‘Koe knuffelen’ is a new trend that literally translates to ‘cow cuddling’. In the Netherlands, people are visiting the local farms, spending time with animals, and hugging cows to release their stress and feeling calm.
The followers of this new cow cuddling trend say that spending time with cows have made them relaxed. As cows are huge in size, their body temperature provides the perfect warmth and coziness that suppresses stress. It also increases the oxytocin level in the body which induces relaxation and happiness.
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BBC has reported that this new Dutch trend actually promotes self-care and healing through nature. Spending time with animals, hugging them, or touching them feels ‘soothing’ because of the large size and perfect warmth that cows offer.
Cuddling in general has very positive effects on the mind. It makes a person feel calm, protected, and bonded. It also releases oxytocin which is a hormone that is typically released when a person is satisfied, relaxed, or calm.
There are real farms in the Netherlands which offer these services for visitors to come and spend time with animals there. It is a different and thrilling experience and health experts agree that hugging a large mammal with a slow heartbeat like cows can induce calming effects on humans.
The trend is now viral and some other countries have also started these cuddling cow trends.
For many people, this looks like an odd thing but on the other side, it can be really healthy and in fact better than many other practices which are slow or ineffective. So there is no harm to try new things.
This cuddling cow trend doesn’t include other animals or riding animals or petting them. It only focuses on cows and spending time with them such as sitting next to them, rubbing them, and hugging them.
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Oxytocin is a hormone that is famous as the ‘love hormone’. It is released by the brain into the body when a person feels trusted, completed, and ecstatic. Not just humans but other mammals who exhibit social, as well as sexual behaviors, also experience it.
Oxytocin is also released when women go into labor. It also stimulates the development and discharge of breast milk. Most people remember it from sexual bondage where oxytocin gives the ‘satisfactory’ feeling. It has also given a nickname for its interesting role in lovemaking which is ‘the cuddle hormone’.
This new cuddling cow trend has used the same perspective but in place of a human partner, it has added cows, which are huge, sensitive, and domestic animals. Many people have shared that they are planning to try this trend. Those who have already tried it reported having positive effects, saying that they will surely try doing it again.
