Cockatoo Hangs Upside Down in the Shower to Avoid Getting Wet
Cockatoos are one of the most complex birds ever, especially when you're planning on keeping them as pets. They require a ton of knowledge, love, and care that not every home is equipped to give them. Even for the homes that are, though, there are going to be surprises along the way.
For example, when one bird mom was trying to give her pair of Cockatoos a shower, they were taking it in two very different ways. While one of them seemed to be having fun getting clean... There was another who had other opinions:
@housechickens I'm not well #vampire#cockatoo#dracula#petsoftiktok
Dracula Bach Organ - Toccata and Fugue & Haunted Organ & Dracula Organ
The House Chickens, a pair of Moluccan Cockatoos named Bear and Mona, give their mom a run for her money every single day. Having one Cockatoo would be hard enough, but having two? She probably never sleeps, and when she does, I bet she dreams in squawks!
Every so often, these two have to have a shower, and they prefer to go together. It often looks exactly like this:
- Mona, the youngest, hanging out and doing what she's supposed to be doing.
- Bear, the oldest, causing absolute chaos and trying to avoid getting wet.
- Nobody actually ends up properly showering.
That's exactly the kind of thing that 99% of people who have these birds are experiencing every single day. Maybe one day, it'll work... Not for Bear, though.
Related: Cockatoo's Morning Cup of Tea Has Him Smiling Ear to Ear
Basically, Mona is a dainty, sweet princess, while Bear goes about doing everything he can to get in trouble. He's the reason they can't have nice things:
@housechickens We can't have nice things because of you #petsoftiktok
original sound - Bear and Mona
He's lucky that his mom loves him more than anyone in the world. She loves to let him be himself, even if that means never getting anything done.
Do Cockatoos Need Showers?
Mona and Bear don't take showers every day, though they do get them relatively frequently. Mona seems to really enjoy them, but Bear... Not so much.
Cockatoos should be taking semi-regular showers, or at the very least, baths. Cockatoos produce a lot of powder down, which is a powdery substance composed of flecks from their skin and feathers. It's super dusty. Regular showers help:
- Keep powder down from drying out their skin.
- Stop dust from accumulating.
- Provide enrichment.
Showers should always be lukewarm, never hot, and using any kind of soap, conditioner, or lotion is unnecessary. Unless specifically directed by a vet, just turn on the water and let them have their fun. Or, in Bear's case, practice those bat-like reflexes!
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM.