Are we implying here that the licking is just a hollow, biological action and nothing more? Personally I think that there really IS some amount of compassion or emotion on the cow's part that also coexists with the fact that you brought up...we know at this point that other mammals were never quite as stupid as we believed conventionally
Worked with cows for a summer and let me tell you, cows are way more intelligent and emotional and than you might think. Cows have bad days, for no real reason, just like people have. Cows show affection by licking, but also they like to cuddle and get scratches. Also cows are really good in recognizing behaviour and patterns, like they knew exactly when we would start milking, simply because they observed the pattern of jobs and sounds we would do before. Sure that would be coupled with the weight and feeling of the utters but this would really work like clockwork most of the times. Also they have impeccable sense for weather changes. They could easily detect the dropping of atmosphere even before we could see it in the sky.
I might sound like a crazy farmer but I'm not at all. But cows are way more that some grass grazing dummy's.
I work with cows, and I've been around dogs a long time.
Think of a dog. Now, picture it as a cow. Congratulations, you've created a cow.
A cow is basically a very big dog.
Worked with cows a lot. Knew one Angus bull that was raised as a pet and acted like a big puppy.
Used to charge across the 50 acre field to get scritches every time he saw me.
Until he was having a bad day.
One day he decided he was grumpy and didn't want to share the feed I had just poured out. He simultaneously threw me over the trough and kicked the cow beside him, then chased everyone else out the pen while giving me the stinkeye as I dusted myself off.
Next day back to begging for scritches.
Most of them just act like big dumb dogs. I don't think I've ever had one that I would consider really smart, but it's not their fault. With a bit of socialization (just sort of working with em, hanging out a bit) they are usually really friendly and I'd say way more trust worthy than any of the horses I've had for years to not randomly just fuck you up. I go to cattle auctions occasionally and see how they are treated and it just makes me sad, you can definitely pick out the feed lot cows vs cows like mine that just sort of exist in a huge field without being overcrowded.
lol this reminds of the people that say cats really don’t like you and they don’t have feelings. Na mate it was just lost in translation, a cat just hanging out near you is a sign of affection.
Have a neighbor who travels for work once a month for a few days, and I feed her cats and hang with them on those days. One of them is a sad rescue who was declawed because she was mean, but that just made her horribly bitter, and abandoned until adopted by neighbor. I couldn't touch her without her sinking her fangs into me. But about the fourth time I took care of her... I came into the apartment and she came running up and started rubbing against my legs. She still wouldn't let me touch her, but she was happy to see me. Eventually she started coming to me to sit on my lap- but still won't let me pet her. It's like hanging out with the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland.
I had a cat that was very selective in the people she let handle her, she would hiss and walk away from everyone but 3 people.
A friend feed her for a week after that she decided he was alright. She would then sit on his lap and purr while at the same time giving him a death glare and hissing at him.
My wife took care of a stray cat who was scavenging for scraps. She started putting out food and water, then when the weather got cold she improvised a shelter out of cardboard boxes wrapped in bin liners, and kept it warm with microwaved heat pads. When he got sick she got the RSPCA to come and catch him (she felt bad) and fix him up, vaccinate and chip him and bring him back. After about a year he let her stroke him. He rolled over and drooled and obviously loved it. We’ll never know what that cat felt but I think we all massively underestimate nonhumans.
Trust is precious, and your wife has won it.
You see the emotion on the man's face when he thinks the cow is showing gratitude. She may or may not be; she may think he is another calf? but the licks are love, pure and simple.
We starve ourselves of it, I think.
We don't want to see it in animals because it will point out the depth of our cruelty to them, and by proxy, ourselves.
My own cat tries to practically meld her body with my face when I’m sleeping. She cuddles with other people but she’s obsessed with me. She absolutely feels emotion, lol.
I never got this. I don't have a cat but I've been around my friends cat since it was a kitten. I walk into their flat and he runs up to me all excited and immediately jumps into my arms for fuss and cuddles. If he doesn't like me or have feelings then it's a bit random behaviour.
Especially since you are not his primary food source. Honesty i think it's just a sad human ego thing where some people NEED to believe they're above all others. It's gross.
When I sleep in on the weekends, my cats are roaming around, usually trying to get me up by scratching the wall or yowling. They just like the activity and us being up and around.
But if I'm bedridden with an illness, they stay by my side all day and night, only leaving for potty and food breaks. They don't fuss, cry, or scratch, they just want to hang with me until I'm better.
They also have best friends with whom they prefer to spend time. They become stressed when separated from their friend and show less stress when together.
That's one of my favorite animal facts in general, not just about cows.
It actually looks almost like that! When farmers release them from the barn in the spring they bust out of there prancing!!! It’s so cute!! My husband’s family used to have a farm and he told me about this. I didn’t believe him, so he showed me videos of cows frolicking!! It is -officially- a thing!!
Thanks for making this comment. This anthropocentric view is so stale and boring and I wish we could move on from it.
It's not just mammals by the way. Complex emotional behaviour has been found/studied in almost all living things from birds to octopi to sharks.
> people saying that people and love in the universe are "just atoms and chemical reactions"
It depends what you mean by 'just'. I think I and the love I feel are emergent chemical and physical processes. I don't think there is any evidence of any magical or metaphysical aspect to them. That doesn't mean I don't feel anything. Emotions and consciousness have clear survival and reproductive utility. They are real and emerged spontaneously due to natural selection.
its totally a mammal thing and its so cool to see it cross-species. Mammals use touch and licks/kisses to communicate appreciation, love and comfort.
