How to Stimulate Baby Animals

Many young mammals, including dogs, cats and mice, cannot defecate or urinate on their own. When raised in the wild, the mother stimulates the bowel area to help the young urinate or defecate until the babies are old enough for their elimination systems to develop. When the mother dies or abandons her babies before they are old enough to eliminate waste on their own, the adoptive parent must stimulate the animal until it is old enough to eliminate on its own.

Things You'll Need

  • Soft cloth
  • Cotton balls
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Dampen a soft cloth with warm water. Use a white cloth so you can identify the waste when it occurs.

    • 2

      Rub the cloth against the animal's lower abdomen back and forth slowly and gently to encourage waste elimination. Keep rubbing the animal gently until it eliminates.

    • 3

      Stimulate the animal once after every feeding to ensure proper bowel movements and urination. Always use a warm cloth for this process. It may take two or three feedings before the animal will start to eliminate waste of any kind. If the animal has not urinated or defecated within two minutes, try again at the next feeding.

    • 4

      Clean the area with a damp cotton ball after the animal eliminates to keep the area clean.