AI-generated realistic illustration made with Exas: a brown cow in a pasture with a brush nearby. Not a photograph of Veronika or a demonstration of the experimental behaviour.

A cow using a brush to scratch herself offers an unusual window into animal behaviour. In a study published in Current Biology in January 2026, Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró and Alice M. I. Auersperg reported flexible tool use by a pet cow named Veronika. [1]

Across randomized trials, Veronika generally preferred the bristled end of a deck brush. When she targeted softer areas of her lower body, however, she switched to the stick end. The researchers describe this adjustment as using different features of the same tool for different purposes. [1]

The result concerns one animal. It does not establish how widespread this behaviour is among cattle, or provide a ranking of intelligence between species. It does offer a reason to investigate livestock cognition more closely. The important detail is the change in how the brush was used, rather than the mere presence of an object beside a cow. [1]

Sources & further reading

  1. Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró and Alice M. I. Auersperg / Current Biology — Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow (January 2026)
  2. Europe PMC — Indexed abstract of the original study (2026)
  3. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna — Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow (researchers’ account)