Looks like cats and dogs aren’t the only animals that can be house trained.
A group of German scientists from the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology and the University of Auckland were successful in potty training the majority of a group of cows. The experiment consisted of attempting to get 16 cows to go to the bathroom inside a small penned area titled the “MooLoo.”
The researchers were able to get 11 of the 16 cows to consistently use the potty training area, but how?
Scientists started by using vibrating collars to get the cattle to start walking a short distance and into the “MooLoo” area. If the cattle used the bovine bathroom, then they’d receive a treat. Once they had that down, the researchers started moving the bathroom area farther away from the animals so they’d have to make a conscious decision to only pee in that specific pen. If the cattle peed in the wrong area, they’d be sprayed with cold water to get them to stop.
All together, the experiment took 15 days, but the majority of cattle had it down within 20 or 25 trips to the bathroom, which is pretty consistent with potty training a three or four-year-old child.
Researchers say that their findings could be a way to manage waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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