# Coldish Feet



## CckatielAdopter (Apr 30, 2009)

Hey!:]

I recently read that a Cockatiel's feet should be warm, because that means he's healthy. 
The problem is that my Cockatiel's feet are somewhat "cool" - not hot, cold, nor warm. 
The temperature is still about 80 degrees in my house, so I don't understand how he's cold.
Everything relating to diet, activity, cage setting is the same as always.

So, is this an issue I should be concerned about? Something I could do to make his feet warmer?

Thanks soo much! =D


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I've read several different things about this. I've read that warm feet means your Cockatiel is happy & healthy - then I read if your Cockatiel has cold feet all the time, it's a sign that he/she may be getting ill and is unhappy.

But then I was going through articles and quite a few have said it doesn't mean diddly whether their feet are cold/hot/warm.

Anyway, this is one of the articles I was reading through:



> Temperature Regulation and Behavior
> 
> The ability to maintain a high and constant body temperature enables birds to exploit a remarkable range of habitats -- tropical, temperate, and polar. This achievement is not without cost, however. The "expense" of metabolic heat production must be repaid by taking in sufficient energy to balance what has been expended, and mechanisms must be available to shed excess heat when necessary. If the environmental temperature falls, birds raise their metabolic rate to prevent their internal temperature from falling as well. In contrast, if the environmental temperature becomes too hot, birds must mobilize water to lose heat through evaporative cooling (as we do when we perspire) and avoid death from overheating. Since birds have no sweat glands, heat must be lost through the respiratory tract by panting, or in nonpasserines by the rapid vibration of the upper throat and thin floor of the mouth ("gular flutter").
> 
> ...


As for warming his feet up, try a heater. (just one that doesn't have teflon) 

You could also try serving warm foods to heat his body up. I'm not sure if warm food will work though.


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## CckatielAdopter (Apr 30, 2009)

Thank you soo much Solace.!
That was really informative!
I'm going make him a warm boiled egg to see if the warm-food trick works.
Hopefully it's a success 

Thanks, again.
=D


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

You are more then welcome. 

I hope the warm food works also, let us know because if it does, I know what I can do to warm the 'tiels up if they're cold.


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## CckatielAdopter (Apr 30, 2009)

So, I boiled an egg for Zues for breakfast and I didn't let it cool of so it's was pretty warm, and he didn't really like it warm... Which I thought was weird, but he still ate some of it. 
He finished it a couple hours ago and his feet didn't seem to change at all =/
I'm thinking of making it warmer in my house and just keep the fans on the rest of my house, but not in his room - so it'll stay real warm in their, and see if that works.

Thanks for the help... again!

(=


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

****, well my bad on that one, I won't be suggesting it again. :lol:

Heater may be the next best thing to do. Hope his little feet get warm soon.


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

If you have a wheat bag or heat pad, you can heat it up, put it under a towel and put the tiel on it. I do that if one of my tiels is cold or sick and it works great.


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## Mythara (Apr 9, 2009)

I fold a towel over the radiator and let them stand on that if our to appear cold. =)


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## Lola's_mommy (Nov 30, 2008)

I noticed that my tiel usually has warmer feet when she has been perching on me or when the temp is warmer and cooler feet when the temp is cooler. Our home is around 70 - I have a chinchilla and can't have it any warmer than that - and my tiel will insist on sitting on me to get warm. I also bring her in the bathroom when I shower because it gets so warm in there and she loooovvvveeeessss that. I also try to get her outdoors when it is warmer, she just prefers warmer temps and is happier at those times. So I think in my case, her feet are cold when she is, and vice versa. I have never worried much about her feet temp since they do vary back and forth throughout the day.


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## CckatielAdopter (Apr 30, 2009)

Thank you Solace., Danielle, Mythara, and Lola's_mommy!
Your help was extremely helpful to me... and Zues
I'll give all your tips a try.
His feet do seem a bit warmer since I kept the temperature higher in his room, so that's a good step foward!

Thanks again folks =D


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