[la di dah]

Aside from an ice cube in the water bowl and a wet dishtowel on the cage, what can I safely do to keep budgies that are not hand tame at all cool? It is in shade.

I do not want to put them in front of A/C, I've been told that can hurt them, and anyway our air conditioner is puny and underpowered and they hate the cage being moved. A wet dishtowel on the cage is safe though, surely? I mean when its this hot.

It is 46 degrees. I've been told they always need a dry place but....?

I don't want them to die.

[Bluenomi]

Bring them inside. Don't put them in front of the air con but put them in a cool room. Poor things will be cooking outside!

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

Do you have a little spray bottle? When we've had budgies we've always just given them a little spritz when they looked hot (they'd spread their wings out a bit)

ETA - didn't realise they were outside. Bring them inside for sure, maybe in the bathroom or laundry if those rooms are a bit cooler?

This post has been edited by HollyOllyOxenfree: 18/01/2013, 02:23 PM

[la di dah]

Bring them inside. Don't put them in front of the air con but put them in a cool room. Poor things will be cooking outside!

I don't have a cool room inside. I haven't got the air on. And I have two cats. If I shut them away from the cats it will rapidly become a very hot stuffy room, unless its in front of the air, because the only cooling effect is air moving around the open unit and a fan.

[*Spikey*]

Make sure they have a bowl/dish of water they can splash in, and keep the water up on the wet tea towel.

Pop them into a bathroom or other 'cool' room, that is not in the line of sun. My dogs are playing in the sprinker - it there was a way to get some dripping water through their cage, that might also be fun for them.

Other than that, not much you can do.

[Just Another Cat]

Can you put a shallow dish in the cage that they could use as a bird bath?

This post has been edited by GrumpyTurtle: 18/01/2013, 02:33 PM

[la di dah]

They (the birds) are now incarcerated in the bathroom, which is not brilliant but is cooler than outside. The cats are everywhere but the bathroom.

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

If you put them either in the bath if you have one or in the shower it should be even cooler for them than if they're up on a stand or something. This heat really is ridiculous

[la di dah]

They are in the bathtub. (it's one bath/shower thing)

One cat is leaving the bathroom alone and the other is holding a solemn vigil and being very intent. The birds look better in the meantime though.

For the record I was not sitting drinking margaritas watching the birds pre-heat, I haven't got the a/c on either. and they were paddling around in their water. But I do think they are doing better inside at least for the moment. I left some water outside for wild birds just in case though because without that it would be super-bad.

[Propaganda]

Will it frighten them terribly if you spray them (gently, a very fine spray) with a spray-bottle? Are you able to put a shallow-but-length container in the bottom of their cage temporarily for them to bathe in?

We have several birds, and while most of them know how to bathe properly, one refuses to dip any more than a single foot (the same foot each time) into her water dish. Birds generally require bathing, especially in the heat, so we just spray her with a fine mist of water. They should fluff up a little if they're enjoying it, to help the water get to their skin, rather than just sitting on the outside of their feathers. They might also spread their wings and fan their tail a little to show they're enjoying it.

I'd also offer them some fresh fruit if you're not already. A good way to help them keep hydrated and energised in the heat.