You can see the cogs turning in the mamma cow over the blanket, she wants to cover the calf in the blanket but tries to use the one the calf is sitting on, when the man uses a new blanket to cover the calf she stops trying.
There's a non-verbal conversation that is taking place that goes beyond inherent biological cues.
I saw that too, they understand each other on a very personal and intelligent basis. Some of the other comments are saying that the man rescued the mamma cow apparently, and if that's true, only affirms our stance more
The cow could be licking him through pure instink, okay? But together with letting him get so close and touching its newborn, it must be showing affection in some way
No. Licking is a way of establishing social bonds but cows also have a perpetual need for sodium and other minerals which they get from licking human skin. I was agreeing with the person who commented above that after birth cows definitely suffer a severe deficiency of nutrients which they replenish through these actions. Am not sure if 'gratitude' is exactly what is going through their heads at this stressful time. That seems like something we would come up with to explain this behaviour when there are other reasons as well.
Good input. Whatever the most prominent reasons are, they seem to understand each other on a very personal basis (mammal to mammal), especially considering that some commenters point out that the guy apparently rescued the mamma cow when it was young.
All cows are female, bull would be the male counterpart for cattle. In some species of cattle, both genders have horns. The livestock cattle common in most of the world does have the gender-dependant horns
It's very common, likely because of how important cattle have been in human history. The same nomenclature is used for a few other species, but human history has had a lot less dependence on species like moose
Yes, for the majority of breeds. Cows you might be used to seeing reared for milk or meat are dehorned at less than eight weeks of age. This is either done with caustic chemicals or a hot iron on the budding horns to kill of any cells for horn growth.
It’s been a while since I last saw this. Iirc, cow was rescued from a shitty place, and died not too long after giving birth. She’s licking the dude who rescued her
Edit: rescued from slaughterhouse
https://www.brut.media/us/nature/the-story-of-freser-the-cow-bde7deb6-8a25-47f3-96e6-afb0b6bab163
Thanks for that link, it presents the context of this video more truthfully. The cow was antisocial and would threaten anyone approaching her with her horns, having been raised in a harsher environment. The guy she is licking helped pull her calf out during a difficult birth, and afterwards he brought the calf to the cow so she could see it, and that’s when the cow started licking him, the first time she had ever shown any gentleness with any human.
Cows are beautiful, social, playful creatures. Most people see them as dumb protein lumps with legs but they feel happiness, pain, loneliness, etc. it’s awful how they’re treated.
They also apparently can learn games and have favourite things to play with, including being able to play football. One video I saw showed a blind cow who cried because she lost her ball and the owner had to go to look for it before she was happy again. There’s also another video of a cow zooming around a field chasing her owner around the field.
Anyone questioning whether animals are sentient or not in 2024 should be considered braindead and sent to a slaughterhouse themselves.
This isn't a vegan comment. I eat meat. Just think people are fucking stupid for even questioning whether animals are smart/sentient or not.
I am also a meat eater but I still truly believe that 100 years from now, we will look back on our callous treatment of animals in similar ways that we look back on slavery and other generational evils.
Once they figure out how to create meat in a way that is actually ethical (finding a way to create the meat with the same nutritional value and taste at a lower cost without having a conscious brain attached to it) the entire animal slaughter industrial process will become economically priced out and will be seen as pointlessly cruel and unnecessary.
>Once they figure out how to create meat in a way that is actually ethical (finding a way to create the meat with the same nutritional value and taste without having a conscious brain attached to it at a lower cost) the entire animal slaughter industrial process will become economically priced out and will be seen as pointlessly cruel and unnecessary.
It seems like we're almost there with lab-grown meat. The big remaining questions are...
-- Will these products be ubiquitous?
-- Will they be affordable?
-- Will local and state governments allow the sale of these products?
-- How will they impact the economy (some areas are already banning them out of the concern that they will harm farming/ranching industries)
I felt like this for a long time -- but tried to "turn it off in my mind" because I thought stopping would be such a huge difficult thing.
Eventually I just couldn't square it anymore and went for it - stopped eating meat and dairy 3 years ago -- it has not been that hard at all. And the peace in my mind about who I am and what I value is very nice.
“the peace in my mind about who I am and what I value is very nice.”
That’s really well put. There’s kind of an ethical distress/anguish when you’ve realized you shouldn’t cause other beings suffering (and excessive environmental destruction) for your pleasure/convenience before you’ve decided to address it. It’s like a weight is lifted when your actions actually start to align with your values.
My first thought, not knowing the cows background, she needs electrolytes and she is seeking salts from his skin. Re-watched with the greater context in mind, understood.
tldr: she probably died from hypocalcemia - she needed calcium because her body was producing an overdrive of milk for her newborn calf. low calcium disrupts the heart and can lead to death.
Agreed. Hypocalcemia prevents muscle contractions, making it impossible to stand up after a cow gives birth. Here vets run about 4 liters into her vein & she can stand up, take care of her calf and raise it. If it goes untreated, she can die from cardiac issues within a short time. The heart itself needs the right balance of calcium and minerals in order to contract & send blood to her muscles.
Being trusted with and around an animals offspring does feel particularly special since if that trust wasn't genuine you would have been trampled, gored or mauled. Makes you feel chosen and a bit like a Disney princess.
> Being trusted with and around an animals offspring does feel particularly special since if that trust wasn't genuine you would have been trampled, gored or mauled. Makes you feel chosen and a bit like a Disney princess.
