The heat and our pets
 

Australia is in the midst of a heat wave.

Your papers are correct mrsD I'm afraid.

In one city alone, 22 people died yesterday from the heat, and many people lost their much loved pets, including our own Jaime S. :Sob:

It got to 42.2 (109F) where I live, and we went close to losing out cockatiel in the heat. I think the only thing that saved him was we showered him with the hose, then kept wetting him down with cold water from a spray bottle.

Extremes in temperature sure is hard on our pets.:(

I am so sorry for the loss. :hug:

Is Jaime a member here?

Yes Sandy. :
.

At our county fairs that are held in mid summer here -
they fill up plastic water or pop bottles and freeze them, then they lay the frozen bottle in the cage with the animals.
The animals will lay next to the cool bottle if they get too hot.

for the cows, pigs, horse and other large animals they have big fans in the barns and take then out to hose them off often.

the frozen plastic bottle is a good tip to remember for smaller animals & birds
you can put a few ice cubes in a shallow dish of water - in case your birdie wants to cool himself off

Thanks for that Jo.

Our little bird has been too lethargic in this heat to do anything. I couldn't get him interested in his bird bath, hence the spray bottle. We've had a fan on for him as well and he's getting regular showers, as it's almost as hot again today.

I say in today's the RSPCA (animal welfare) are calling for ice cream containers, and yoghurt tubs for freezing water just like you suggested.

Yes, I lost my old dog to the heat, and I know of other people who have lost animals during this heatwave. But also, we've had some fires burning out of control where animals were lost also. It's been a long and very hot summer, that's for sure!
I was worried about our pair of cockatiels too, as we have a young baby cockatiel still in the nest, but luckily they have all survived!
~Jaime~

Mixed emotions for you then Jaime. I'm still feeling so sad that you lost your dear friend, but I'm glad at the same time that your little birds survived. :hug:

I don't know if you watched Sunrise this morning, but there was a segment about animals in this terrible heart, and they even mentioned cockatiels. It's probably on their website if you're interested.

The fires across the states have been devastating. I know from past experience that thousands of natives like the koala, will have been killed or injured because of the fires..................... and to think that some of these have been deliberately lit.
.


I know darn well what I'd like to do to the people who lit them.... but I am a lady, and wouldn't print what's going through my mind! :mad:

Poor hot little koala:
 

As I mentioned earlier, it's been so very hot here in Australia for over a week or so, with temperatures over 105F+ degrees everyday in South Australia.

I wanted to share this email that I received today.

It shows some photos taken by a woman who lives in Maude, South Australia.

This little Koala just walked into their back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket with water and this is what happened!

Wow...
 

that is just awful for the animals (and people too).

Our cats don't do well when it hits 90 either. They go to the
basement, lie under bushes, etc.
We only have A/c in the bedroom here.

I hate to see suffering... it must be terrible there. That poor koala in the bucket! :eek:

Today....
 

Koala....

Your friend or someone connected to her posted a series of
photos of the poor koala using the rescue water bucket at


.


I thought you and others here would be interested.

Poor people! Poor furbabies! :hug:

I don't know the person who posted the pictures mrsD . The photos were sent to me by a friend, and some-one had sent them to her.

Oh Jaime, I'm so sorry to read this. :hug:
You're in the thick of it there.

My birds have to stay indoors when it gets too hot. The dogs have to go out to potty, but the hairy one, Ozzy, doesn't stay out too long. We throw both of em in the pool to cool them off.


Our old dog used to have his own wading pool, and we'd give him popsickles or put ice cubes in his bowl. He used to love that.

For your bird, maybe he'd like frozen fruit, like chopped up peaches. Jake likes frozen corn - he likes it cooked too, still on the cob.


Hey, feel free to come on up if it gets too much.

:hug:

Wow, thanks ((Anne)).

is that a kangaroo?
 

I saw a nature show once, I think Sigourney Weaver was the narrator, showing kangaroos in the HOT Australian desert,
under trees, licking themselves to cool off!

This seems much easier and faster!

so sorry for your loss... our area of the US is currently in winter and it has also been harsher than usual. i will keep everyone in my prayers going through difficult time due to weather

Yes mrsD, it is a kangaroo. They live in just about every part of Australia and as you can see, they're very good swimmers.

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Victorian Bush Fires. Happening now.

:( :( :(

I posted a new thread in the Social Forum Lara. :
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I hate to think how many of our native animals will perish in these fires.

Fires in my area
 

Yes, fires have devastated many parts of Victoria, and a large part of Bendigo was destroyed too!
I was lucky, it came so close, I could see it!
Then when the wind changed it moved away from my home, but we lost more than 50 homes in the Bendigo area, and we don't know how many lives were lost yet. But it will be a big cost, that's for sure!
It was a very scary night!
:eek:

I had no idea kangaroo could swim. There was a news story - last year I think - of a bear who raided camp sites, but all he stole was beer. And not just any beer, only one Canadian brand.

He had better taste than most people. He wouldn't drink these wimpy american brews.

:p

That's how they caught him, too. They put a few beers in the trap, he drank em and passed out.