Owls are extremely cute and look like they could be pet, but did you know that they could attack your hand if you ever try to do so?Owls are beautiful birds but unfortunately, not the kind that you can keep as a pet in your home. The fact that owls are wild animals and birds of prey is only one of the many reasons why you cannot keep an owl as a pet.There are more than 200 species of owls in the world. Some of them have the cutest heart-shaped faces like the barn owl (Tyto alba) or large eyebrow-like feathers over their eyes, like the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). So it is not uncommon to want an owl as a pet. However, there are a lot of challenges if someone wants to keep an owl as a pet, ranging from strict legal procedures such as licensing to taking care of them and feeding them. Each part of the process is extremely tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, owls are used to being able to hunt for their food and live in the wild. This is something that is in their very nature. Thus, it will be extremely difficult to make them adapt to a life in captivity.To read some similar content, check out our articles on where do owls live? And how do owls sleep? Here at Kidadl.Are owls dangerous pets?Owls are wild creatures. They are birds of prey who are used to staying in their natural environment where they can hunt for food freely. They have extremely sharp talons that are meant to attack and tear open their prey. These talons are so sharp and strong that with the help of these, owls are easily able to crush the skull of a fox or any other small animal. Thus, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to train these birds to not ruin your furniture or scratch you with their talons.Owning an owl does not only entail a lot of responsibility and caring for the bird, but also exercising great caution every time you interact with it. Owls are not social animals and are in fact, quite aggressive when around strangers. They have very sharp beaks as well and while they won’t attack someone, they can bite if they feel stressed or nervous. Unlike parrots, which have been successfully domesticated for years, owls cannot be let loose inside the house as they can and will ruin any cushions, sofas, and soft toys they can land on. They can even accidentally scratch or injure you when you are cleaning their space or feeding them if they mistake your hand for food.Although anyone wanting to own an owl as a pet will have to get a permit and be properly trained as to how to deal with their peculiar pet, it will be very unsafe to leave the owl alone with children or other pet animals like dogs to play, as there will be a great risk of the bird harming them.Is it legal to own an owl?In many countries, especially the USA, owning a pet owl is illegal and the laws are strict regarding the same. Any person aspiring to keep an owl as a pet must first be trained and licensed to do so. Even after getting a permit, the ownership of the owl does not belong to the person who wants a pet owl, but to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This means that they can take the owl back into their custody if they feel like the animal is not being treated right or the person taking care of it is not following the terms and conditions of the permit. Owning native owl species, such as great horned owls or barn owls, is against the law in the USA but owning non-native species of owls such as the speckled owl is legal when done with the necessary training and permit.Owls are wild creatures that require a lot of maintenance and caring if they are to be kept in captivity outside of their natural habitat. Thus, it only makes sense that not everyone can keep pet owls in their houses if they do not have the proper training and permit to do so. The US Fish and Wildlife Service may allow someone to keep an owl but only as a rehab specialist. If an owl is injured and cannot fly away, you are allowed to keep the bird but only for educational purposes with an educational permit or in some cases, for breeding purposes.It is best to check with your state government if you want to own a pet owl as some may have relatively relaxed legislation regarding owning an exotic animal as a pet. The legal procedure and maintenance are still sure to outweigh the benefits as owls are not the kind of animals who will cuddle with you or play fetch. Even after being licensed and acquiring a permit, you will need to prepare the owl’s aviary and other equipment before getting your owl. This is done so the suitable authorities can make sure that you are capable of taking care of these raptors in captivity, keeping them healthy, and providing them with an environment they can thrive in.However, if you really want to own an owl but do not have the necessary training or permit to do so, you could make a donation or sponsor an owl at your local rehab center for wild animals.Problems With Pet OwlsKeeping wild birds as pets comes with a lot of responsibility. Owls will usually take more than they can give back to their owners, as they are simply not meant to be kept as pets. Thus, a large number of problems come up while trying to make a wild owl adapt to life in a cage.The first of many problems is fulfilling the paperwork and training requirements necessary by law. If you do not live in the UK or a US state that allows you to keep a pet owl, you will have to be trained and licensed, have a falconry permit, and prove to the authorities that you can take care of an owl and keep it healthy.Owls are famous for being nocturnal animals and hunting in the night. While this is not an issue when they live freely in their natural habitat, it can become a huge problem when they are kept as pets among human beings, who, unlike owls, are not nocturnal and