Liz, my sister recently foster-cared for a momma and her two kittens.  All
the veterinary "experts" told her that they'd be weaned by 6-8 weeks, and the
foster agency wanted those kittens for placement in adoptive homes.  Well, at
ten weeks the  boy kitty was still going strong despite his momma's
objections..... As she'd walk by he'd just GRAB her (at ten weeks he was
almost her size) and nurse, by golly!  I am not sure he had actually weaned
when they were adopted out at about 12 weeks.

I am sure your post will call up lots of great animal stories.  Here's mine:
 an LLLL near here had a cat become surrogate mom and wet-nurse for puppies.
 I swear.

On a more serious note, a friend of mine (Hi Mary Alice, I know you're out
there) knows an OB whose farmer husband "cures" Transient Tachypnea of the
Newborn in his farm animals by making sure to get them to the breast...  and
to think my oldest baby was whisked away to Special Care for this and not
allowed to nurse.  (The next two also had TTN and the only time they DID
breathe normally for the first 24 hrs. was when they were nursing...)

Mary Renard  <[log in to unmask]>