How To..bathe a pesky cockatoo!

How to… bathe a pesky cockatoo!

Its much more complicated than you would actually think!
So, not too many people would seem to care about such a topic, nor would many people believe that bathing an animal [especially a bird] would actually be challenging. I mean, come on. A bird? But, it really is quite a pain. I have a cockatoo named Timmi and he is such a little pest! It’s nearly impossible to bathe him but, I know how to do it and I know how to get the little man to calm down. So, I’m sure that I could help you out when it comes to bathing YOUR pesky little cockatoo!
So first of all, you need to get the bathing area prepared for your bird. To do this, simply clear your sink or tub of everything. The bird needs space to move. Also, make sure to have a plastic cup, a towel and some sort of shampoo [I found that the ‘birdie shampoo’ is quite awful and doesn’t do the job. Timmi’s feathers never come out beautiful and white. So, I tend to use AUSSIE. It seems to work quite well.]
Actually bathing the bird is sort of a challenge though. The water temperate must be fairly warm but not scorching, a birds skin is really sensitive. So, once you have your bird calm and collected [try talking to him, singing, or maybe kissing on his beak. That always works] start getting all of his feather wet. But avoid his eyes and nose; this could cause your little guy a lot of distress. It will also make him sneeze. A LOT. Once you do that, you can start lathering all of his feather up. Start with his plume and them way down. [Top to bottom, just like everything else!]
Afterwards, make sure to rinse every bit of soap out of his feathers. If you don’t, your bird will not look or feel right. SO, save yourself the time and worry, and save him the discomfort. Just get all of the subs out the first time.
The next step is to [obviously] dry your bird off.. Wrap him up in the towel and just cuddle with him for about 10 minutes. After such a ‘traumatic experience’ like that bath he will just want to snuggle and feel safe. Give him the opportunity to do so. This will make you feel warm and fuzzy, and will also strengthen the bond between your bird and you. Following this, you must blow dry the birds feathers [ESPECIALLY] in cold weather. This will take about an hour to do but it is worth it.
Start with his plume feathers then work your way down ending with his tail feathers. By the time your bird is dry, he will be happy, warm,, and gorgeous! You will love to see his bright shining feathers!

Overall, this process will take about 2 hours to complete correctly but, if you have a well behaved bird, it will always be a very enjoyable experience.


EXTRA TIPS:!!!

If your bird has a lot of dander, I would suggest really cleaning the feather under his wings. These fluffy feathers tend to collect a lot of dander, and when you have clean feathers there, you have a danger free, comfortable and happy bird.
While your bird is in his bath, you should also let him play a bit. When given the opportunity he will probably run for the water spicket to try and bite all of the flowing water. This keeps them entertained and happy, making the bath and enjoyable experience for both you and him.