To my knowledge, I’ve only seen owls hatched in captivity and imprinted immediately really be used this way. I don’t share much content like this because they are animals that should be wild, but humans have purposely made to be unable to care for themselves, yet still aren’t really domestic animals.

A wild owl is not going to understand you petting it in the way you intend it. The only physical contact they enjoy is when they’re going to eat something or make a baby owl, and we are obviously not either of those things to them.

Mammals seem to be the only things I see actively cuddling with each other, and even then it’s really only with those they consider to be family or mates.

I babysat a bearded dragon once. It was kinda cool, but as you said, it didn’t really want any interaction with me.