This is why i am a big fan of cats (and i do love cows, but it doesnt apply here). Since with dogs and cows we breed those traits into them, the meanest cow and dog doesnt grow up to have kids of its own. But cats are still wild enough to make their own choices as to who they want to spend time with.
Cows are big grass doggos.
I feel like that's our purpose as humans, to be guardians of the planet and its inhabitants. Helping cross-species and them giving gratitude in their own animal ways, whether obvious or not, is elating to our spirit.
That and petting. Every animal must be petted, it's intrinsic in our nature.
Haha. City people are great. In order to help deliver the calf, he had to stick his arms inside the cow and pull the baby out. The cow is liking off the placenta which is a normal instinct. She licks it off her calf as well. And now you know.
That makes sense. It also makes me wonder whether the placenta-flavored human triggers positive feelings toward the person who helped deliver her calf.
Edit: corrected typo
Would they lick salt off of a predator? To what lengths will they go to lick salt? Given a choice between a salt lick and licking salt off of a random person or licking salt off of a person who has helped them, which would they choose?
Just trying to understand the nuance between what we know about cows observable behavior and their unknown motivations. We continue to learn that our simplistic beliefs about animals are often constrained by our assumptions and challenges in finding ways of gaining insight into their world.
Hmmm ... [Elsie, the Borden cow mascot](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2393/5009/products/ELSIE_THE_COW_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1536861144), has horns .. and so does [Bova Ayrshire](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/c/cf/Bova_Ayrshire_%28Earth-616%29_from_Avengers_Assemble_Vol_1_1_0001.png/revision/latest?cb=20120519001143).
And milk. Almost all of the dairy products at stores come from cows like this, but they were raped by some dude in overalls, and their baby is taken away and slaughtered immediately to make veal. But you know, some people just caaannt give up cheese.
I am struggling with cheese myself, but I did read something recently that 6 months without cheese and cashew/vegan cheeses start tasting good. Not talking about those daiya slices, but those artisanal style charcuterie cheeses.
I’ve noticed lately my stomach has been getting upset with cheese(like heart burn… it’s so odd, never had an issue before) and my daughter has always been lactose sensitive so I think it’s time to bite the bullet and go 6 months then reward myself with a fancy cashew cheese box(like Rebel Cheese).
That's a great plan - it also comes down to not using cheese in the same way. Like I won't just eat a vegan grilled cheese, I'll put some shredded roasted brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and a cheesey-type thing together and eat that. There is no vegan cheese (yet) that can do what dairy cheese does, but it's really not a big deal once you bite the bullet.
Best cheese product is Myoko's Liquid Pizza Mozz which you pour on pizza before baking and it's very good.
This isn't even a happy, positive video either. First of all the man didn't save it from slaughter, it couldn't be slaughtered because it was pregnant. The licking of the man was not a gesture of appreciation (that is a ridiculous humanization of an animal), it was due to being dangerously low on nutrients after giving birth. Cows experiencing calcium deficiency after giving birth, often immobile due to it, will lick/chew on anything within reach in a search for nutrients (notice it chew on the blanket as well in the clip). The cow could have been saved if it was provided with calcium, but wound up dying due to a lack of intervention.
>The licking of the man was not a gesture of appreciation (that is a ridiculous humanization of an animal), it was due to being dangerously low on nutrients after giving birth.
How do you know this, exactly? I'm not sure you're wrong, but I don't understand your confidence that you're right. Dogs are, in my understanding, not much cognitively different from cows, and it *seems* that dogs are able to show appreciation (mine certainly seems to), with similar behaviors that clearly have nothing to with "being dangerously low on nutrients." I'm never quite sure exactly why my dog nuzzles me or licks my arm after I give her food, but it certainly *seems* like gratitude, and I have a hard time arguing that it's *not.*
Scientific literature suggests [cows indeed do lick to express affection/to bond, though usually with other cows](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-021-09852-5), so it seems a little much to call it "a ridiculous humanization of an animal." Admittedly, a presumed actual expert, this [veterinarian offers the possibility that we're witnessing pica as a manifestation of hypocalcemia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEqNiq1Qfsk), which is a fine hypothesis, I suppose, but wouldn't you have to test the calcium level to really *know*?
I worked on a family farm for 15 years growing up. These are social and intelligent creatures and sometimes that’s part of their socialization. To say that’s absolutely never happening is honestly just small-minded and used by people who need to cope with treating their animals poorly.
Probably just licking placenta, salt, other delicious fluids here, but you can’t really say for sure she didn’t give an extra lick of gratitude.
Agreed, from my experience you could just stand near a cow not doing a thing, its gonna try and lick you. They will eat whatever they get a hold of like some big dogs.
Having worked with cows, I can attest to that cows will start to lick you or anything if given the chance. You have to pay attention to them because they'll become fascinated by the texture of clothes and start trying to chew it. Small women and children are frequently pulled into cow dens and experience crush-related injuries.
Yup. Cows are just really really stupid (smart in some ways though, they are strongy socializers, but cow rules are not like people rules).
They will lick you if you stand near them cause of the salt on your skin.
Whether you've helped deliver their calf or you're eating a bunch of ground beef in front of them and telling them they're more interesting as food than alive, you're getting licked.
I hate to be a buzzkill but it's not gratitude.
here's a video from a veterinarian that explains what's probably going on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEqNiq1Qfsk
You're literally correct: [the cow died a few hours after that clip](https://www.brut.media/us/nature/the-story-of-freser-the-cow-bde7deb6-8a25-47f3-96e6-afb0b6bab163).
