“Therapy animals are not a new concept, but in a world where mental health is being tested by an ongoing pandemic, people are searching for comfort it what might seem like unusual places.

A practice that originated in the rural town of Reuver in the Netherlands, ‘koe knuffelen,’ which means ‘cow hugging’ in Dutch, is gaining global popularity, according to a BBC report.”

Fox 5

“Cow tipping is the purported activity of sneaking up on any unsuspecting or sleeping upright cow and pushing it over for entertainment. The practice of cow tipping is generally considered an urban legend, and stories of such feats viewed as tall tales.”

Wikipedia

Although most tales of cow tipping are apocryphal, the fact that we’ve all heard them is evidence of the low regard that we have for them. I love all animals and I don’t see any humor in a joke where the punch line is tipping over a cow. A cow will jump over the moon before you catch me poking fun at the ridiculous looking but adorable creatures.

Enough about cow tipping, cow hugging is a brand-new trend in 2020. Who would have imagined that such a historically horrible year would produce such a wonderful new fad?

Therapy animals aren’t a new concept, but it’s usually dogs or cats that come to mind. I live in a city and I don’t see any cows frolicking in front lawns when I jog around my neighborhood, but I would be willing to go out to the boonies to find a cow that I can hug.

“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.”

Fox 5

You may think cow hugging is more than a little bit silly, but in the time of the twin horrors of a pandemic and Trump I am willing to try anything to calm me down.