Bengalureans bring home pet cows

Families in Bengaluru are reaching out to cattle sellers and farms to enquire about keeping cows as pets at home — not for dairy farming purposes. They wish to reconnect with their rural roots, raise children closer to nature and follow spiritual beliefs. Some hope to access fresh milk at home.

The interest is mainly in dwarf breeds, like the Punganur, which can cost from Rs 50,000 to Rs 9 lakh.

A video recently posted online shows BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and his wife, singer Sivasri Skandaprasad, bringing a brown Punganur calf into their independent house in Girinagar. Metrolife has learnt that the calf has been adopted. A shed has been built for it within the house premises, and it is taken on walks in the neighbourhood, which has empty plots and a goshala (protective shelter for cattle).

Arun has built a room for the calves, equipped witH head showers and an auto-fill water container.

Two months ago, real estate businessman Arun Kumar M welcomed a pair of Nadipathy ‘micro’ cows, male and female, to his independent house in Hebbal. The 1.5-year-old cows, barely knee-high, live in a cabin with stone flooring, overhead showers, and an auto-fill water bucket, built in his half-acre landscaped garden.

“We walk them on the road in our area at night. In the mornings, they get excited and jump seeing the crowds around. They also stroll through the garden. We avoid taking them indoors because the tiled flooring makes them slip,” he says.

Kumar, who also has a pet dog, says his farming background drew him to cows. He also feels that they bring both health and prosperity to the home. His three children, who were initially hesitant, have grown fond of the calves, named Gowri and Shankara. Even the calves moo when his youngest leaves for school. “They aren’t messy at all, since they are a miniature breed,” he says, addressing concerns about dung-related issues. The family feeds them grass, powdered corn, and groundnut skins.

Kumar’s friends are interested in getting calves too, but cite space and budget constraints. “My relatives have already ‘booked’ a calf for when the pair reproduces,” he says with a smile.

‘Even inside flats’

Nadipathy Goshala in Andhra Pradesh has sold nearly 100 of their miniature cows in Bengaluru in the past year. “They grow to just two feet, eat about a kilo of feed a day, and are sought for their auspicious presence and milk,” says a representative. Not only bungalow owners, but even apartment residents have bought the cows. The latter claim could not be verified.

Aniruddha Ravindra, animal welfare warden with the Karnataka government, says after Tejasvi Surya’s video gained traction, he has received at least 20 queries from south Bengaluru residents, including flat dwellers.

Premium Pet House, Pune, hasn’t been able to fulfil the demand coming from Bengaluru for Punganur calves citing shortage.

Bucking the trend, Bengaluru-based online agri-tech platform Pashushala and its associates are seeing demand for larger breeds such as Holstein Friesian, Jersey, Gir, and Sahiwal. Founder Gaurav Choudhary believes it could be driven by a desire for “self-managed milk” at home. Since April, they have received enquiries for 200 cows from Bengaluru, most of which have been fulfilled. The average number of cows per order was higher from Bengaluru Rural than from Bengaluru Urban, which Choudhary attributes to a possible space crunch in city settings.

Experts speak

Dr Vasanth Shetty, former professor of surgery and dean at Bengaluru’s Veterinary College, says there’s no harm in keeping short-breed cows at home, even in flats, as long as one can ensure access to ventilation, clean drinking water, and a hygienic living space. “They can even be potty-trained like dogs,” he adds. However, Ravindra raises concerns about the lack of open spaces for cows to walk around, and fears that owners may abandon them once the novelty fades and upkeep becomes challenging.