Cuddling Cows Is Great Therapy For You (And The Cow)

[SorellaLaBefana]

We’ve all heard of the many benefits of interacting with animals as therapy, but what about the animals themselves? Does that interspecies solidarity go both ways? Well, according to a recent study, the answer is yes … if you’re a cow.

“Bovine-assisted therapy may not only be an effective treatment model that benefits human participants,” confirmed Katherine Compitus, Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University and one half of the research team behind the paper, in a statement.

“[It] appears to be enriching to the cattle participants as well,” she explained, “as shown by their proximity to and continuous interactions with humans.”...

https://www.iflscience.com/cuddling-cows-is-great-therapy-for-you-and-the-cow-74453

Recently I *somewhere* (¿Science journal/popular press/podcast?) came across the information that captive ponies in petting zoos showed a decrease in stress (determined by behavioural and biomarker effects) when the ponies were not tethered within constant reach of the children, but were free to retreat from the unrelenting petting.

It was found (as I recall) that when free to choose most of the ponies took only short breaks, and did continue to come up to the fence where they could interact with the children whilst others only rarely did so.

Of course, I’ve not been able to refind this information from memory or from trad/AI websearch! The searches did however turn up frequent findings that many animals in petting zoos (ponies and horses in particular) are often quite stressed by the constant crowds, noise and contact.

It is heartening that there did seem to be increasing awareness of such problems. In the posted cow cuddling story, it was Very Good to read that the cows also seem to be benefiting.

Hug a cow (or a tree) today

[sl8]

1. Be careful.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/how-bird-flu-could-threaten-cow-cuddling-yes-it-is-thing-2024-05-04/

Cow cuddling: It's fun, it's therapeutic, it's under threat from bird flu

By P.j. Huffstutter
May 4, 2024 7:11 AM EDT Updated 35 min ago

MONEE, Illinois, May 4 (Reuters) - Farmer Luz Klotz straightened the brightly striped hair bow on Reba, a 1,600-pound heifer lounging on the ground under twinkling fairy lights. Teenager Joey Pachl, hoping to impress his girlfriend with an invitation to the high school prom, had paid $75 for an hour-long cow cuddling session at the farm.

Pachl successfully wowed animal loving girlfriend Emma. For Luz and husband Dan Klotz, such visitors have become key to covering the feed bills and keeping their small farm running.

Paying farmers to snuggle up with half-ton heifers is all the rage in the United States thanks to social media. For visitors, cuddling dairy or beef cattle can be therapeutic, or simply an adventure for city dwellers looking for good old country fun.

But this practice of opening the barn door to the public is facing a new risk, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed bird flu in dairy herds in nine states.

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