Bandit, the nanday conure, and Merlin, my pionus, do the bathroom routine with me every morning, helping me wash my face, scrub my teeth, and all the other little things women do. They also join me when I return home from work, and the bathroom is my next stop after releasing them from their cages.
If Bandit is in the mood for a bath he tells me, usually while I am scrubbing my teeth or cleaning my contacts, by trying to clamber down my chest and jumping into the sink. I try to discourage this, at least until I can rinse out the sink and put a washcloth in first! I put two or three inches of cold water in it, then leave a light trickle flowing from the faucet. He spends a few minutes getting everything (me included) soaked, flapping his wings crazily and trying to dip his whole body under the water. He also loves to stick his head under the stream and just sit there. The water has to be between cool and cold, or he give me dirty looks until I fix it. Merlin, meanwhile, sits on the wicker shelf above the sink and curses at Bandit to hurry up and finish - because he knows dinner will be the next step in our evenings.
Bandit and Merlin also me join me in the shower. They both sit on top of the shower door until I finish with the shampoo and soap, then they get to take turns joining me. Bandit sits on my forearm and baths gently in the waterfall over my shoulder. This is very different from his in-the-sink bath because he doesn’t flap at all, he just opens his wings a little, shuts his eyes, and pushes against me. He only wants a minute or two of this then up to the top of the shower door where he shakes off the water and waits for me to finish. Merlin gets much more into the shower - he fluffs and shakes and cannot get enough. Merlin also likes the water warmer than Bandit - which certainly makes it more pleasant for me!
Neither one can stand to be blow dried. I try to dry them as much as they’ll let me, then put them back on their cages to air-dry under the lights.
Bandit will bathe at least two or three times a week in the sink, and once or twice a week in the shower. Merlin will shower with me once a week or so, but he gets misted at least twice a week or his musk gets a tad overpowering.