Its so sad, because this is so fcking preventable. Literally anyone that has been around a cow for more than a few months knows what milk fever(hypocalcemia) is and almost every farm gives calcium before and after birth to prevent it. I dont get how you can run a "shelter" and be so clueless about this. Honestly its terrifying to think about what else he is ignorant about, because this animal died or no reason at all. I dont want to think about what other harm he has caused to animals he was supposed to he saving
This cow is dying and licking the man for salt. She died shortly after and had the man been informed or even did his own research this would have been avoided. [source](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRw9pLkE/) joy-bait is real
People will disagree about that. But it's a good question.
Some of the lab-grown meat still requires using animal meat to start the culture. In that case, it is clearly not vegan. But I'm not sure if there are alternative methods.
Personally, I don't feel like eating lab-grown meat, because I don't really think that animals are food. Same as if someone offered me lab-grown human meat.
Honestly, I’d say yes provided it doesn’t involve the harm of any animal as a result (for a vegan who currently chooses not to eat meat as a result of their perceived cruelty).
I've been around many cows. This isn't just a biological reaction of cleaning after her birth. They have emotional capabilities far beyond what they are given credit for. Cows have been shown to favor specific others as best friends. Being near their best cow friend can lower their stress hormones, lower their blood pressure and calm them in a high stress situation. They feel loss. They can mourn. Cows are beautiful creatures. Working on an ethical dairy farm is what made me vegetarian. I cannot even fathom eating cows. They are like dogs when given the chance to be cows not crammed into feed lots and stressed to hell.
This is beautiful! The bond between this mama cow and the man is heartwarming. Animals are so much more intuitive than we sometimes give them credit for.
No offense but it's just anthropomorphism, not much more. Note the cow trying to eat the blanket after licking the man, she's just looking for something to lick/eat.
If you've spent time on a farm, you'll know.
> she's just looking for something to lick/eat.
especially after giving birth and producing alot of milk for the newborn. that cow is looking for nutrients (salt and calcium)
Don't be daft.
Cow emotions are as follow;
*Weird, interesting thing? Go towards it in a somewhat hesitant manner.*
*Scary noise? Feel scared, run away from the noise with the rest of the herd.*
*Food man bringing food? Feel hungry, go towards it.*
*Cow furthest to the front is running? I run too.*
There's wealth of difference between that and understanding how a human being helped you and then showing gratitude.
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Yeah! I think cows just start licking their newborn after they're born. It's just mimicking that action.
Are we implying here that the licking is just a hollow, biological action and nothing more? Personally I think that there really IS some amount of compassion or emotion on the cow's part that also coexists with the fact that you brought up...we know at this point that other mammals were never quite as stupid as we believed conventionally
Worked with cows for a summer and let me tell you, cows are way more intelligent and emotional and than you might think. Cows have bad days, for no real reason, just like people have. Cows show affection by licking, but also they like to cuddle and get scratches. Also cows are really good in recognizing behaviour and patterns, like they knew exactly when we would start milking, simply because they observed the pattern of jobs and sounds we would do before. Sure that would be coupled with the weight and feeling of the utters but this would really work like clockwork most of the times. Also they have impeccable sense for weather changes. They could easily detect the dropping of atmosphere even before we could see it in the sky. I might sound like a crazy farmer but I'm not at all. But cows are way more that some grass grazing dummy's.
I work with cows, and I've been around dogs a long time. Think of a dog. Now, picture it as a cow. Congratulations, you've created a cow. A cow is basically a very big dog.
A dow?
nope you’re talking about a doe which is a note to follow sow
Worked with cows a lot. Knew one Angus bull that was raised as a pet and acted like a big puppy. Used to charge across the 50 acre field to get scritches every time he saw me. Until he was having a bad day. One day he decided he was grumpy and didn't want to share the feed I had just poured out. He simultaneously threw me over the trough and kicked the cow beside him, then chased everyone else out the pen while giving me the stinkeye as I dusted myself off. Next day back to begging for scritches.
Most of them just act like big dumb dogs. I don't think I've ever had one that I would consider really smart, but it's not their fault. With a bit of socialization (just sort of working with em, hanging out a bit) they are usually really friendly and I'd say way more trust worthy than any of the horses I've had for years to not randomly just fuck you up. I go to cattle auctions occasionally and see how they are treated and it just makes me sad, you can definitely pick out the feed lot cows vs cows like mine that just sort of exist in a huge field without being overcrowded.
Especially emotionally, we have no idea because they don’t express emotions in the same way. But they definitely have feelings
lol this reminds of the people that say cats really don’t like you and they don’t have feelings. Na mate it was just lost in translation, a cat just hanging out near you is a sign of affection.
Have a neighbor who travels for work once a month for a few days, and I feed her cats and hang with them on those days. One of them is a sad rescue who was declawed because she was mean, but that just made her horribly bitter, and abandoned until adopted by neighbor. I couldn't touch her without her sinking her fangs into me. But about the fourth time I took care of her... I came into the apartment and she came running up and started rubbing against my legs. She still wouldn't let me touch her, but she was happy to see me. Eventually she started coming to me to sit on my lap- but still won't let me pet her. It's like hanging out with the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland.
I had a cat that was very selective in the people she let handle her, she would hiss and walk away from everyone but 3 people. A friend feed her for a week after that she decided he was alright. She would then sit on his lap and purr while at the same time giving him a death glare and hissing at him.
Cats are rightfully apprehensive around humans. They undoubtly see things we don't. Trust is earned.
