I'm writing this review in the hope of saving birds from some of the things I have read in other reviews here, by owners who obviously love their birds but don't have a lot of knowledge of birds. I have many birds, many different species large and tiny, all rescues. I have had at least 20 Thermo Perches over the past decade, large and small. First of all, I'll tell you why I buy them. When they work, there is nothing better for a sick bird, or a lonely bird, or even a healthy bird in an aviary on a winter night (particularly female birds). Most sick birds, older birds or birds sleeping alone end up loving this perch. Some birds are afraid of it initially and a few stay afraid. Young healthy males usually show no interest in it - their testosterone is so high they are warm enough except in extreme cold. The perch is too smooth, and size small is not as small as it should be for finches, canaries, etc. That being said, most small birds - even tiny zebra finches - find a way to comfortably perch on them if they want the warmth. They are a blessing to many birds in cold, lonely, or unhealthy situations, and I believe they can extend the active life of some of these birds. Now, the bad. First, as I mentioned, the size, texture, and shape. Not ideal, not even close. Still, worth buying and trying it for your bird. You have to understand how important warmth is to birds in less than ideal conditions. More important than food and water. It can be the difference between life and death in a sick bird. Next problem. I suspect the company may recently have switched to having them produced by a new manufacturer. The older ones never failed at the cage attachment. While I have not had any of mine break at all, not even the ones used by my heavier birds, I have read of a few recent failures. I have also noticed my newer ones do seem just slightly weaker in that area. But overall they are physically still quite good quality. I think breakage is still a rare occurrence, not anything to be overly concerned about unless you have a very heavy bird. That leads us to the final, and worst problem. One that can seriously endanger your bird. That is over-heating. I never had any of my perches over-heat until I discovered one last night. When doing a last check in my parrot room in the dark, right before closing the door for the night, my mitred conure Oliver, a young male, made a strange noise. I went over to see what was happening. He was sitting on his heated perch, which he never does. He normally sleeps on a branch right next to it, to absorb a bit of the heat without direct contact. This night he looked a little too alert. I felt the perch, and it was hot to the point of me recoiling my hand because it burned. Needless to say, I removed my bird instantly, disconnected the perch from the wall, and let it cool before putting him back. He's a very smart guy - I know he did that to let me know something was wrong. It had probably just started to radically over-heat. One review on here by an owner says "it was too warm, with a few hot spots. But overall, a pretty good idea". Can I just say, "NO!"? If the perch is too hot, get it out! Immediately! Your bird will get burned, and could even lose toes, feet, or get an infection. I always wondered if these things could over-heat, and have always physically checked them on a regular basis. But I never had one over-heat until last night. So please, understand that these things are truly a great idea. But they are cheap plastic electric items, and can fail. I would not say absolutely never use them because they can do a lot of good. But if you use one you MUST check them with your hand every day, and take them out immediately if they are anything more than pleasantly warm. One last thing - as tempting as it may be, do not wrap these perches. In anything. That can lend to over-heating or even a possible fire. If you choose not to use one due to the problems, there is another product - a small heated panel that easily attaches to the cage wall. I have had great success with that as well and it does seem more consistent and reliable.
