http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyWnWpE0Jf8
“Inspiring people, businesses and organizations to enjoy the unique harmony between man, animals and nature.”
So says a Dutch website (as translated by Google Translate) promoting “cow cuddling” or “cow hugging.” And they’re charging 25 euros for 2 hours, or 47.50 euros for 3 hours.
The premise is simple: dressed in protective coveralls, you gently approach a cow and cuddle up with it. Judging from the number of filled sessions on their calendar, this is a very popular activity in the Netherlands. It seems to be related to getting back in touch with where food comes from. And it may be therapeutic as well. Says the website,
“A cow has a soothing effect on people. A cow produces trust. Mankind is attracted by the animal because of its large warm body.”
A quick search on YouTube (try the Dutch word, “koeknuffelen“) produces dozens of videos of people getting up close and personal with bovines. Or, in some instances, chickening out.
As dairy farmers, we know how soothing hanging out with animals can be. Perhaps we should charge a fee to cuddle a baby goat for an hour?
Those are mellow cows!