Just in case anyone can bear to look - cows have consciousness and experience intense grief when their babies are taken from them. This is from Google but all the sources are authoritative.
I honestly don't know how any of us who have had babies can bear the bit that I've itallicised.
Animals are conscious, and this awareness directly intensifies the trauma they experience. Because animals possess the neurological capacity for emotion and social attachment, separation from their babies is not a momentary stressor, but a profound emotional and physiological rupture. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Science of Animal Consciousness
There is broad scientific consensus that non-human animals—particularly mammals, birds, and even species like octopuses—are conscious. The landmark Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness confirmed that animals share the same neurological substrates required for conscious awareness and subjective experience. This means they are capable of experiencing love, grief, anxiety, and physical or emotional pain. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
How Consciousness Affects Trauma
The trauma a mother or baby experiences is directly correlated to this consciousness, as well as their cognitive ability to form attachments. 1]
The Maternal Bond: Mammals form deep, biologically regulated attachments with their young. The mother's scent, heartbeat, and vocalizations act as a regulatory system for the infant, and vice versa. Abruptly breaking this bond triggers a flood of stress hormones (like cortisol) and initiates a grief response rather than just a survival-based stress response. 1, 2]
The Cycle of Grief: Conscious animals—from primates and dolphins to domestic pets and livestock—are highly aware of the loss. They often exhibit behaviors akin to human mourning, such as frantically searching for the infant, refusing to eat, pacing, and vocalizing in distress. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Understanding Loss: Paradoxically, an animal's lack of complex human reasoning (like understanding why their baby was taken or where it went) can make the trauma worse. They are left with the persistent, unresolved confusion of a missing companion, leading to prolonged emotional distress. 1, 2, 3]
Long-Term Biological and Behavioral Consequences
Traumatic separation from a primary caregiver physically alters the brain and nervous system in both animals and humans. 1]
The Offspring: Research on animal models (such as macaques and rodents) shows that maternal separation impairs stress regulation, alters brain development, increases pain sensitivity, and can lead to anxiety, depression, and learning deficits lasting into adulthood. 1, 2, 3]
The Mother: Mothers also suffer severe long-term impacts. Studies on dairy cows, for example, show prolonged negative emotional states and significant physiological distress when separated from their calves. 1, 2, 3, 4]