Every dog has its day and even cows have their own day now! July 9th is cow appreciation day which was started by a fast food restaurant chain several years ago. For anybody who works with cattle (or used to work with them) will probably tell you they have at least one pet cow, maybe more. I grew up on a grain/cattle mix farm and we certainly had our pets over the years. One that stands out was an old cow we had for several years named “Moose.” She was built solid like a moose but had a heart of gold. She was a good mom to her many calves, she loved to be petted, and was very quiet. Others in the herd could be a bit rambunctious at times, but not Moose. She just stood back and watched what happened. When we’d call her over, she’d come to us, say hi (in cow language), and go where she was needed. Sweetest cow ever.

Believe it or not cow cuddling is now a popular trend in certain parts of North America. Yes, I wrote “cow cuddling.” The Mountain Horse Farm in New York State is now offering customers the opportunity to cuddle, pet, and play with cows on their farm located near Naples. According to the folks on the ranch cows make excellent cuddlers because of their intuitive and sensitive nature. Has much as I loved Moose, I don’t think I’d want to cuddle her! There are various prices for the cow cuddling experience, but some are paying as much as $300 for 90 minutes of cuddle time. That’s a lot of MOOOOOla. That was an UTTERly terrible joke, I know.

Regardless, happy cow appreciation day! I think your cows deserve an extra scratch behind the ears today.