Agritourism Trend Watch: Animal Cuddling

Animal cuddling has captured visitor attention in recent years (Jęczmyk et al., 2021).  A BBC (2020) article poses the question of whether cow cuddling is the latest wellness trend before exploring its Dutch roots.  The benefits of interacting with animals are well-documented and include stress relief and mood improvement. Animals typically classified as therapy animals include dogs, cats, and horses, but research by Compitus, K., & Bierbower (2024) has also found that cows provide similar benefits.

Animal cuddling offers agritourism operations the opportunity to offer a more personal and lower-stress experience between animals and visitors than a traditional petting zoo experience.  Some agritourism operators offering goat yoga may already be familiar with the benefits and opportunities that animal cuddling offers.

Visitors attracted to animal cuddling are varied.  The appeal to children is clear, but adults are also contributing to this growing trend.  Whether for a birthday experience, relaxation, stress or anxiety reduction, to connect with nature, ease loneliness, re-live childhood, or just a unique experience, people’s reasons offer agritourism farms opportunities to create multiple types of cuddling experiences.

If you are considering offering animal cuddling experiences, first consider the following:

• What animals will you offer cuddling sessions with? A quick online search shows farms offering cow, goat, pony, rabbit, poultry, and piglet cuddling.  One farm even offered a “barnyard mix” session.  Some farmers offer animal cuddling only in the spring to introduce baby animals like calves, lambs, and piglets to their visitors.  Whatever your choice, try to only use animals that are calm and receptive to human interaction.
• Where to offer the experience? When planning the space for animal cuddling, simplicity and functionality are key.  A section of a barn can easily be repurposed for cuddling sessions by installing a gate or partition to create a defined area for interactions.  This setup allows for easy supervision and ensures the animals have a familiar environment.  For a mobile option, some operators have converted buses or trailers into traveling animal cuddling spaces, bringing the experience directly to customers at events or private gatherings.  Mobile units can be equipped with soft flooring and secure enclosures to ensure the safety of both animals and participants.  Be sure to check with the appropriate regulatory offices to be sure that you can take farm animals to various locations.  For instance, some municipalities may restrict the number of animals or the mode of transport used.  Whether stationary or mobile, the space should prioritize the well-being of the animals while providing a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.
• How can you prioritize a safe experience? Close interactions between humans and animals can pose a risk of zoonotic disease transmission.  Notable pathogens include Salmonella, Cryptosporidia, Listeria, and E. coli O157:H7, also referred to as Shiga toxin-producing or pathogenic E. coli.  Offer handwashing stations and hand sanitizers close to encounters.  Other tips include providing shoe coverings for visitors to wear over their shoes while in animal enclosures to minimize the risk of disease transmission and encouraging visitors to wash clothes and shoes following their visit. To learn more, refer to Penn State Extension's guide on reducing E. coli infections in people.
• How many people will you accommodate during a session? Again, the purpose of the cuddling session will help determine session participant numbers. A children’s birthday party experience is likely to need to accommodate more people than an experience intended to provide stress relief to busy professionals.  Also, be aware that greater numbers of people and animals involved in a cuddling session increase the risk of animal anxiety and may lessen the relaxation or stress reduction benefit for visitors.
• Who can participate? Many farms set a minimum age for visitors allowed to participate in animal cuddling.  If you want to include children, consider requiring an adult to also participate for supervisory reasons.  Also, consider signs or waivers informing visitors of the potential for zoonotic diseases and warning that young children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at greater risk.
• How long will sessions be? Session lengths can vary depending on the visitor and purpose, but farms already offering cuddling appear to favor 30, 45, or 60 minutes. The length of time usually increases with an increase in session participants.  You can also offer a variety of cuddling packages of different lengths to appeal to different interest levels.
• What should you charge? Start by evaluating the costs associated with maintaining the animals, including their care, feeding, and any additional staffing required to supervise sessions. Research local market rates for similar experiences to establish a competitive baseline.  Pricing can vary based on the type of animal, session length, and group size.  A 30-minute private cow cuddling session might be priced higher than a group session with smaller animals like rabbits or pigs.  For example, we found prices for a cow cuddling session for two participants for 30 minutes for $80, while a pig cuddling session costs $60.   Additionally, consider offering tiered pricing packages, such as discounts for families, longer sessions, or bundled experiences together with farm tours.  Be transparent about what the price includes – such as time with the animals, guided interactions, or photo opportunities – to set clear expectations and enhance perceived value.
• Have you informed your insurance provider? There are inherent risks associated with interacting with animals.  As with any agritourism activity on your farm, ensure that your insurance provider is aware so that you are not inadvertently invalidating your policy. Specifically for activities that involve animal-human interaction, such as animal cuddling, verify that your insurance policy covers zoonotic disease transmission.  We typically think about claims for physical injuries, but a serious illness could also result in a claim against your agritourism business.
• Are you following relevant laws? Agritourism operators offering experiences involving animals should be familiar with the Animal Welfare Act and its requirements. For more about legal and regulatory issues for Pennsylvania agritourism operations, see this Agritourism in Pennsylvania - Legal and Regulatory Issues.

Lay the groundwork for a safe and enjoyable cuddling experience by setting visitor expectations ahead of time.  Best practices include advising visitors on appropriate clothing and shoes and describing the setting in which the cuddling experience will take place, together with safety instructions and hygiene facilities, such as the availability of handwashing stations.  Sharing video clips of animal cuddling experiences on your website or social media can also help set expectations, especially for visitors with limited or no previous experience with farm animals.

References and Resources

BBC (October 9, 2020). Is cow hugging the world’s new wellness trend?

Compitus, K., & Bierbower, S. M. (2024). Cow cuddling: Cognitive considerations in bovine-assisted therapy. Human-Animal Interactions.

Jęczmyk, A., Uglis, J., & Steppa, R. (2021). Can animals be the key to the development of tourism: A case study of livestock in agritourism. Animals, 11(8), 2357.

Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings. (2023).

National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. SafeAgritourism.org

Acknowledgement: This article reviewed by Megan Leffew, Extension Specialist III, Center for Profitable Agriculture, University of Tennessee