Page 37 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

CUTTING THE CORD
3 he kitten waits by the mother’s tail until the placenta comes out.
T
During the wait, the blood in the umbilical cord clots and prevents the
kitten from bleeding to death when the mother chews through it. The
mother will then eat the placenta, as it is a good source of nutrients at Cutting the umbilical cord
a time when she cannot get out to feed. Also, its odor would attract
unwelcome attention from predators and flies if she did not clean it up.
After this the mother licks the kitten, drying its fur so that it fluffs
up and keeps the baby warm. In the meantime, the
first-born kitten has scrambled along its mother’s
body, using smell and touch to find her teats to
suckle milk (p. 36). It is hard work for the mother -
as the kittens are born within about half an hour
of each other there is always one to be licked and
cleaned. In the wild, the mother cat will fiercely
attack any animal that dares to interrupt her at
this time. Even her kittens struggle and spit if
threatened. The domesticated mother cat
appreciates help and attention from a trusted
human, but her kittens hiss and bare their
toothless gums like wild kittens if they
smell someone near them. First­born kitten is already feeding
Mother uses her teeth
to cut the umbilical cord
A heap of brothers and sisters

IT’S HARD WORK BEING BORN
4The damp newborns look squashed
and tired after their birth. Their eyes
and ears are sealed, so they are blind
and deaf, but they are not as helpless
as they might seem. In fact, they are
very active and they are built to last. If
the mother accidentally sits or steps
on them, they squeak vigorously and UP AND ABOUT
let her know about it. Unlike the defenseless kittens, a
newborn calf is soon able to walk
and run. Evolution has insured that
hunted animals, especially in open
habitats, spend as little time as
possible giving birth.
HAPPY FAMILY
5The kittens have all been born. It was a large
litter, but the births were quick and easy, with
no problems for the mother. She continues to
lick and dry all the kittens repeatedly. Soon she
will be able to lie back and sleep while the
kittens suckle contentedly, dry and warm
against her belly. The riskiest
time is over.

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