Heated Perches

[BlueToast]

My new apartment has 1 major flaw, temperature. The room sits above an open space and the windows are drafty. I've taped up plastic over the windows to deal with the draft but would have to run the heater contantly to keep the temp above 80 in the poorly insulated room. I'm looking at heated perches but have only found 1 model the TPS02 Thermo-Perch. If you read the reviews for the product you will find multiple complaints about birds slipping off the smooth plastic perch. Searching online the only other heated perches are of a similar design and there ar numerous complaints from customers about poor traction. Can anyone recomend a heated perch. I'm trying to avoid space heaters due to product reviews that complain of noxious fumes. Maybe I'll just move to Chille instead i heard there is cheap property above some old mine.

 

[Ratzy]

Maybe put carpet or material over the heated perch?

 

[BlueToast]

They run at 102 degrees so my idea for adhesive backed "grip" tape is a bust as the adhesive would be mushy at that temp and the tape would slide around. I'm probably going look for an alternative to the perch all together i dont like the design of the ones that are available and i don't want to modify something with an electric heater element that going to be around Pepper too many risks. Who ever designed that perch knew nothing about birds. Low traction was the first i thought of when i saw it and the product reviews confirmed my suspicions. But thanks anyway.

 

[Pheonix Rising]

Have a look at the cosy corners
your bird still stands on it's usual perchs you just attach these in the corner if the cage nearest to that perch
the bird kinda backs up into it and keeps warm

An alternative to the happy huts for birds that like a classic perch

 

[Ratzy]

I just made something for my budgies. Hung a hotwater bottle up in the cage, so it looks like a platform. They are exploring now.

 

[Von1983]

Ooooft problematic indeed!

Nice Chile joke lol.

If I was in your position, I would buy or make a few cheap draft excluders(basically an old duvet cut up, stuff with old tshirts etc and sew all sides. That way you can make it fit to wherever and match your decor lol). Some to be held onto the windows with string and hooks, maybe one for the door if needed and perhaps some for around the cage base if feasable?

I would invest in a cozy/snuggle hut. I was against these at first but then found one that is basically made of material similar to a teddy bear - Cal LOVES hers.

I also made a thread a couple of days ago about a bird safe "hot water bottle" which may not last the night but if done several times an evening and once directly before bed might help?

To make it, you fill a sports sock 3/4 full of plain white rice and knot it. Microwave for about a minute and a half and squish the rice around to distribute the heat. When it's comfortable for you to hold, put it in the base of the cage and cover with clean cotton t-shirts. The heat rises nicely. For a large cage several can be made! A cover over the cage will hold in heat a long time, even if your fid is out with you, when it goes home it'll be toasty.

Hope that helps.

 

[Spiritbird]

I have had a heated perch for 2 years now. In the beginning there was a problem. Rosie loved it so much she was standing on the warmest part which is also the smallest diameter at the far end of the perch. After a few weeks she got pressure sores on her feet. So I took her to my vet along with the perch. Vet wrapped it in their nice vet tape which you can purchase on line. That did the trick. Now she can be warm and have no pressure areas. Hope this helps you. The perches are pretty much all made of hard plastic to conduct the heat.

 

[BlueToast]

Hmmmm vet tape is that like the cloth tape athlete use to tape up wrist ankle etc, sound like it might work. For now I have a happy hut and a cozy corner coming from amazon. I'm able to keep the room above 70 degrees F and when i get Pepper from the cage her feet still feel warm but winter is coming soo....thanks eveybody.

 

[triordan]

its also known as vetwrap, if you have horse tack store nearby you will find it there
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Gifted-Horse-Vet-Wrap/dp/B0002V47L0]Amazon.com: Vet Wrap: Sports & Outdoors: Reviews, Prices & more[/ame]

 

[BlueToast]

looks good I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[Spiritbird]

Thank you for the link to further describe the vet tape. It is an item that should be in every bird emergency kit.

 

[BlueToast]

Just recieved the Happy Hut from Amazon. Just like all new things in her gage she's in standoff mode at the bottom of the cage. I had to go back to work so i reset her light timer to give her another 2 hours to either get to aquainted with it or plot it's destruction. i give the hut about 30% chance of surviving the end of my shift.