Cow cuddling or cow hugging has apparently been around for a while already, but it has seen a resurgence and increase in popularity due to the pandemic.  With people spending more time alone, they are trying to find ways to combat loneliness.  Enter cow hugging!

Many have seen the value of spending time with animals to deal with stress and anxiety and when hugging your family and friends is difficult due to the pandemic...why not cows?  People are paying up to $75 an hour to hug a cow in other parts of North America, so why not southeast Manitoba?

We were curious and went straight to the cow experts to ask about the possibilty.  Sara Schubert of Lone Country Ranch in Lonesand told us about the healing properties of time spent with her cows, "when you get home from work and you're just tired and you go out into the barn and you feel better, I like being around my cows."  

When asked if she and her husband would consider cow hugging as a new revenue stream for their ranch?  Even with some of her cows being friendly with her as she bottle-fed them, Sara doesn't see them introducing strangers to her cattle, "most of our cows aren't too cuddly, so this isn't a line we will go into." 

Although she says the idea is interesting she does note that "not all cows are cuddly, and I suggest that people stick with their cats and dogs.'

It looks like we won't be seeing a cow hugging operation begin in the Lonesand area any time soon, but the opportunity to cuddle a cow may still pop up somewhere in the southeast!