For centuries, humans and animals have shared the intimate, life-sustaining act of breastfeeding.
In short: Across history and cultures, the lines between human and animal nursing have blurred. From abandoned infants suckled by goats in European hospitals to women nursing puppies to maintain milk supplies or heal infections, this practice served as a vital, if often misunderstood, strategy for survival, health, and even religious devotion.
The practice of cross-species breastfeeding has occurred in both directions throughout history. In Europe, during the 18th and 19th centuries, goats and donkeys were frequently employed as wet nurses for abandoned infants in foundling hospitals. This was often a pragmatic response to the health risks associated with human wet nursing, particularly the spread of syphilis. Direct suckling from an animal was considered safer than manual milking, as the latter risked microbial contamination before the widespread adoption of pasteurization in the 1870s.
Beyond infant feeding, women have historically breastfed animals for various reasons, ranging from the economic to the medicinal. Research by Simoons and Baldwin in 1982 categorized these motivations, noting that nursing family pets was the most common, followed by economic necessity—such as keeping an animal alive for future utility. In some cases, women nursed animals to relieve physical ailments like mastitis or to harden nipples. Physicians in the 16th to 18th centuries even recommended applying puppies to breasts to draw out milk or treat nodules, a practice documented in cases like that of Mary Wollstonecraft in late 18th-century England.
The practice is also deeply embedded in mythology and cultural belief. Tales of legendary figures like Romulus and Remus being raised by wolves served as symbols of greatness, while others believed that milk could transmit character traits. For instance, some thought goat milk might pass on a libidinous nature, while lioness milk was believed to confer courage. These beliefs occasionally influenced social policy, such as 19th-century French proposals to restrict certain mothers from nursing. Today, the practice persists in some cultures and occasionally resurfaces as a provocative artistic statement, challenging modern perceptions of the human-animal bond.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Human–animal breastfeeding
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