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