generally like to sleep during the night. Owls, on the other hand, will become quite noisy and active during the night, and their hoots are sure to wake you up from sleep. If they are kept outside, they will certainly disturb any neighbors you have with their hoots. This problem can become even greater during their mating season, which is usually in the spring for these birds. During this season, owls will take to calling out for a mate for the entire night.Like all other pets, pet owls will also need a doctor sometime in their lifetime but a regular local veterinarian might only be trained to deal with pets such as cats, dogs, parrots, or rabbits and not exotic animal species like owls. Thus, humans wanting to take in an owl as a pet will need to look for veterinarians that are trained to treat exotic animals but visits to these vets tend to be on the expensive side.Owls are raptors with a strictly carnivorous diet. This means that they will not accept the store-bought bird pellets that are used to feed other carnivorous pet birds. Bird seeds and vegetables can negatively affect the health of an owl and make it malnourished. What owls love and prefer most is fresh, raw meat of whole animals like rodents. Some owners are known to feed thawed-out frozen meat to animals with a carnivorous diet that are kept in captivity. However, owls are very messy creatures, even when compared to other birds. Their way to eat is to tear their prey apart and take small bites from it. They can also mistake your hand for food when you are feeding them so there will always be a risk of getting your hand injured as most owls have an instinct to attack their prey and pick it apart. Therefore, there will be a need to regularly take care of the mess they make while they eat their food.Moreover, owls poop more than any other pet bird species. Parrots, common bird pets, have a vegetarian diet, which is quite easy for them to digest. Owls, on the other hand, tend to poop a lot. Their poop also emits a bad smell due to their carnivorous diet. They will also often regurgitate pellets consisting of bones and fur that they could not digest. Their biannual molting process will also leave a lot of feathers in their living space. Thus, owls are extremely messy birds but there is no need to clean up after them in their natural environment. However, when kept as pets, their space will need to be regularly cleaned to protect their health.Creating a Sanctuary for Your Pet OwlCreating a space for your pet owl is extremely important and something that should be done with care. An owl usually needs a large space to live in unlike other pet birds that can survive in a smaller cage. An owl’s wings can reach a wingspan of 5 ft (1.5 m) and thus, a large aviary needs to be provided for it to live in.Unless you want all your furniture torn to shreds, it is best to keep your pet owl inside an aviary. The owl aviary needs to be made of strong material like a sturdy wire. This is because the sharp talons of the bird can easily ruin a cage made of wood by scratching at it. After all, it is in an owl’s instinct. Since this aviary can have a lot of mess inside it, most owners usually keep it outside the house. However, it will need to be cleaned almost daily to keep the surroundings of you and your bird clean and healthy. Pet owls will also need their daily exercise and thus, a large yard or lawn may be needed for them to fly around and stretch their wings in.Having an appropriate place for your pet owl to stay is extremely important as it is one of the ways the authorities can make sure that you have done your research and can successfully take care of an owl.Caring for an OwlKeeping a pet owl takes a great amount of care and responsibility. From feeding to cleaning the cage, your pet owl is going to keep you busy but it won’t usually be able to give back to you or express its love the way dogs and other pet birds like parrots can.Owls may not be sociable but they can imprint on and get attached to certain humans who take care of them, and become nervous or stressed when left alone. When someone else tries to feed them, they can become quite aggressive. This becomes a problem if you are not able to feed your bird for any reason and it will be very difficult for you to make travel plans. Pet owls are usually not allowed to be transported to a different unlike other common pets, and most pet sitters won’t be trained to take care of owls.Sourcing food for your pet owls to eat can also pose a big problem. You can choose to either feed them live mice, rodents, and insects, or store carcasses in a freezer and feed them to your owl after thawing. Your pet owl’s cage will need to be cleaned daily. It will also need to have a large container of water that will serve as a bathing pan for the bird. This is because owls’ feathers are designed to make no noise while flying so the noise doesn’t warn their prey but when their feathers collect a lot of dust and dirt, they can start to make sounds. Thus, owls regularly clean their wings and feathers to keep them clean and silent. Since even in captivity, these raptors can retain their instinct of hunting in the wild, a bathing pan must be kept and refilled at certain intervals in their living area so they can clean their feathers.Therefore, caring for an owl is a tedious task that can take up most of your time. Given that these animals have a lifespan of 10-20 years, it is extremely important to make an informed decision about getting a pet owl as it can be a huge commitment.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for can you have a pet owl? Then why not take a look at are owls smart, or barn owl facts?
Owls are extremely cute and look like they could be pet, but did you know that they could attack your hand if you ever try to do so?
