Can I Have An Owl As A Pet?
Owls are one of the world’s most recognizable and fascinating exotic birds. Hedwig, the snowy owl from the Harry Potter series, led many pet lovers to believe that these birds make excellent companions.
Although this may be true, owls are wild animals, therefore keeping one in a conventional home environment is not recommended. Unfortunately, you cannot keep owls as pets in your home, despite their beauty.
The fact that owls are wild animals and birds of prey is just one of the several reasons why they cannot be kept as pets. However, it is not difficult, especially considering that wild birds such as parrots have been good pets for the majority of households for centuries.
Can owls make very good pets?
To put it simply: no (sorry, we know you wanted a different answer). In actual life, these wild creatures do not make suitable pets and, barring extremely exceptional conditions, they should not coexist with people.
They should be allowed to roam freely in the great outdoors, where they can pursue prey and soar through the air without restriction. There are a few key differences that make it impossible for owls and other birds of prey to join your brood.
Think about these things before you try to introduce one into your home.
They enjoy hunting very much
If you’ve ever watched owls on nature broadcasts or as pets in movies, you probably already know that their primary diet consists of rodents and other tiny animals. Even though the species-specific diets vary widely, these animals are either carnivores or insectivores.
Therefore, in order to properly feed an owl, a lot of patience and a strong stomach are required. They would much rather capture the prey themselves, which is only natural, but once they do, they may be pretty messy when they start eating (which gets shredded first).
It is in your best interest to delegate this responsibility to trained experts who are familiar with the preferences of these birds and the best way to satisfy those preferences.
There is not enough room in your home
In the wild, an owl can defend a territory that is as large as ten square kilometres. We highly doubt you’ll come into a cage of that size, which is why only huge businesses are able to deal with them.
When owls are kept as pets by professionals, they spend most of their time in large aviaries that are kept outside. However, that is not sufficient since in order to keep their muscles and wings in good condition, these birds need to regularly engage in physical activity.
They must also take frequent baths in order to preserve those gorgeous feathers in flight-ready condition.
You’ll never get to sleep
In their natural environment, they hunt for food while gliding through the air in complete silence and with superb night vision; they will try to do the same thing in your home. These magnificent creatures, in contrast to some rodents like hamsters, will not be content to adapt their sleeping habits to match yours.
When kept as a pet, an owl necessitates a great deal of attention both during the day and at night. They will be hungry and eager to fly after dark, which will make it extremely difficult for you to get any rest.
The most annoying thing about them is the sound they make. Even if you are able to provide them with a full meal at some point during the day, they will not patiently wait for you to complete your eight hours of sleep.
Is it Acceptable To Own An Owl In Your State?
In many countries, including the United States of America, it is against the law to keep an owl as a pet, and the regulations governing this topic are very stringent. Anyone who wants to keep an owl as a pet needs to go through the proper training and get a permit in order to do so.
Even after obtaining the necessary authorization, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service continues to retain ownership of the owl that will be kept as a pet by the person who desires an owl. This means that they have the ability to take back possession of the owl if they believe that the animal is not being treated appropriately or that the person who is responsible for its care is not adhering to the terms and conditions of the permit.
In the United States of America, it is against the law to own a native species of owl such as a great horned owl or a barn owl. On the other hand, it is lawful to keep a non-native species of owl such as a speckled owl as long as the owner has the required training and a permit.
How to Take Care of an Owl?
The care and responsibility required to keep an owl as a pet are substantial and extensive. Your pet owl will keep you busy, from feeding it to cleaning its cage, but it won’t be able to give back to you or show its love in the same way that dogs and other pet birds, like parrots, do.
Owls may not be very gregarious, but they have the ability to imprint on and form attachments to particular humans who take care of them. When owls are left alone, they can get anxious or stressed out.
They are known to become rather hostile whenever another person makes an attempt to feed them. If for any reason you are unable to feed your bird, this presents a dilemma for you, since it will make it quite challenging for you to make travel arrangements.
Unlike most other common pets, owls kept as pets typically aren’t allowed to be relocated to a new location, and the majority of pet sitters won’t have the necessary training to properly care for owls.
Finding suitable food for your owl pets to consume can also be a significant challenge. You have the option of providing them with live mice, rats, and insects, or you may preserve the carcasses of these foods in the freezer and provide them to your owl once they have defrosted.
The enclosure of your owl companion will require cleaning on a daily basis. Additionally, a huge container of water that may be used as a bathing pan for the bird is going to need to be a part of it. This is because the feathers of owls are engineered to be silent while the bird is in flight, so that the sound does not alert the owl’s prey to its presence.
However, owl feathers can start to create sounds when they have been exposed to a significant amount of dust and filth. As a result, owls routinely preen their wings and feathers in order to maintain their immaculate and silent appearance.
Because these raptors are able to maintain their instinct of hunting in the wild even when they are held in captivity, their living area requires a bathing pan that is kept there and that is refilled at regular intervals so that they may keep their feathers clean.
Consequently, taking care of an owl is a laborious process that may require you to devote the majority of your available time to it.
It is highly important to make an educated decision about acquiring an owl as a pet because the animal’s lifespan can range anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Because of this, getting an owl as a pet can be a significant commitment.