HOW do we get rid of the myth...?

Question

that if you touch baby animals, the mother will reject or eat them? This is simply NOT TRUE. Not for pets, not for wild animals. The mothering instinct is far too strong for a mom to reject her babies just because of the way they smell.

You CAN pick up a wild baby bird and put it back in the nest -- in fact, you SHOULD.

You SHOULD pick up baby pets -- puppies, kittens, hamsters, rabbits, whatever -- after the first couple of days. Handling the young animals is how you make nice, tame, well-socialized pets!

PLEASE pass this information along so we can get rid of this myth once and for all!

See? This myth is SO strongly ingrained that people are RUDE to me because they don't think I know what I'm talking about!

This is from the Humane Society:

Baby Birds

If you find a young songbird on the ground and he is not fully feathered, is unable to stand, or seems weak, then you've probably found a baby bird who has fallen from his nest. Look for a nest near where you found the baby—check nearby trees, bushes, porch rafters, etc. It is best if you can return the bird to his nest.

If a songbird's nest has fallen from its original location, put it back together as best you can. Place the whole nest into a margarine container with holes cut into the bottom, or into a soda bottle with holes cut in the bottom for drainage and a hole cut in the side to allow the parent birds to enter. The container or soda bottle should be similar in diameter to the original nest. Place the makeshift nest as close to the original nest's site as possible and replace the baby birds in the

Answer 1

this is right most animals will not reject their babies after a human touch this myth came to be we people would find baby birds or animals that the mother has all ready pushed out of the nest due to other reasons and when they are place back in the nest the mother will once again remove them or even kill them, nature has a way with dealing with the weak and sick ,mothers will not take away from the healthy babies to feed and care for a sick one if a wild baby is found place it back in the nest(just in case it fell out)

Answer 2

Myth number 1-Birds are not and do not use scent as a means of identifying their young.Birds do not have a strong sense of smell.This is true and you can touch a nest or a baby bird and the parents will not abandon it or fail to return to the nest.Though I would not recommend telling people to go out and touch baby birds in their nest,that is rather foolish.Being it is no myth that you can transfer bacteria as well as chemicals from your hands to the baby birds which could kill them.

Myth number 2 - I raised hamsters for many years if you disturb the nest or make the mother nervous within the first 2 weeks she will eat the young sorry but you are wrong there.Wild rabbits is another area where you are wrong.If you leave to much scent around a nest of wild rabbits (cotton tails) the mother will abandon the nest sight and any young in that nest.Wild rabbits are very scent orientated the mother will only visit the nest twice a day to feed and clean the young.She will stay above the nest and only remain just long enough to feed her young.Then she is gone scent is the key reason for this behavior.It is not healthy to handle kittens or puppies prior to their eyes opening and even afterwards contact should be kept to short intervals.

Socializing animals comes with building a trust and a pecking order.Interactions and handling Plays the largest role in this.Though there is a proper time which human interaction is needed.That time is not when they are a couple days old.The exception to this rule is with birds only.Preferably domestic birds,birds imprint by sight and sound within the first few days of hatching.Most domestic mammals use scent to imprint.It is always best to air on the side of caution and let the mother take care of her young till the young reach an age which they are old enough to interact.

Perhaps you should learn what is myth and what is fact.Because there are a few you have wrong.

Answer 3

Female animals who have young usually identify their own young by the way they smell. They will reject any young that doesn't smell the way they are supposed to. Its just a natural way of animals ensuring that their own young survive. The myth probably originated from that and it really isn't a good idea to handle newborn animals (or at least animals whose eyes haven't opened yet) very much.

As for birds one SHOULD try to reunite it with its nest. It's just the right thing to do.

Answer 4

Hi! I completely agree with what you said about birds.
Birds don't even have a great sense of smell, there is no way they could smell your scent on their babies or eggs.

Yesterday I picked up a nest basket in my finch's aviary, even tilted it slightly which disturbed the nesting inside, then realised there was a one day old baby in there! Oops! I quickly put it back, this was in the mother's full view, and she didn't care, she just jumped back in there and continued to care for her baby.

As to your question, how can we get rid of the myth, education is the only way. Continue answering questions on here and elsewhere when people ask about the myth, if you are really concerned, make a website about it for people to see.

Answer 5

Actually, I'm not here to argue with you, but it is my opinion that you shouldn't touch baby animals, because it WILL cause rejection in some cases.

My friend had a rabbit once that gave birth to five healthy babies. We frequently looked at them, touched them, and talked to them the day they were born. We left to go out to eat, and when we came back we found that she had bitten all of their heads off.

Doing further research into this, I learned that it is a protective maneuver for the mother. When she feels threatened by some outside "predator," she sacrifices her young in order to protect herself and her life. A selfish thing to do, I know, but a necessary thing if a rabbit was to go living in the wild.

Answer 6

Good luck trying to educate people who do not want to be educated! I have been trying to get rid of this myth for years, as it pertains to wild birds. So many people think a wild bird will abandon her babies if she smells a human scent on them, and this is just not so! A bird's sense of smell is not that acute.

Every year, wildlife biologists remove baby peregrine falcons from their nests, in order to weigh them, band them and take blood samples for study. They handle these baby birds with their bare hands. When they return them to the nest, momma does NOT reject them! In many cases, the mother bird watches the biologists take the babies and return them again. She knows, without a doubt, that they have been handled. Still, she does NOT reject them! You can see photos here: http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/perefalcon.htm

Answer 7

In personal experiance, a tamed animal yes, but I have never had to touch a wild animal so I don't know. As soon as my cat has kittens I start playing with them she never minds. She usually brings them to me to hold and kitten sit as she goes and hunt or goes off. My dog never minds either as long as I dont take them out of her site. I cant believe how mean ppl can be on here.

Answer 8

Please- you've obviously never bred gerbils or hamsters- who will happily eat their litters if you even look at them wrong after they give birth. I'm sure it;s not true for EVERY animal, but true for many.

That's great quote from the HS, but let's face it- birds are not known for their sense of smell!

Answer 9

Are you on something? For baby DOMESTICATED animals, mild handling is good. TOO much handling however can result in health problems, such as no muscle tissue, or lazyness.

As for wild animals, you have no idea what you talking about. When you touch a baby bird, the mother WILL NOT return to it, or the nest. I dont recommend touching any other baby wild animal either, since where ever the baby is, momma is sure to be close by.

I would like to see where you got your sources from, since it seems to be a very un-reliable site or book.

Answer 10

You are partially wrong. If a mother cat is too crowded or stressed out, she will often abandon or kill her kittens. You CAN handle them but not excessively.