Giant Cow Tries To Break In House Every Day For The Sweetest Reason
“I jumped out of bed and rushed to see what was going on.”
When Ryan Phillips heard a strange knocking against his window in the middle of the night, he immediately wondered if he’d locked his doors. It could’ve been anyone trying to break into his Williamsburg, Virginia, residence.
It only took a moment of sleepy-eyed clarity before Phillips knew exactly who the culprit was.
In a Facebook post, Phillips described how he “woke up to the loud sound of thudding,” jumped out of bed, and “rushed to see what was going on.” But the Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary founder knew it was his rescue cow Jenna demanding hugs.
“Jenna knocks daily, multiple times daily,” Phillips told The Dodo. “She likes to come to the window and stare if we’re eating or hanging out to let us know she’s there.”
The routine began when the cow was a few months old and has since grown into one of her favorite pastimes, depending on what she wants.
“She will knock with her horns to let us know she wants me to come out and give her a hug,” Phillips said. “Sometimes she wants carrots or sees the extra-ripe bananas through the window and knows those are hers.”
Initially, Jenna, who was 3 days old when Phillips rescued her, mooed when she wanted to be fed. Phillips bottle-raised Jenna from a young age, so she learned quickly that knocking got his attention — and her milk — much faster.
“That first bottle was the start of friendship, and from then we were best friends,” Phillips said. “I think she adopted me as her surrogate mom. She would head butt my stomach to try to get the milk to come out when bottles were empty, just as calfs do to their moms. She’s definitely my baby.”
Though Jenna shares the sanctuary with a plethora of rescued farm animals, she much prefers Phillips, and she’ll make a ruckus until he comes to her — even if it’s the middle of the night.
“She knows she’s loved, safe and that everybody adores her,” Phillips said. “I cannot imagine a world without her. I wake up every day excited that she’s there. I’m just so lucky to have a 1,400 pound best friend that wants to hug, hang out and snuggle in her barn.”
