Pet Owls Are a Fantasy

Like Quidditch, Pet Owls Are a Fantasy

Thanks to the success of the Harry Potter books and move, WildCare has been bombarded with questions (mostly from children) about whether owls make good pets. Our answer is an unqualified no! Owls have neither the personality nor the lifestyle to provide companionship and adjust well in a household.

Our concern is for baby owls that might, through some mishap, be separated from their parents and need care. We believe that WildCare, with our experience and facilities, offers the best chance, after their own parents, for these little owls' survival. For anyone faced with the possibility of caring for an injured or orphaned owl themselves, here are just a few reasons why it may not be the best idea:

Possessing an owl is illegal. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is a felony to possess most native wild birds, including owls, without a special license.
Owls have sharp talons and strong feet. Owl feet are made to catch and grip wild prey. Their sharp talons, or claws, can be an inch long. We wear gloves when we handle these birds, and must be very careful to make sure the talons don't go through the gloves into our fingers and wrists -- and we have to respect their beaks, too.
Owls don't use litter boxes. Suffice it to say that owls can mess up a clean enclosure in no time. In addition to shooting liquid droppings in water-gun style, owls regurgitate pellets that contain undigested parts of the animals they eat (mostly small rodents and sometimes small birds). Actually, their diet alone is enough to eliminate them from the "best pet" contest.
Owls don't like people. Even though owl babies will accept (more like grab) food from us, they never stop hissing at us to warn us away. They dislike us even more when they get older, continuing to hiss, raise their wings, and click their beaks when we enter their enclosure. We're all happy on release day!

If you or your child really wants to help owls, consider a WildCare Barred Owl Adoption Kit as a gift. You will be supporting an owl that will one day be released into the wild, and have a certificate to prove it! The kits are available at the Wild Bird Center in Oklahoma City.