Williamsburg, Virginia - Ryan Phillips was initially startled when he heard a strange knocking at his window in the middle of the night, but the reason for the odd noises soon became clear.

Phillips, founder of the Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary in Virginia, shared on Facebook how he was jolted from his sleep by "the loud sound of thudding" and quickly went to see what was going on.

Moments later, he was face to face with his beloved cow Jenna.

"Jenna knocks daily, multiple times daily," Phillips told The Dodo, explaining that this behavior is not uncommon.

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The reason is heartwarming: "She will knock with her horns to let us know she wants me to come out and give her a hug."

When Jenna was just three days old, Phillips took her in and began raising her by bottle, so she quickly figured out the best way to vie for his attention.

"That first bottle was the start of friendship, and from then we were best friends," Phillips recalled.

"I think she adopted me as her surrogate mom. She would head butt my stomach to try to get the milk to come out when bottles were empty, just as calfs do to their moms. She’s definitely my baby," Phillips continued.

While Jenna lives alongside a lot of other rescued animals, Phillips is still her favorite. She takes every opportunity she can to let him know, even in the middle of the night.

"She knows she’s loved, safe and that everybody adores her," Phillips said. "I cannot imagine a world without her. I wake up every day excited that she’s there."

"I’m just so lucky to have a 1,400 pound best friend that wants to hug, hang out and snuggle in her barn."