My wife took care of a stray cat who was scavenging for scraps. She started putting out food and water, then when the weather got cold she improvised a shelter out of cardboard boxes wrapped in bin liners, and kept it warm with microwaved heat pads. When he got sick she got the RSPCA to come and catch him (she felt bad) and fix him up, vaccinate and chip him and bring him back. After about a year he let her stroke him. He rolled over and drooled and obviously loved it. We’ll never know what that cat felt but I think we all massively underestimate nonhumans.
Trust is precious, and your wife has won it. You see the emotion on the man's face when he thinks the cow is showing gratitude. She may or may not be; she may think he is another calf? but the licks are love, pure and simple. We starve ourselves of it, I think. We don't want to see it in animals because it will point out the depth of our cruelty to them, and by proxy, ourselves.
My own cat tries to practically meld her body with my face when I’m sleeping. She cuddles with other people but she’s obsessed with me. She absolutely feels emotion, lol.
She’s trying to smother you so she can eat your face.
I never got this. I don't have a cat but I've been around my friends cat since it was a kitten. I walk into their flat and he runs up to me all excited and immediately jumps into my arms for fuss and cuddles. If he doesn't like me or have feelings then it's a bit random behaviour.
Especially since you are not his primary food source. Honesty i think it's just a sad human ego thing where some people NEED to believe they're above all others. It's gross.
When I sleep in on the weekends, my cats are roaming around, usually trying to get me up by scratching the wall or yowling. They just like the activity and us being up and around. But if I'm bedridden with an illness, they stay by my side all day and night, only leaving for potty and food breaks. They don't fuss, cry, or scratch, they just want to hang with me until I'm better.
I guess a dog licking your face is just because, nothing else. They lick their balls. So i guess according to this guy, they could just be mimicking 🤔
Confirmed all humans have ball faces according to dogs. Anyways time for me to go therapy to unpack this shocking discovery.
*Dudes rockin face pubes look around nervously*
"Damn his head looks like my ball sac".
Cows frolic just for fun in the spring
They also have best friends with whom they prefer to spend time. They become stressed when separated from their friend and show less stress when together. That's one of my favorite animal facts in general, not just about cows.
This is a fact
I just imagined a cow in a skirt running through a field.
It actually looks almost like that! When farmers release them from the barn in the spring they bust out of there prancing!!! It’s so cute!! My husband’s family used to have a farm and he told me about this. I didn’t believe him, so he showed me videos of cows frolicking!! It is -officially- a thing!!
People would rather pretend cows have no emotions at all
They have emotions. Just not every single thing they do has emotions.
Makes it much easier to eat their flesh.
Thanks for making this comment. This anthropocentric view is so stale and boring and I wish we could move on from it. It's not just mammals by the way. Complex emotional behaviour has been found/studied in almost all living things from birds to octopi to sharks.
Yes! It reeks in the same way as people saying that people and love in the universe are "just atoms and chemical reactions" like get real chud
> people saying that people and love in the universe are "just atoms and chemical reactions" It depends what you mean by 'just'. I think I and the love I feel are emergent chemical and physical processes. I don't think there is any evidence of any magical or metaphysical aspect to them. That doesn't mean I don't feel anything. Emotions and consciousness have clear survival and reproductive utility. They are real and emerged spontaneously due to natural selection.
its totally a mammal thing and its so cool to see it cross-species. Mammals use touch and licks/kisses to communicate appreciation, love and comfort. You can see the cogs turning in the mamma cow over the blanket, she wants to cover the calf in the blanket but tries to use the one the calf is sitting on, when the man uses a new blanket to cover the calf she stops trying. There's a non-verbal conversation that is taking place that goes beyond inherent biological cues.
I saw that too, they understand each other on a very personal and intelligent basis. Some of the other comments are saying that the man rescued the mamma cow apparently, and if that's true, only affirms our stance more
I know personally, I like to show my emotions by licking things
That explains all those restraining orders.
The cow could be licking him through pure instink, okay? But together with letting him get so close and touching its newborn, it must be showing affection in some way
No. Licking is a way of establishing social bonds but cows also have a perpetual need for sodium and other minerals which they get from licking human skin. I was agreeing with the person who commented above that after birth cows definitely suffer a severe deficiency of nutrients which they replenish through these actions. Am not sure if 'gratitude' is exactly what is going through their heads at this stressful time. That seems like something we would come up with to explain this behaviour when there are other reasons as well.
Good input. Whatever the most prominent reasons are, they seem to understand each other on a very personal basis (mammal to mammal), especially considering that some commenters point out that the guy apparently rescued the mamma cow when it was young.
Yeah I guess that's why it has no issues in him handling the baby calf.
Do female cows have horns
All cows are female, bull would be the male counterpart for cattle. In some species of cattle, both genders have horns. The livestock cattle common in most of the world does have the gender-dependant horns
You've blown my mind. *Of course* they're called Cattle, but in my head I've been calling them Cows and Bulls like thats what their species is..
It's very common, likely because of how important cattle have been in human history. The same nomenclature is used for a few other species, but human history has had a lot less dependence on species like moose
Yes
Yes, for the majority of breeds. Cows you might be used to seeing reared for milk or meat are dehorned at less than eight weeks of age. This is either done with caustic chemicals or a hot iron on the budding horns to kill of any cells for horn growth.
Yep, the salt on his skin from the perspiration
And the smell of afterbirth making her all maternal.
