The New Intimacy

I saw this ADORABLE news article and HAD to share!

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Contributor: Peggi Peggi
This was on yahoo news, it is a pair of cheetah cubs which were delivered via C-section apparently! But the images had me squealing out loud like a little kid! So I had to share this with everyone! I hope you can appreciate the adorableness as much as I did!

your link to adorableness!
05/24/2012
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Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
They are cute. I don't understand why zoo employees are so quick to bottle feed C Section baby animals. Most of the time the mother will accept them, and C Sections don't stop anyone, animal or human from making milk.

I gotta tell you, seeing baby animals bottle fed makes me kind of sad.

But, they are cute. I just with they were with their Mama.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Peggi Peggi
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
They are cute. I don't understand why zoo employees are so quick to bottle feed C Section baby animals. Most of the time the mother will accept them, and C Sections don't stop anyone, animal or human from making milk.

I gotta tell you, ... more
I agree, it is very sad to see when mama is right there to give her milk! Babies, even in the animal kingdom, need their mother's milk if at all possible!

But the babies themselves are just so adorable! But like you, I wish they were nursing in those pictures instead! Bottle feeding baby animals so soon should only happen when mom's milk isn't available!
05/24/2012
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
They are cute. I don't understand why zoo employees are so quick to bottle feed C Section baby animals. Most of the time the mother will accept them, and C Sections don't stop anyone, animal or human from making milk.

I gotta tell you, ... more
The cheetah was a first time mom and apparently it's not uncommon for them to abandon their first litter. She actually delivered one cub on her own and had abandoned it already. The article I read quoted a cheetah biologist from the Smithsonian (which runs the National Zoo) saying that the mom wouldn't recognize the cubs as her own after a C-section. I question that, but I also don't think they wanted to chance the valuable cubs given their already critical condition and the fact that the mom already rejected one of them.

Here's our local coverage of the story with pictures and a video: link
05/24/2012
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Kindred
The cheetah was a first time mom and apparently it's not uncommon for them to abandon their first litter. She actually delivered one cub on her own and had abandoned it already. The article I read quoted a cheetah biologist from the Smithsonian ... more
Oh, so sad.

I know plenty of dogs and a few cats who have had C Sections and still recognize the babies as theirs and do feed them.

What is your experience as a vet? Do most domesticated animals recognize their babies as theirs and nurse them? I know you have a lot more experience in this with animals than I do.

As far as people go, C Sections don't matter, in terms of nursing. I remember people telling me (when I was nursing my first baby borm of C Sec) "Your body doesn't know you've given birth. You won't make milk." So untrue. If the placenta leaves the uterus, the mother's body KNOWS it has given birth and Lactogenesis I, which is hormonally driven begins immediately! Milk synthesis begins.

I've nursed three kids after C Sections... but I'm not a cheetah. So sad that she didn't recognize the babies as hers.
05/24/2012
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Peggi
I agree, it is very sad to see when mama is right there to give her milk! Babies, even in the animal kingdom, need their mother's milk if at all possible!

But the babies themselves are just so adorable! But like you, I wish they were ... more
Sad. But, they are adorable animals. I swear half the stuff on my Stumble Upon is baby animals.
05/24/2012
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
Oh, so sad.

I know plenty of dogs and a few cats who have had C Sections and still recognize the babies as theirs and do feed them.

What is your experience as a vet? Do most domesticated animals recognize their babies as theirs and ... more
We do C-sections in dogs a fair amount, particularly certain breeds with large heads such as English Bull dogs. I've never heard that a mom will not recognize their cubs/pups after a C-section before, but it may be a behavior particular to cheetahs. If puppies are otherwise healthy, we try to get them onto mom's nipples as soon as possible to help stimulate milk let down.
05/24/2012