Cow Tipping Is Old News – Now It’s All About Cow Hugging

You may remember when people used to go out late at night to go cow tipping.  Well, that's old news now.  Now, the new rage is Cow Hugging.

Remember those days?  People would sneak out late at night to find a pasture full of cows and as they slept, they would try to tip them over.  It was cruel and in some cases, farmers would have to stay up late to protect their livestock.

Well, that's old and dead.  Now it's all about Cow Hugging.

As it turns out, people aren't getting the hugs they used to get because of the pandemic.  According to the BBC, they're using an old dutch practice and have begun hugging cows instead to get their hug fix.

The new wellness trend called “koe knuffelen” comes from the Netherlands and when translated from Dutch means "cow hugging."

Cow cuddling is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social bonding. The calming effects of curling up with a pet or emotional support animal, it seems, are accentuated when cuddling with larger mammals.

So the question arises.  Is this something that farmers are going to have to worry about again?  Are people going to be walking onto posted land to hug farmers' cows now?  Or is this a new business opportunity for farmers?  If it's so good for people, why not charge people to come in and hug your cows?

It looks like it's good for them too!  "A 2007 study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science states that cows show cues of deep relaxation, stretching out and allowing their ears to fall back when massaged in particular areas of their neck and upper back"