According to academics attending the Compassion in World Farming Trust conference this past week, farm animals have feelings which should be respected and catered for. They believe animals should not be dismissed as simple automatons – cows take pleasure in solving problems and sheep can form deep friendships.

Professor Marc Bekoff, of the University of Colorado states,

“And what animals feel matters very much as they try to negotiate their lives in a human-dominated and often abusive world, in which they are mere pawns in our incessant and obsessive attempts to control their lives for our and not their benefit.”

HELLOOOO? I don’t want to be nice to my beef. I want to eat my beef. When it’s put on a plate in front of me, and it’s hot and juicy with a marble of fat running through it, I don’t care a wit for what it thinks of me. I couldn’t give a rip if it was nicely talked to nor do I shed a tear at the thought that it might have been whapped up side the head with a two-by-four.

In fact, right about now I’m ready to sink my teeth into one of these:

 

After reading about this, I immediately envisioned myself doing this.