Cattle prefer the company of women over men, a new US scientific study has found.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
The study, titled 'Cow Cuddling: Cognitive Considerations in Bovine-Assisted Therapy', showed that cows who were rubbed or held as therapy animals showed a strong preference for interactions with female patients.
New York University clinical assistant professor Dr Katherine Compitus and United States Military Academy West Point associate professor Dr Sonya Bierbower conducted the research using the human-animal interaction scale (HAIS) as a measurement tool.
The HAIS system described and quantified behaviours performed by humans and cattle while they were interacting.
It looked at activities such as whether or not the cattle licked the humans, rubbed off them, laid down in their company, and for how long.
Dr Compitus said her results showed that steers showed a strong preference for interactions with women compared to men.
"In turn, the women reported stronger attachment behaviours towards the steers," she said.
"It is unclear without further testing whether the animals sought out the attention of women in general or if the women were more likely to initiate the actions when compared to the men participants.
"This is exciting in that it opens up a new area on whether some therapies may be initially stronger based upon gender and not procedure."
The scientists also found that study cattle which were comfortable with human presence proved to have less stress.
In contrast, cattle unused to human interaction and presence would be more likely to bellow and be agitated.
Dr Compituis said stress signs in cattle included an increase in vocalisations, a higher heart rate, and higher cortisol levels, ears pinned to the head and the whites of the eyes may show more prominently.
These stress signals were reversed when the cattle were returned to a social group and these changes happened more significantly when the cattle recognised the members of that group.
The study was published in the Human-Animal Interactions journal and also looked at the benefit of contact with cattle for humans.
