Mary Allen
In many films, books, and television shows, the owl is portrayed as an incredibly friendly, intelligent, and affectionate pet. Pretty much everyone knows Harry Potter and his faithful snowy owl Hedwig.
So are owls good pets like they seem to be in the movies? And if so, what is needed to properly care for an owl as a pet? Can an owl be cared for in a normal parrot cage? Can you keep an owl as a pet and feed it on corn and other types of commercial birdseed?
Owl Husbandry Makes Demands on the Place
While it is true that owls have become popular pets in books and films (like the Harry Potter series), the sad truth for owl lovers is that having an owl as a pet is not a good choice for most people.
The difficulties that will arise from properly caring for an owl is a major reason why it is best to leave them in the wild. As beautiful and captivating as these creatures are.
For one thing, owls cannot be housed in a regular parrot cage indoors. They must be cared for in a large aviary with indoor and outdoor access and access to a pool of water that must be kept immaculately clean at all times.
They bathe regularly to meticulously clean their feathers. Owls fly very quietly. However, their feathers will make noises in flight unless they are meticulously cleaned by the animal.
This noise damages their hunting success. Even in captivity, owls often need to be able to fly if they are actually physically able to fly.
Holding an Owl: The Animals are Mostly Independent
This owl has its sights set on its prey
These birds are so-called raptors that live and hunt independently of each other. Unlike other types of large birds such as macaws or cockatoos, owls do not live in wild flocks. They are extremely anti-social creatures when compared to other bird species.
Social contacts among their own kind are only maintained with their companions and their offspring. This important aspect must be taken into account when keeping the owl as a pet.
The herd mentality is what allows a parrot to successfully integrate into a human family. However, because owls lack this type of behavior, the pet owl views everyone but the one person they choose as their “companion” as an enemy or even prey.
They are therefore likely to attack other humans on sight. This can be a big problem if you ever get sick, travel, or are otherwise unable to look after your owl.
And since they mate for life, if they are placed in someone else’s care, they can fall into depression, sometimes severe, until they die.
Your Diet is Specialized
Feeding owls appropriately is another concern that makes it almost impossible to successfully care for owls as pets.
Because owls are technically birds of prey, they have specific dietary needs that cannot be met by feeding them seeds, pellets, or fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.
In fact, if you presented one of these treats to an owl, he or she probably wouldn’t even recognize it as food. Owls are carnivorous creatures and need to be fed whole rodents such as mice, small rabbits, guinea pigs, quail, and small chickens.
These feeders are commercially produced by farms. This diet is the only way to meet the owl’s complex nutritional needs. For preservation, transportation, and preparation, prey must first be frozen and then thawed before feeding. Few retailers also offer live feed animals for species-appropriate live feeding of the owl.
As you can imagine, this can be a less than comfortable ordeal, let alone having to feed the owl multiple times a day. Like all birds, owls can be quite messy eaters. Therefore, tidying up and cleaning up after feeding will be another task that most people will find hard to endure.
As carnivores, owls are equipped with a beak and claws specially designed for tearing and shredding pieces of meat. Hence, they are also capable of causing great harm to people if they become dissatisfied for any reason.
They are destructive and can easily tear up anything you have in their house.
Many Owl Species are Protected
Owls are best housed in nature
It is illegal to have certain species of owls as pets as they are protected species. Those who still decide to defy the law and foster an owl face a host of additional problems anyway.
When the bird gets sick, the only option is to take it to a raptor veterinarian. However, the vast majority of veterinarians are not specifically trained to treat these amazing birds.
Introducing an owl to a veterinarian carries the risk that illegal possession will be detected, reported, and possibly penalized as you will need a permit and extensive training to become a certified and licensed professional owl keeper.
Buy an Owl
How much does an owl cost? The price of legally possible and available owls depends on their age, condition, and of course breed. Prices start at around €350 and there are hardly any limits, especially for rare and protected species.
More Options
If you care about owls, you can support one at a wildlife center. However, if you are looking for a companion bird, you might be better off adopting a parrot that needs a home. These large birds are much better suited to living with a human family than an owl.