THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF COWS

Angel with her best friend Echo

Despite what the industry would like us to know; Cows are emotionally sensitive and complex individuals, with remarkable emotional sensitivity. They are deeply affected by emotional and physical pain such as separation from their mothers, dehorning, isolation, being in line with others for their violent death, set before them.  Cows remember and discriminate humans from one another, display long term memory and show a long range of different temperaments.  

After visiting Angel, a baby calf at a closing dairy farm, -I got to experience first hand just how emotionally complex and smart cows are. Angel was in a small pen barely able to move, isolated from other cows, and cried at me every time I visited her, her eyes would follow me to the car, it was heartbreaking each time I had to leave her there -cold, alone and scared. She spoke to me to get her out, and that I did! The farmer was kind and understanding, it took some prying like four visits, before I was able to purchase her, she was being sold to an auction to become a milk slave.
The farmer grew up raising these animals and just thought that what he was doing wasn’t harmful, he told me all about what they do, and we are still friends oddly enough, to this day. He lets me stop by his farm, he is now a beef farmer. I try to convince him to do a sanctuary, etc. and we talk about our differences. It’s not often I get to see him, like once or twice a year, if even. It’s called cognitive dissonance, and some farmers are able to eventually see it. You just never know!

Angel has since that day, been residing with the lovely Miyoko of (Miyoko’s Creamery) vegan butters and cheeses, at her Sanctuary in the countryside. We have witnessed Angel’s feelings towards us; she always remembers me when I pull up, she comes running and mooing lol. She shows me love and empathy, and she knows I rescued her; she shows boldness; like she’s the head of all the animals, and she truly rules the roost, she’s even got a few best friends, Echo the goose, who never leaves her side, and Angel loves her. Also, Angel and her bullfriend, Louie, show love and affection to each other.

She loves and adores Miyoko and her husband, Mike and their family. She displays moods from that time of the month ;), she thinks she can play with you by jogging along side, and wants all the attention, and rambles up the hill to see Miyoko at her doorway to her house, she refuses to go to bed when it’s time, just like a child or a dog.

Make that connection, the next time you want to take a bite of an animal or their secretions-(milk) -eat nothing that is comparable to us.  All of which are harmful to you, the animals and the planet.

Take the pledge today to work towards going vegan. You’ll be so happy you did!

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