PeachyDoll
08-29-2015, 06:13 PM
Wow! We are so excited to have discovered a learned behavior modification in Rosie today.
Rosie has never been really fond of getting wet/showering. After speaking to Rosie's original owner of 26 years last summer, he told me she was used to a soft mister in her aviary. I wet her often during this time of year but I can never really get her more than 25% wet because she gets frustrated with the softest setting of the hose and flies down to the ground. Getting Rosie wet cools her down and helps with her dust and assists in feather care.
Well today we knew we had to do the bi yearly cleaning of our air conditioner in the bedroom. We brought Rosie outside and placed her on her cage's play top. We knew it was a dusty, messy, nasty job and of course we didn't want her anywhere near it. We brought out the heavy equipment, the McCullough steamer, wet dry vacuum and for the sprayable components the small power washer. We started disassembling everything and got to cleaning with the steamer. At one point I looked over on the security camera pointed at the bird cage and kitchen and Rosie is immersed in her water bowl dunking her head. It's warm here today so I just went out and refilled it with cold water. We resume cleaning, I hear some heavy wing flapping I look over again and Rosie is full on trying to get in her bowl, splashing around frantically, shaking her tail feathers, stretching, etc like she is at a waterpark. When my husband stops the cleaner, Rosie stops. When the cleaner or vacuum starts up again she runs over to her bowl and goes crazy. This was a 2 hour cleaning job, I observed her off and on those hours. Every time the appliances came on, she resumed her bathing. The steamer sounds very much like the hose on the mister position. Rosie definitely associates the sound of the steamer/vacuum/ power washer with bathing. Now we know she prefers a bath rather than a shower and she enjoys it one her own rather than us bathing her. So here's our plan: We will find a perfect sized bin for her playtop and fill it with cool water and record the sound of these appliances for 20 minutes or so and play the recording. I'm hoping this works!
Rosie has never been really fond of getting wet/showering. After speaking to Rosie's original owner of 26 years last summer, he told me she was used to a soft mister in her aviary. I wet her often during this time of year but I can never really get her more than 25% wet because she gets frustrated with the softest setting of the hose and flies down to the ground. Getting Rosie wet cools her down and helps with her dust and assists in feather care.
Well today we knew we had to do the bi yearly cleaning of our air conditioner in the bedroom. We brought Rosie outside and placed her on her cage's play top. We knew it was a dusty, messy, nasty job and of course we didn't want her anywhere near it. We brought out the heavy equipment, the McCullough steamer, wet dry vacuum and for the sprayable components the small power washer. We started disassembling everything and got to cleaning with the steamer. At one point I looked over on the security camera pointed at the bird cage and kitchen and Rosie is immersed in her water bowl dunking her head. It's warm here today so I just went out and refilled it with cold water. We resume cleaning, I hear some heavy wing flapping I look over again and Rosie is full on trying to get in her bowl, splashing around frantically, shaking her tail feathers, stretching, etc like she is at a waterpark. When my husband stops the cleaner, Rosie stops. When the cleaner or vacuum starts up again she runs over to her bowl and goes crazy. This was a 2 hour cleaning job, I observed her off and on those hours. Every time the appliances came on, she resumed her bathing. The steamer sounds very much like the hose on the mister position. Rosie definitely associates the sound of the steamer/vacuum/ power washer with bathing. Now we know she prefers a bath rather than a shower and she enjoys it one her own rather than us bathing her. So here's our plan: We will find a perfect sized bin for her playtop and fill it with cool water and record the sound of these appliances for 20 minutes or so and play the recording. I'm hoping this works!