Owls aren’t the most common pet, but one man who has one on TikTok has shared the moment which made him “melt”.
Aaron Jorsini posted a sweet video on his dedicated pet account, explaining that he thought his owl loved forehead rubs “because it felt nice”.
But it turns out there’s a much deeper meaning to the adorable behaviour.
“The real reason made me melt,” he explained, showing the video of his owl, Bread, pushing her head into his hand, encouraging him to stroke her more.
He continually stroked her head, and she closed her eyes, seeming to love the interaction in a similar way a trusting cat would.
He captioned the video: “My owl girl always lowers her little head into my hand, pressing her forehead so gently against my fingers like she’s whispering a tiny secret just for me.
“At first, I thought it was simply her way of asking for a scratch in her favourite spot, like how a cat leans in for chin rubs.
“But with owls, it’s so much deeper. In the wild, they don’t bow their heads to just anyone – it’s a precious act of trust and bonding. Letting me touch those delicate feathers around her face is her way of saying, I know you’ll keep me safe.
“So now, every time she dips her head and waits for me to rub, I don’t just see a request for scratches… I see her way of telling me: you’re mine, you’re my safe place in this big, noisy world”.
In the comments, people gushed over how adorable the owl was, saying they didn’t realise they were “so small”. “And this, this right here, is why they are my favourite animal,” another enthused.
Queries arose about the type of owl featured, to which Aaron revealed she’s a “Western European barn owl”.
Aaron elaborated that in his experience, this owl “can be domesticated,” but they can also “be very bossy”.
However, for those contemplating keeping an owl as a pet, Suffolk Owl Sanctuary issued a stark warning: don’t.
“They don’t make very good pets,” they caution, citing several reasons for this.
They concede that owls are “beautiful, majestic and awe-inspiring,” however, “in captivity they can be noisy, smelly and dirty and will need a lot of your time, care and attention”.
“They require a regular, specialist diet, and in our opinion, to be kept properly, they need a large, purpose-built aviary which can be expensive to build and maintain,” they explain.
They also possess “very sharp talons” and are natural “predators,” making them “very dangerous,” particularly if you have children in your household.
Suffolk Owl Sanctuary emphasises that it’s far better to let owls remain wild, and perhaps adopt one as an alternative.
