Please help! Where can I pet a cow?
Nov 6, 2017, 7:05 AM
Kayla Romero pets Rosie the Cow at Farrel-McWhirter Farm. (Courtesy of Kayla Romero)
(Courtesy of Kayla Romero)
When Kayla Romero moved to Seattle from Alaska, there was only one concern she had — where to find a cow. Luckily, Seattle’s Reddit came to the rescue.
“Alaska is pretty limited in options for just about anything to do,” Romero said. “Finding cows there was hard and I usually could only see them once a year at the state fair. I know the Seattle area is pretty unique in what it offers so I thought it would be best to ask the locals since locals always know what is best.”
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Romero likes to volunteer with animals. She wanted to work with them in her new city. While she has worked with dog rescues in the past, she has always been “obsessed” with cows.
“I have a few rare diseases that affect my ability to stand and use my hands so I can’t really do anything that involves physical labor,” Romero said. “I’ve previously done small dog rescues, which isn’t too strenuous, but working with farm animals is another ballgame. I’d love to be able to get closer to the cows, but I can’t really volunteer in a typical fashion.”
“I’ve been obsessed with cows for a long time and often find I am the oldest and most excited in the kid petting zoos,” she said. “There are few things that make me happier than petting a cow. I love all animals, but I think that cows are really under appreciated. They’re beautiful creatures and are comparable to dogs in so many ways. They’re also really intelligent and love attention. Every single cow has been different than the last and they each have their own unique personalities, but they have all been very sweet. I haven’t met a cow so far that hasn’t enjoyed being loved on.”
Mission cow: Reddit to the rescue
It started with a Reddit post — an online forum. Romero posted a question to the Seattle community, asking where she can pet a cow.
“I was really shocked, to be honest. I always hesitate when posting on Reddit because, well, it’s Reddit and it’s a mixed bag,” she said. “But the majority of people were so helpful and the responses were really awesome. It was amazing.”
Reddit forums can be risky and are often are filled with tense back-and-forth “discussions.” But Romero’s stood out from the politically-charged posts or countless photos of sunsets. It didn’t take long for Seattle to weigh in. She got a lot of recommendations for farms in the region, mostly for Kelsey Creek Farm in Bellevue and Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park in Redmond.
“They’re over on the Eastside, but are pretty much in neighborhood areas which was great,” Romero said. “Kelsey Creek Farm was my first stop, but I was only able to pet a goat. The cows were busy eating and the fence didn’t really allow for petting anyways.”
“But Farrel-McWhirter Farm was all about petting the animals and it was apparent how friendly the animals were,” she said. “The goats, in particular, would run up and beg for attention. They also have a wide range of animals and events for kids.”
And that’s when it happened — Romero met Rosie.
“Rosie was in an enclosure with a few other animals and she was hesitant at first and kept her distance,” Romero said. “I had to coax her for about 15 minutes before she finally came over to me. She immediately started rubbing her head on my hands and was loving every pet. When I would lift my hands she’d notice and then back up so I could get a better angle. It was adorable and she let me pet her for almost an hour.”
Mission accomplished.
Romero soon posted of her success in a new Reddit thread — a photo of her and Rosie.
“My favorite comments were those where people shared their own experiences with cows,” Romero said. “There were so many recommended places and different ways to see cows. I’m going to do them all!”