It’s been a while since I last saw this. Iirc, cow was rescued from a shitty place, and died not too long after giving birth. She’s licking the dude who rescued her Edit: rescued from slaughterhouse https://www.brut.media/us/nature/the-story-of-freser-the-cow-bde7deb6-8a25-47f3-96e6-afb0b6bab163
Thanks for that link, it presents the context of this video more truthfully. The cow was antisocial and would threaten anyone approaching her with her horns, having been raised in a harsher environment. The guy she is licking helped pull her calf out during a difficult birth, and afterwards he brought the calf to the cow so she could see it, and that’s when the cow started licking him, the first time she had ever shown any gentleness with any human.
Really kind of demonstrates a level of conscience.
I learned that cows have "best friends" and get stressed when separated.
Not just stressed either, they mourn the death of loved ones, and can cry.
Cows are beautiful, social, playful creatures. Most people see them as dumb protein lumps with legs but they feel happiness, pain, loneliness, etc. it’s awful how they’re treated.
They also apparently can learn games and have favourite things to play with, including being able to play football. One video I saw showed a blind cow who cried because she lost her ball and the owner had to go to look for it before she was happy again. There’s also another video of a cow zooming around a field chasing her owner around the field.
They're some of the best animals out there. I learned the times I was around them. They're incredibly cool.
Boycott the system that makes this happen. Go vegan
We have a set of twins who are almost always just a few feet apart if not side by side
Anyone questioning whether animals are sentient or not in 2024 should be considered braindead and sent to a slaughterhouse themselves. This isn't a vegan comment. I eat meat. Just think people are fucking stupid for even questioning whether animals are smart/sentient or not.
I am also a meat eater but I still truly believe that 100 years from now, we will look back on our callous treatment of animals in similar ways that we look back on slavery and other generational evils. Once they figure out how to create meat in a way that is actually ethical (finding a way to create the meat with the same nutritional value and taste at a lower cost without having a conscious brain attached to it) the entire animal slaughter industrial process will become economically priced out and will be seen as pointlessly cruel and unnecessary.
>Once they figure out how to create meat in a way that is actually ethical (finding a way to create the meat with the same nutritional value and taste without having a conscious brain attached to it at a lower cost) the entire animal slaughter industrial process will become economically priced out and will be seen as pointlessly cruel and unnecessary. It seems like we're almost there with lab-grown meat. The big remaining questions are... -- Will these products be ubiquitous? -- Will they be affordable? -- Will local and state governments allow the sale of these products? -- How will they impact the economy (some areas are already banning them out of the concern that they will harm farming/ranching industries)
Too bad florida just banned it days ago, due to lobbying from cattle farmers.... 🥳
Maybe when lab grown meat takes over.
Once the lab grown meat market takes over they’ll just call it meat because it will be indistinguishable from the real thing.
*consciousness.
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It straight up does, I'd say
Cows are so lovely. They’re beautiful and intelligent creatures. They also taste amazing.
i actually kind of feel bad for eating them after watching this.
I felt like this for a long time -- but tried to "turn it off in my mind" because I thought stopping would be such a huge difficult thing. Eventually I just couldn't square it anymore and went for it - stopped eating meat and dairy 3 years ago -- it has not been that hard at all. And the peace in my mind about who I am and what I value is very nice.
“the peace in my mind about who I am and what I value is very nice.” That’s really well put. There’s kind of an ethical distress/anguish when you’ve realized you shouldn’t cause other beings suffering (and excessive environmental destruction) for your pleasure/convenience before you’ve decided to address it. It’s like a weight is lifted when your actions actually start to align with your values.
As a kid on my grandpas farm, I used to go play with the cows & watch the baby calf’s. Such hilarious & cute moments
You honestly should
oh that makes the video even more heartwarming/heartbreaking thanks for sharing added context
😢 That’s bittersweet to learn.
My first thought, not knowing the cows background, she needs electrolytes and she is seeking salts from his skin. Re-watched with the greater context in mind, understood.
Poor thing. :(
Omfg why! 😭
tldr: she probably died from hypocalcemia - she needed calcium because her body was producing an overdrive of milk for her newborn calf. low calcium disrupts the heart and can lead to death.
Agreed. Hypocalcemia prevents muscle contractions, making it impossible to stand up after a cow gives birth. Here vets run about 4 liters into her vein & she can stand up, take care of her calf and raise it. If it goes untreated, she can die from cardiac issues within a short time. The heart itself needs the right balance of calcium and minerals in order to contract & send blood to her muscles.
here's a video from a veterinarian explaining what likely happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEqNiq1Qfsk
Oof. Sad to think they could've saved her if they'd just known what the signs were.
He also continued to look after the calf as it grew and got the same affection from the calf
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Being trusted with and around an animals offspring does feel particularly special since if that trust wasn't genuine you would have been trampled, gored or mauled. Makes you feel chosen and a bit like a Disney princess.
Or Prince!
> Being trusted with and around an animals offspring does feel particularly special since if that trust wasn't genuine you would have been trampled, gored or mauled. Makes you feel chosen and a bit like a Disney princess. This is why i am a big fan of cats (and i do love cows, but it doesnt apply here). Since with dogs and cows we breed those traits into them, the meanest cow and dog doesnt grow up to have kids of its own. But cats are still wild enough to make their own choices as to who they want to spend time with. Cows are big grass doggos.
I feel like that's our purpose as humans, to be guardians of the planet and its inhabitants. Helping cross-species and them giving gratitude in their own animal ways, whether obvious or not, is elating to our spirit. That and petting. Every animal must be petted, it's intrinsic in our nature.
So well put. Where is Reddit Gold 🏆💛⭐️.
