Do cows have best friends?
The Real Answer
Cows do form preferred social relationships. Studies of cattle show that individuals spend more time near certain herd mates than others, and some of those preferences remain stable over time. Familiar companions can also reduce stress during events such as weaning or changes in the herd.
Calling those animals “best friends” is a human way of describing it, but the underlying behavior is real: cows don't treat every member of the herd the same. They recognize familiar animals, develop stronger associations with particular individuals, and can be affected when established social relationships are disrupted.
Apparently cows take friendship more seriously than we do. A cow will pick a preferred companion and stick close to it, while you’re out here deleting people from your phone for not texting back fast enough. The cow doesn’t even have opposable thumbs, and it’s still better at commitment than you are.
The Dunce Dynamics Institute Examines Why People Ask This
People ask because 'best friends' is an appealing human label for a real pattern: cattle can prefer certain herd mates. The interesting question is how far the underlying social preference goes without forcing human relationship language onto it.