▁n urs es ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁a ▁child ▁su ck led ▁on ▁don keys ' ▁milk ▁would ▁ac quire ▁the ▁animal ' s ▁stupid ity ▁and ▁obst in acy . ▁ ▁The ▁Jewish ▁Tal m ud ▁perm its ▁children ▁to ▁su ck le ▁animals ▁if ▁the ▁child ' s ▁w elf are ▁dict ates ▁it . ▁Human ▁milk ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁transmit ▁character ▁tra its ▁as ▁well ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁France ▁a ▁law ▁was ▁proposed ▁to ▁ban ▁dis re put able ▁moth ers ▁from ▁n urs ing ▁their ▁own ▁children ▁so ▁that ▁their ▁imm oral ▁tra its ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁transm itted ▁via ▁their ▁milk . ▁ ▁Use ▁of ▁go ats ▁and ▁other ▁animals ▁ ▁Go ats ▁have ▁often ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁su ck le ▁human ▁b ab ies ▁and ▁inf ants . ▁The ▁K ho ik ho i ▁of ▁southern ▁Africa ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁tie ▁their ▁b ab ies ▁to ▁the ▁bel lies ▁of ▁female ▁go ats ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁feed ▁there . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁go ats ▁were ▁widely ▁used ▁in ▁Europe ▁as ▁alternatives ▁to ▁human ▁wet ▁n urs es , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁easier ▁to ▁obtain , ▁che aper ▁to ▁use ▁and ▁sa fer , ▁in ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁less ▁pr one ▁to ▁passing ▁on ▁dise ases . ▁This ▁use ▁of ▁animals ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁well - est ab lished ▁practice ▁in ▁rural ▁France ▁and ▁Italy ; ▁Pierre ▁Br ou zet , ▁the