Meet Margit – the adorable cow that thinks she's a dog
When the calf Margit was repelled by her mother she got a new home with the Linderoth family. But instead of staying in the stable with the other cows she turned to the family and the dogs. Favorite activities? Playing football and running next to the kick-sled.
Margit was only a few days old when she came to the Linderoth family, in Lönsboda in the south of Sweden. She arrived via an ad on a buy and sell website. But she had no plan to stay in the stable with the other cows.
– When she came here our cows had no calves so I fed her with a bottle. For the first few days she wanted to be carried everywhere and wanted to be close, says owner Karin Linderoth.
After a week on the farm she became a bit braver, and followed the family everywhere. The porch quickly became the favourite place and once in a while she went inside.
– But highland cows have so warm coats so her visits were fairly short, Karin says.
During the winters she slept in a box in the stable and in the summers she slept outside in the pastures. Since she liked to play with the children she was dehorned at a young age.
She loved to participate in every family activity.
– She would join us on long walks, running next to the sled, playing football and she even tried to help to stack the firewood.
Watch Margit in Action: Click here and watch a short film about Margit.
Karin says that Margit always showed up when she was called up by name. But she was very stubborn and didn't like to obeying.
– She obeys me but no one else. If I drove off with the car she would have to go to her box in the stable. Otherwise she would gallop after the car. When she gets angry she shows it by knocking over the rubbish bin.
As Margit grew older she got too big for her habits. At the age of three she began to practice becoming a cow.
– In the beginning she crawled under the fence and came home to the house. After a while she learned that it was okay to be a cow, Karin explains.
Today she is six years old and has given birth to two heifer calves and is almost a full-time cow.
– Sometimes she comes our from the pasture and follows us on walks and guards the house.
Karin is still the favorite person and the two of them are very special friends.
– She will probably always regard me as her mother.
Karin has now written and illustrated a book about Margit that will be published in English.
Watch Margit in Action: Click here and watch a short film about Margit.
