How to Keep a Pet Cow
Most people think of cows as a food source. Unless you've raised a cow, you probably don't know they are intelligent animals and easy to develop a fondness for, and that they become sensitive to their owners like dogs do. Even farmers who raise cows knowing they'll be going to slaughter in a few years sometimes struggle in getting emotionally attached to the animals.
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Instructions
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Decide if the cow you want to keep as a pet is a standard size or one of the miniature sizes that are gaining in popularity. Standard cows run 5 to 6 feet tall and 1,500 pounds (twice that for a bull). The miniatures, which are descendants of Zebu cattle from southern India, are about 33 to 40 inches high and 300 to 500 pounds.
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Prepare to feed your cow a mixture of hay or pasture grass, grain mix or cubes of 15 percent protein, salt or mineral mix, and plenty of available water. In the summer months, you'll be able to let your cow graze on grass; you'll need about an acre of land per cow.
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Provide an area where your cow can get out of harsh weather and be safe from predators. Cows are best housed in barns, and their stalls will need to be cleaned on a daily basis and lined with fresh hay.
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Have access to a veterinarian who treats cows. They usually make house calls, for obvious reasons. Make sure you are familiar with common diseases and ailments prone to cows, so that if any symptoms present themselves in your pet cow, you'll know when to call the vet.
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