Do Owls Like To Be Petted? Whether or not an owl enjoys being petted depends entirely on how it was raised. Generally speaking, no. Definitely not wild birds, and most captive birds don't like petting either. Since Newton was found and raised alone as a baby owl and only has interacted with humans Newton now thinks of himself as human, this is known as imprinting. But Newton only likes being scratched on his head by people that he is familiar with. Always remember owls and other wildlife are not