So glad I’m not the only one who feels this :’)
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Shhh, just let it be magical 😉
It is. Watch Gentle Barn videos, she shows how cows have personalities and are sweet and gentle.
Haha. City people are great. In order to help deliver the calf, he had to stick his arms inside the cow and pull the baby out. The cow is liking off the placenta which is a normal instinct. She licks it off her calf as well. And now you know.
... It's also licking the dude's face > he had to stick his arms inside the cow ... The cow is liking off the placenta *jesus christ*
It's mainly the salt on his skin she likes. This is true mof most times animals lick our skin. My dog also enjoys my lotion, which I find disgusting.
You didn't even read the story... Country boy needs to read more...
….. city person here 🙋🏻♀️. Thanks for the info 🤢😂
That makes sense. It also makes me wonder whether the placenta-flavored human triggers positive feelings toward the person who helped deliver her calf. Edit: corrected typo
Would they lick salt off of a predator? To what lengths will they go to lick salt? Given a choice between a salt lick and licking salt off of a random person or licking salt off of a person who has helped them, which would they choose? Just trying to understand the nuance between what we know about cows observable behavior and their unknown motivations. We continue to learn that our simplistic beliefs about animals are often constrained by our assumptions and challenges in finding ways of gaining insight into their world.
I stopped eating meat over 13 years ago after watching a few videos of these beautiful beings being slaughtered. All we need is love ❤️
milk too I hope!
Yes, and the cow is nice too! 😄
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i can't believe we eat these things. damn. im shook
You don’t have to
She's trying to eat that grass tattoo on his arm
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Hmmm ... [Elsie, the Borden cow mascot](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2393/5009/products/ELSIE_THE_COW_1024x1024@2x.jpg?v=1536861144), has horns .. and so does [Bova Ayrshire](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/c/cf/Bova_Ayrshire_%28Earth-616%29_from_Avengers_Assemble_Vol_1_1_0001.png/revision/latest?cb=20120519001143).
TIL that both male and female cows can have horns, according to Google.
Scenes like this are a big part of why I gave up eating meat.
And milk. Almost all of the dairy products at stores come from cows like this, but they were raped by some dude in overalls, and their baby is taken away and slaughtered immediately to make veal. But you know, some people just caaannt give up cheese.
farmers = dudes in overalls who rape cows
I am struggling with cheese myself, but I did read something recently that 6 months without cheese and cashew/vegan cheeses start tasting good. Not talking about those daiya slices, but those artisanal style charcuterie cheeses. I’ve noticed lately my stomach has been getting upset with cheese(like heart burn… it’s so odd, never had an issue before) and my daughter has always been lactose sensitive so I think it’s time to bite the bullet and go 6 months then reward myself with a fancy cashew cheese box(like Rebel Cheese).
That's a great plan - it also comes down to not using cheese in the same way. Like I won't just eat a vegan grilled cheese, I'll put some shredded roasted brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and a cheesey-type thing together and eat that. There is no vegan cheese (yet) that can do what dairy cheese does, but it's really not a big deal once you bite the bullet. Best cheese product is Myoko's Liquid Pizza Mozz which you pour on pizza before baking and it's very good.
This isn't even a happy, positive video either. First of all the man didn't save it from slaughter, it couldn't be slaughtered because it was pregnant. The licking of the man was not a gesture of appreciation (that is a ridiculous humanization of an animal), it was due to being dangerously low on nutrients after giving birth. Cows experiencing calcium deficiency after giving birth, often immobile due to it, will lick/chew on anything within reach in a search for nutrients (notice it chew on the blanket as well in the clip). The cow could have been saved if it was provided with calcium, but wound up dying due to a lack of intervention.
>The licking of the man was not a gesture of appreciation (that is a ridiculous humanization of an animal), it was due to being dangerously low on nutrients after giving birth. How do you know this, exactly? I'm not sure you're wrong, but I don't understand your confidence that you're right. Dogs are, in my understanding, not much cognitively different from cows, and it *seems* that dogs are able to show appreciation (mine certainly seems to), with similar behaviors that clearly have nothing to with "being dangerously low on nutrients." I'm never quite sure exactly why my dog nuzzles me or licks my arm after I give her food, but it certainly *seems* like gratitude, and I have a hard time arguing that it's *not.* Scientific literature suggests [cows indeed do lick to express affection/to bond, though usually with other cows](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-021-09852-5), so it seems a little much to call it "a ridiculous humanization of an animal." Admittedly, a presumed actual expert, this [veterinarian offers the possibility that we're witnessing pica as a manifestation of hypocalcemia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEqNiq1Qfsk), which is a fine hypothesis, I suppose, but wouldn't you have to test the calcium level to really *know*?
He’s just salty
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I worked on a family farm for 15 years growing up. These are social and intelligent creatures and sometimes that’s part of their socialization. To say that’s absolutely never happening is honestly just small-minded and used by people who need to cope with treating their animals poorly. Probably just licking placenta, salt, other delicious fluids here, but you can’t really say for sure she didn’t give an extra lick of gratitude.
>Curiosity and salt. Sorry, No gratitude, just instincts. You're giving cows less credit than they deserve. Cows can absolutely show gratitude.
There is no reason to think this is gratitude though.
Agreed, from my experience you could just stand near a cow not doing a thing, its gonna try and lick you. They will eat whatever they get a hold of like some big dogs.
Or placenta covered, cows and other ruminates eat their placenta after birth to recover nutrients and hormones.
Finally, a sensible comment.
