Sometimes It’s Necessary: Pay $500 for Your Own Professional Cuddler
What will they think up next? With a bit of the east coast cynicism I’ve ever-so-slightly retained since moving to sunny Southern California, I had to at first appear to be bug-eyed with shock upon hearing that one woman earns up to $500 per day just by CUDDLING with her clients. But that outraged “get a real job!” irritation that initially washed over me soon went away, and when I thought about Kitty Mansfield‘s profession of choice, I couldn’t help but be impressed with her ingenuity.
Mansfield, a British citizen, hires herself out as a “professional snuggler” in Ramsgate, England and if you think she’s even slightly ashamed of taking your money in exchange for something that most people give out for free, you’re wrong.
“People love to be cuddled because it feels good and offers simple contact,” Mansfield told the UK‘s Daily Mail. “People want to feel a connection. It’s something we have lost out on. Touching has become a taboo.
“People can just come and talk, or they can snuggle wherever they want for as long as they want. At Be Snuggled, you will discover a safe, warm and nonjudgmental oasis where you can step out of your everyday life, rediscover the pleasure of nonsexual snuggling and enjoy the many psychological and physiological benefits of cuddling.”
She added: “I think I will get some criticism because it’s not a standard type of service I’m offering. But the way I see it, hostility is just a symptom of fear.”
Thus, Be Snuggled, a business that allows customers to feed their craving for touch and physical intimacy, was born. Like anything that seems to be too good to be true, there are rules, of course. Underwear must be worn, nothing sexual can happen, and there’s a dress code: no tank tops allowed. Oh yes, and there is that fee of $68 per hour to consider.
Kitty-cat isn’t the only gal purring up to those in need of a hug: 29-year-old graduate student Jackie Samuel launched The Snuggery in Rochester, N.Y. Though her prices run to $60 an hour, business is booming.
Cheers to these gals, really. There are some people in this world that you couldn’t pay me to hug, but luckily for some sad, lonely people, Jackie and Kitty don’t feel the same.
When you think about it, you’ll feel bad for the sort of people who would need to pay for this type of “therapy.” Someone who actually has to pay another for a hug, who doesn’t have anyone in their lives that will do it for free, must be someone who’s dreadfully unhappy. I don’t wish that kind of pain on anyone.
In fact, thinking about all those loveless people who need to pay for something we take for granted makes me a little sad. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get a hug. And no, I won’t be paying for it. Thank goodness I already have an account set up with my boyfriend.
