Cows need friends

Interesting research: http://www.care2.com/causes/why-its-so-important-for-cows-to-have-friends.html

Cows need friends, and when deprived of this very basic need, their mental capacity suffers. Animal welfare researcher Charlotte Gaillard of the University of British Columbia set out to shed light on this issue and offer insight into how cows learn, especially during the crucial growing age.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/why-its-so-important-for-cows-to-have-friends.html#ixzz34nkufZh7

Animals can have rich social lives, and their wellbeing depends on how able they are to interact and engage with each other and their environment.

On today’s modern farms, the majority of calves are confined to tiny spaces where they cry out to be reunited with their mothers and siblings.

Cows are not simply machines that can withstand the cruel and abhorrent practices that they are forced to endure. They are living, breathing beings that experience pain and suffering akin to our own, and as this study shows, depriving them of their family and friends is not a humane way to treat them.

At sanctuaries, cows are able to fully express their complex personalities and emotions, and are given the freedom to develop their cognitive abilities on their own terms, as well as make friends and take up company with whoever they might take a fancy too. Remember Sweety and Tricia from Farm Sanctuary - the two blind cows that became best friends after living 350 miles apart? They are the perfect testament as to why it is so important for cows to have friends, not just for learning, but for love.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/why-its-so-important-for-cows-to-have-friends.html#ixzz34nl0v9Bv