Cows in cuddling therapy may show preference for female handlers

Cows used in human treatment programs may prefer to socialize with girls and women over men, a small study suggests.

Animal-assisted therapy programs typically involve dogs, rabbits and horses, but more recently there has been a trend towards “cuddling cows” to reduce stress and feelings of loneliness.

To learn more about the potential benefits of cows in animal therapy programs, Catherine Compitas New York University and colleagues Sonia Bierbauer The West Point Military Academy invited 11 people — five women, five men and one girl, ages 13 to 79 — to spend at least 45 minutes with two castrated male Holstein cows. Compitus raised the steers, both about a year old, on a small rescue farm in Goshen, New York, after raising an orphaned newborn bull on a dairy farm.

The pair gave each volunteer a brush and a bag of treats, and while respecting the animals’ choice to interact with them, they trained a steer (like a “toy poodle,” according to Kompitas) in their home’s enclosure. (behave) and ask them to touch you.

Immediately after spending time with the steer, participants completed a 24-item questionnaire describing their interaction with the steer and how the steer felt about the experience.

All but one of the participants reported spending most of their time in the enclosure near the bull while watching, petting, talking to and photographing the bull. Overall, they felt that they generally initiated non-threatening interactions with the animal, such as sniffing it, licking it, making mooing noises or “moos,” and accepting food from the animal.

Women and girls reported increased instances of the steers licking them, accepting food, and responding to training efforts, and men also reported mostly positive interactions, although they believed the steers sometimes engaged in aggressive behavior.

However, women and girls were twice as likely as men to report kissing a bull, which may have influenced the results. They also spent significantly more time playing with the animals and taking pictures with them, and reported slightly more positive interactions with the steers overall.

“Did the men interact with the cows? Of course they did, and they reported enjoying it,” Kompitas said. “But for some reason, the women seemed to be having more fun. And the cows seemed to be having more fun, too.”

Although more research is needed, Kompitus believes the animals may have sensed personality differences between the sexes. “Did the cows get more attention from women because they sensed that women were trying to raise them more?” Compitus says. “That’s something we need to consider further.”