Research reveals that cows have rich emotional lives, form strong social bonds, and are far more cognitively complex than commonly assumed.
Growing scientific research reveals cows as emotionally complex, socially intelligent animals whose inner lives have been vastly underestimated. They experience positive emotions like excitement and curiosity, and negative emotions like fear and grief. They form lasting friendships and mourn the death of companions. This research has profound implications for how we should regard their use in agriculture, where separation, slaughter of companions, and restricted movement are routine. Understanding cow cognition provides motivation for urgently improving their welfare conditions.