Fight over the bathtub..?

[primabella]

Since we've had the birds, Sky has been pretty much afraid of everything that wasn't already in the cage. So when I would put the bathtub in, only Rocket would jump in for a bath.

In the past few months, I have been petting Sky and trying to get her more comfortable with me, and it has worked. Now this afternoon when I put in the bathtub for Rocket to take his bath, Sky all of a sudden tried to get in. Rocket seemed to get upset and jumped into the tub before she could really get in. Even when he had finished his bath, he refused to stop because he knew she was trying to get in. And at one point they both jumped in and were sort of...biting eachother, trying to get one out.

At first I was really happy because Sky wanted to take a bath, but now Rocket seems very territorial over the tub. I only managed to take the tub away because I didn't offer it to Sky. (If I did, he would have gone back in) I don't know what to do. I want Sky to take her baths but if Rocket won't allow her in...what should I do?

They are both going to be 3 years old in December.

Any suggestions? Thanks. :)

[popcornbird]

Wow! Looks what I've been missing because of my *not* visiting Pet Behavior. :o :o I'm so sorry I didn't respond earlier!

Its so nice to hear Sky is warming up to you and actually *wants* to take her baths now. What Rocket is doing..............is probably out of jealousy. :o My birds get jealous of each other do and then do wierd things like that. I was thinking.............maybe you can buy a second budgie bath tub for Sky, so they both have one of their own? Also, have you tried giving them a mist shower, with one of those water spray bottles? Birds normally love that, if you spray up and make it fall on them like rain. Mine do! Maybe you can try to bathe Sky in that way. It is important for her feathers that she does get her baths, so do try your best to have her take them!

[primabella]

Thanks PCB. I was actually planning on PMing you for advice if you missed this. :o What we did before Sky got interested in the tub was give her a spray mist shower but it was always hard since I couldn't take her out of the cage. :( I do believe it is jealousy. I need to get him out of it, it is making things tough. It's not even as if I ignore one of them and the whole thing makes me feel so terrible. :(

I'll see what happens the next time I try to give them a bath and if they react the same way, I'll try spray mist showers. I'll talk to my mom about getting another bathtub. Thanks for the advice. :)