| Let me start out by saying that neither the Houston Chronicle nor I ever get paid for the stories I write about businesses. I say this because I'm about to launch into what sounds very much like a paid advertisement due to my unbridled enthusiasm. Just outside Katy, there's an actual farm that exists for the sole purpose of letting you snuggle cuddly animals. As in, you walk in the gates and baby goats are just there waiting to flood your brain with dopamine. Rose Therapeutic Farm started out as goat yoga in Tiffany Thompson's backyard. I actually attended a class back in 2018. I'm not sure if I did any actual yoga, but I did bottle-feed several baby goats, made friends with a pig, and at some point, found myself sweet-talking a very large tortoise. Thompson's farm isn't exactly a novel concept. A quick Google search returns a few billion hits on why animal therapy is remarkably beneficial to humans. According to this medical journal, "Animal therapy builds on a concept called the human-animal bond, which describes people's desire to interact with and relate to animals. For many people, by interacting with a friendly animal, they can form a bond with them. This bond can produce a calming state in the person." I haven't been to Rose Therapeutic Farm yet, but it's at the top of my list of things to do in the very near future. Just knowing that a structure exists with the name "Fluffy Butt Hut," and it's filled with chickens puts a smile on my face. What are your thoughts on snuggle farms? Would you pay admission to cuddle a miniature horse? Email me at claire.goodman@chron.com. | 
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