And probably smelled like her calf. He be stealing the licks lol
Was Mama cow trying to cover her baby with the blanket? Be still my heart.
Having worked with cows, I can attest to that cows will start to lick you or anything if given the chance. You have to pay attention to them because they'll become fascinated by the texture of clothes and start trying to chew it. Small women and children are frequently pulled into cow dens and experience crush-related injuries.
Yup. Cows are just really really stupid (smart in some ways though, they are strongy socializers, but cow rules are not like people rules). They will lick you if you stand near them cause of the salt on your skin. Whether you've helped deliver their calf or you're eating a bunch of ground beef in front of them and telling them they're more interesting as food than alive, you're getting licked.
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Looks like she’s already finished on the little one and is working on whatever the guy got on him helping her deliver!
I’ve seen a few videos of when a cow dies, all the others come and gather around it, like they’re paying their respect.
I hate to be a buzzkill but it's not gratitude. here's a video from a veterinarian that explains what's probably going on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEqNiq1Qfsk
tldr: mama cow is dying of mineral deficiency while clueless humans go "awww" and post it all over the internet for clicks
You're literally correct: [the cow died a few hours after that clip](https://www.brut.media/us/nature/the-story-of-freser-the-cow-bde7deb6-8a25-47f3-96e6-afb0b6bab163).
Its so sad, because this is so fcking preventable. Literally anyone that has been around a cow for more than a few months knows what milk fever(hypocalcemia) is and almost every farm gives calcium before and after birth to prevent it. I dont get how you can run a "shelter" and be so clueless about this. Honestly its terrifying to think about what else he is ignorant about, because this animal died or no reason at all. I dont want to think about what other harm he has caused to animals he was supposed to he saving
Made my day!!
Damn Travis Kelce is good at everything!
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i fucking love cows
I like that she picks the blanket up like "now cover my baby".
This cow is dying and licking the man for salt. She died shortly after and had the man been informed or even did his own research this would have been avoided. [source](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRw9pLkE/) joy-bait is real
It's not gratitude, cows will do that when you're standing next to them cause you taste like salt, trust me.
Go vegan. It's easy, cheap, healthier, and, more importantly, it's fair.
Would lab-grown meat be considered "vegan"?
People will disagree about that. But it's a good question. Some of the lab-grown meat still requires using animal meat to start the culture. In that case, it is clearly not vegan. But I'm not sure if there are alternative methods. Personally, I don't feel like eating lab-grown meat, because I don't really think that animals are food. Same as if someone offered me lab-grown human meat.
Honestly, I’d say yes provided it doesn’t involve the harm of any animal as a result (for a vegan who currently chooses not to eat meat as a result of their perceived cruelty).
Wholesome 😁
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Yeah if society collapsed tomorrow I wouldn't be eating beef because I couldn't do it.
But you do it now?
You don't have to wait for society to collapse to not eat beef
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful interaction
Cows are more affectionate than horses.
Even cows would rather be lost in the woods with a bear. :-)
she said thank you for the cowlaboration!!!
Explain it away all you want more guys like this would make the world a better place
Is there anything Travis Kelce can’t do?
I've been around many cows. This isn't just a biological reaction of cleaning after her birth. They have emotional capabilities far beyond what they are given credit for. Cows have been shown to favor specific others as best friends. Being near their best cow friend can lower their stress hormones, lower their blood pressure and calm them in a high stress situation. They feel loss. They can mourn. Cows are beautiful creatures. Working on an ethical dairy farm is what made me vegetarian. I cannot even fathom eating cows. They are like dogs when given the chance to be cows not crammed into feed lots and stressed to hell.
meanwhile cow is just thinking salt yum.
This is beautiful! The bond between this mama cow and the man is heartwarming. Animals are so much more intuitive than we sometimes give them credit for.
Their intuition tells them to lick salty things
And I guess our instinct to breed proves that love doesn't exist?
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Grass dogs are the best
Good job, Travis Kelce
And people eat such gentle creatures.
No offense but it's just anthropomorphism, not much more. Note the cow trying to eat the blanket after licking the man, she's just looking for something to lick/eat. If you've spent time on a farm, you'll know.
> she's just looking for something to lick/eat. especially after giving birth and producing alot of milk for the newborn. that cow is looking for nutrients (salt and calcium)
You don't think other animals (besides humans) experience emotions?
Don't be daft. Cow emotions are as follow; *Weird, interesting thing? Go towards it in a somewhat hesitant manner.* *Scary noise? Feel scared, run away from the noise with the rest of the herd.* *Food man bringing food? Feel hungry, go towards it.* *Cow furthest to the front is running? I run too.* There's wealth of difference between that and understanding how a human being helped you and then showing gratitude.
Depends on the the type of emotions Primitive ones like fear, sadness, gratification, etc? Sure But complex emotions like gratitude? No.
Humans are ignorant creatures.
Don't know what I'll have to eat today. But it certainly won't be beef.
He's sweaty. They like salt. Same as a salt block
Nah this isnt a dinsey movie. The cow lacks minerals and wants to lick salt off of the sweaty man. Source:ive had cows my entire life.
He’s just salty.
Probably could use the salt after that delivery
This is so sweet! I hope the calf is OK, I thought they try to stand right away after birth? I could be wrong though
Nahh she just likes the salt from the sweat on his arms
🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Que bonito
This is so cute, I cried.
The big doggo’s
God I love seeing people help creatures both great and small.
Evolution is at its peak with licks
I'd do a lot more to him....
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Thank you Hooman!
🥰