animals

[sarge57]

why do dogs and cats eat the cord of the young? why dont they just let it fall of naturaly?

[andy hughes]

In the wild, any scent of a birth would bring predators to prey on the young, so the mother removes all traces by eating them. In the same way, she eats the first few faeces the young produce - they are only milk waste, so do her no harm

[smudge]

Andy you are so knowledgable, very well put.

[andy hughes]

Thank you very much - if I managed to absorb seriously useful information at the same rate and volume, I could be a university professor by now!

[Wisebird]

Am I right in thinking that they eat the placenta as it is full of nutrients? I have heard that some humans do this as well, although I don't like to dwell on this!

[New Forester]

Andy -- I think your explanation is probably right. It applies especially to the afterbirth proper. Most mammals eat the afterbirth if they get the chance. As well as discouraging predators, it is a big lump of useful nutrients, at a time when there's a lot of repair and milk production to be done. For den-living animals such as wild cats and dogs, the afterbirths and cords would become most unhygenic after a day or two... The cord of calves snaps of its own "ac-cord", but the mother will often still nibble it off shorter. I suspect this is mainly to keep it out of the way, and to help prevent infection. Sometimes it's left quite long, and then seems to take quite a while to drop off. Within a few hours it shrivels up and becomes stiff and wire-like. Cows don't usually eat the calf's droppings, except when cleaning their baby (curiously, calf droppings smell vile, but improve when they go onto solid food -- the reverse to dogs and humans).

[Wisebird]

New Forester, I am intrigued to know if you work with wildlife as your knowledge of animals is so vast?

[New Forester]

Anniekon - Not sure about vast, exactly. Yes, I'm a consultant ecologist, and do conservation grazing with cattle. Also have horses, chickens, and formerly rabbits, snakes, lizards, ants, grasshoppers etc etc. Also a lifetime of being a nature anorak... Richard

[Wisebird]

Thanks for that info New Forester. I thought I was right. I am giving up work soon to look after my elderly mother, but am hoping to do an environmental studies course or ornithology as part of an ongoing learning programme with UEA, Norwich.

[Wisebird]

Richard, PS I will have to avoid pigeons, chickens and parrots though, as I have pigeon fancier's lung, caused through keeping **********! Annie

[Wisebird]

No, I did not swear. Answerbank edited me out for merely mentioning parrot family birds called co--atiels!

[New Forester]

Anniekon -- good luck with the course, and of course with the mother.