I have watched lots of little birds (sparrows, finches, other small birds) in the bird bath, and they're in and out pretty quickly. There are doves that will sometimes simply sit in the water for long stretches of time.

I used to have a cat who didn't mind baths and who adored being dried with a hair dryer. The cats I have now I don't bathe, though one is not feeling well and could use it, but the exercise would stress her out too much.

One of my dogs loves bathes, and has her own wading pool in summer. The other one doesn't like them and will only get an occasional drink out of the wading pool. With those two, I think the different coats makes a difference. The terrier has a simple coat, short, and in and out of the water is great. The catahoula has lots of downy hair under the longer hairs and I think for her that is more insulating to help keep her cool than getting wet. At least, that is her view of things.

SRS