So What’s Wrong with Cow Therapy?

Stress hits us all the time. It’s common in all living beings and that’s why we’ll try almost any activity, from exercise to drugs, to alleviate the symptoms.

Well, here’s another stress-managing activity to look up, and it’s about to hit millennials harder than Juul: cow cuddling.

What’s that? Cow cuddling. Cow cuddling, or cow therapy, is when you go to a farm and interact with bovines via “brushing, petting, or heartfelt chats.” The New York Times article Move Over Therapy Dogs. Hello, Cow Therapy claims that cow therapy is similar to equine therapy. The difference? Horses usually stand while cows usually lie down.

So I’m not complaining. Who wouldn’t want to lie down with a cow and snuggle? Unlike a therapist, a cow won’t judge. Plus, you have the possibility of making an emotional and meaningful connection with your cow.

So what’s the problem?

Although cow cuddling seems great, the problem is the money you have to pay to do it. Rudi and Suzanne Vullers who own Bonnie and Bella, two therapy bovines, charge $75 an hour per couple for cow therapy. At Mountain Horse Farm they charge $75 an hour per couple and $125 per hour for four people.

It’s normal that we want to manage our stress. If you like animals and you’re not very vocal in your therapist’s office, then cow cuddling seems like a great option.

But should we really be paying that much?

It’s important to recognize that $75 an hour to interact with cows is not financially feasible. By making people pay for cow cuddling, the owners of the cows are not only monetizing their animals but creating an exclusive space that only accommodates the financially privileged.

You might be thinking that you pay way more than $75 an hour for your therapist. This is true, but your therapist is a trained professional in their field. A cow is not a trained professional, and it cannot volunteer themselves or consent to being put in the place of a trained professional.

So what’s the solution?

Don’t spend that much money for cow cuddling. It’s possible to engage with animals in other settings for much less moo-la. Once the label of “cow therapy” is removed, the price drops too.

For example, you can interact with animals at local farms and petting zoos. This farm is specifically for children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities. For $15 a child, an accompanying adult goes free, you can interact with the animals. The core values of therapy and growth are at the foundation of this farm, similar to the cow cuddling experience.

Another option is Planet Rehab where you can interact with parakeets. Unlike cow cuddling, you can feed the parakeets for $2.

For other opportunities to interact with animals check out the Sanctuary at Soled, where the visits are donation based, or The Gentle Barn, where you can cuddle the cows for a suggested donation of $22.

So yes, you should cuddle a cow. It fosters emotional connection with non-human animals, and helps manage stress.

Just please, don’t spend $75 an hour to do it.