I dont want any hippie pijjies LOL
will a kitty liter pan be good enough?


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## Jay3

Cat litter pans are great for pijjie baths. Sometimes I fill two because they crowd each other so much.


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## Ed

two it is then 
thanx


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## Jay3

I love watching them.


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