The cuddle-for-hire business is taking off—even though the clothes
stay on. Thousands of customers across the country are booking appointments
with professional cuddlers in at least 16 states. The snugglers squeeze, tickle
and bearhug clients for a fixed rate. Patrons who booked these services out of
mere curiosity say they have become hooked on their therapeutic benefits.
While snuggling businesses have existed for years, interest
is accelerating with newer online apps and meet-up services. Plans are under
way for a cuddling convention. One free app, Cuddlr, launched in September and
already has had about 240,000 downloads, according to Charlie Williams, a
founder and developer. The location-based social-media application allows users
to find people near them to cuddle with.
The website Cuddle Comfort offers a matching service where
members can post pictures, profiles and find others who are interested in
nonsexual spooning. The free site now has around 18,000 members, founder Mark
Sanger says. Recent discussions on the site include the best movie genres to
snuggle to.
Not everyone feels warm and fuzzy about for-hire cuddling.
When Jacqueline Samuel, 31, opened her business in a Rochester, N.Y.-area
family guest home, neighbors worried it would attract unsavory patrons. She
moved that business about two years ago to a Rochester commercial district. The
Snuggery now charges $50 for 45 minutes and $425 for an overnight cuddle session.
Police officials contacted in a half-dozen cities where
snuggle businesses operate say they haven’t had complaints and that the
operations seem to be following the law. Unlike massage therapists, who
typically undergo specific training and licensing, cuddlers aren’t licensed.
Oversight rests with local regulations and ordinances. Operators in some cases
may have to abide by local requirements, such as zoning and land-use
restrictions or obtaining a license for a home-based business.
The blurry nature of for-hire cuddling—part massage therapy,
part clinical psychology—can lead to disappointed customers and unorthodox
requests, cuddling professionals say. One female professional snuggler turned
down a male client’s request to wear a skintight body suit. Another male client
would only spoon in his business suit.
The industry got its start in the U.S. at least five years
ago, according to cuddle entrepreneurs who call Mr. Sigley a pioneer in the
field here. The long-haired former psychology student and onetime stripper says
he launched his San Francisco business, Cuddle Therapy, because he felt
frustrated by restrictions against touch between therapists and their clients.
Since then, dozens of professional cuddlers have hung out a
shingle or contracted to work for online cuddling entrepreneurs. Some outfits
require that customers sign a contract spelling out what type of nuzzling is
within bounds. Some rely on a body diagram that stipulates in bright red which
body parts are off-limits.
Research shows there are tangible physical and emotional
perks to touch. It can increase levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone produced
by the hypothalamus that promotes warm feelings. Touch may lower heart rates
and reduce stress, according to academic research. Many professional cuddlers
tailor their services around a book called “The Cuddle Sutra,” which offers
detailed descriptions of poses such as Cheek to Cheek, Come to Papa and
Sardines.
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