Cowism
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  • Noble Cow
    • Cow Separated From Owner - Goes On Hunger Strike
    • A Motherless Child - Finds A Mother
    • Flood Heroine - Now A Pampered Princess
    • Science of Subtle, Non-Verbal Communication
    • Brazilian Cow Braves Crocodile Field
    • The Bull Star - Busier Than Bollywood Heroes
    • Secret of India’s Street Roaming Cows
    • Beat Stress, Rent A Cow
    • ‘Sweet’ Memories of World War II
    • Cows Turn Pastureland Into Useful Food
    • Fresh Grass to Fresh Milk: A Life Giving Miracle
    • Basava - An Oracle Ox
    • We Are A Family
    • Bovine Buddies
    • Brave Act: 70-year-old Fights off Tiger To Rescue Cow
    • The Emotional Depth of A Cow
    • Holy Cow That Received Enlightenment
    • Last Frontiers of Inhumanity
    • For The Crime of Taking A Walk
    • The Funniest, Happiest Cow that Ever Lived
    • Yvonne - The World Famous Runaway Cow
    • Until The Cows Come Home
    • “Help! My Cow Speaks Cantonese!”
    • Reuniting Mother And Baby
    • Cow That Helped World War II Prisoners Escape
    • Humble Ox
    • A Day With Krishna’s Cows In Vraja
    • A Good Life Makes For Happy Cows
    • When Friends Just Stand By
    • Passing Away
    • Where Are The Boy Cows?
    • I'm Sorry, What Was Your Name Again?
  • Cow And Humanity
    • Cow Is Complete Ecology
    • Cow: An Engine Of Progress And Prosperity
    • Cow: A Life Form For All-round Good Of The World​
  • Cows Are Cool
    • The Old Man And The Cow - An Extraordinary Friendship
    • A Mean Leopard : Moo-ved By The Love of A Cow
    • Ways To Cool Down An Angry Bull
    • Looking Beyond Their Exterior
    • Motherly Licks That Saved A Life
    • Brainy Bovines
    • Cows Don’t Want to Die
    • Emily the Cow Who Saved Herself
    • Cows Never Forget A Place or a Face
    • Wooden Cow Moo-ves Hearts
    • The Social Lives of Cows
    • Canada Owes A Lot To This Cow
    • Gentle Giants
    • Cows To Reform Prisoners In Indian Jails
    • Cows Grieve
    • She Liked To Listen To Your Story
    • The Brave Russian Bull
    • Cows Are Intensely Emotional
    • Cow Feeds Baby Goats
    • Some Facts About Cows!
    • This One Is ‘Paan’ Fanatic!
    • Kids And Cows - In Ancient India
    • Cows Love This 8 Years Old Girl
    • Study : Cows Excel At Selecting Leaders
    • Bulls - An Observation
    • An Old Cow Tugs At Millions of Heartstrings
    • Cow’s Cradle
    • Sweet Music for Milking
    • Happy Cows, Happy Society
    • Holy Cow! De-stressing Is So Simple
    • The Path of Prosperity - Little Girl Has Better Idea
    • Cows - Fussy About Cleanliness
    • Cows Moo With A Regional Accent
    • Canny Cows
    • The ‘Gentle’ Bessie
    • 14 Cows For America
    • Ganga’s Story
    • Cows Form Cliques!
    • Cowlick - The Way To Give ‘Solace’
    • Story of Sadie - The Face of Modern Dairy Industry
    • Cows Have Strange Sixth Sense
    • Cows Are Precious
    • Ignorance - A Prerequisite of The Standard Western Diet
    • Inseparable Friends - A Calf And A Goat
    • What Do Cows Drink? - A Riddle
    • Suddenly in Fashion - Farming and Cows
    • Cow Fashion Show
    • This One Was My Bodyguard
    • Appendix
  • To Kill Cow
    • Section I : Life Is Sacred >
      • Animals Have A Soul
      • Mother And Child - A Story
      • Religious Philosophy And Attitude Towards Animals
      • Hunter And The Sage
      • Legalized Terrorism - Animal Abuse And Killing
    • Section II : Why Do Indians Consider Cow As Sacred? >
      • Sacred Cow - A Dumb Indian Idea?
      • Cow Gives And Gives And Gives
      • Humanity Owes Milk Debt To Cows
      • Cow - The Provider of All Human Necessities
      • Cow - A Symbol of Innocence, Purity And Magnanimity
      • To Further The Cause of Cow Protection
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COWS ARE COOL: LOVE ‘EM!

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4.
Looking Beyond Their Exterior

        When you see cows standing in the pasture blandly chewing some dreary bit of grass and staring into the middle distance, you’d never guess what lies beneath that placid exterior.
        A cow contentedly chewing her cud may look like she doesn’t have a care in the world, but there’s a lot going on behind those big brown eyes. Cows are as diverse as cats, dogs, and people: Some are bright; others are slow learners. Some are bold and adventurous; others are shy and timid. Some are friendly and considerate; others are bossy and devious. According to organic farmer Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Lives of Cows, cows “can be highly intelligent, moderately so, or slow to understand; friendly, considerate, aggressive, docile, inventive, dull, proud, or shy.”
        According to recent research, in addition to having distinct personalities, cows are generally very intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that cows interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time, sometimes holding grudges against cows or man who treat them badly, forming social hierarchies within their herds, and choosing leaders based upon intelligence. They are emotionally complex as well and even have the capacity to worry about the future.
        For meat eaters, once they were a byword for mindless docility. But modern research is finding out that cows have a complex mental life. Of course, even a child in traditional cultures knew this all along.
        Like all other living beings, cows are capable of strong emotions such as pain, fear and even anxiety about the future. But if farmers provide the right conditions, they can also feel great happiness.
        They are reconsidering the welfare laws because they are finding cows so emotionally similar to humans.
        Christine Nicol, professor of animal welfare at Britain’s Bristol University, says even chickens might have to be treated as individuals with needs and problems. She says, “Remarkable cognitive abilities and cultural innovations have been revealed. Our challenge is to teach others that every animal we intend to eat or use is a complex individual, and to adjust our farming culture accordingly.”
        Her colleague John Webster adds: “People have assumed intelligence is linked to the ability to suffer, and that because animals have smaller brains they suffer less than humans. That is a pathetic piece of logic.”
        The Bristol researchers have documented how cows within a herd form friendship groups of between two and four animals with whom they spend most of their time, often grooming and licking each other. They will also dislike other cows, and can bear grudges for months or years.
        The assumption that farm animals cannot suffer from conditions that would be intolerable for humans is partly based on the idea they have no sense of self. Latest research refutes this nonsensical idea. Sentient animals have the capacity to experience pleasure and are motivated to seek it.
        Prof. Webster adds, “You only have to watch how cows and lambs both seek and enjoy pleasure when they lie with their heads raised to the sun on a perfect English summer’s day. Just like humans.”

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This is very essential to keep cows very comfortably. If they feel comfortable, then you get the most nourishing food, milk. We are practically seeing in our New Vrindaban center, because the cow are feeling secure in our custody, they’re delivering milk up to the eighty pounds daily. You’ll be surprised.
        ~Srila Prabhupada (Lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19, Hawaii, January 15, 1974)