Maternal instinct

Davis JS, Rueda BR. The corpus luteum an ovarian structure with maternal instincts and suicidal tendencies. Front Biosci. 2002 7 dl949-dl978. 

My favorite anecdote about moral instincts involves cats. When a pregnant female cat gives birth to her kittens, she immediately proceeds to lick away the thin membranes that coat each newborn kitten. If she doesn t do this, the kittens will quickly die. For centuries, this behavior of female cats and other female animals was hailed as a sterling example of a maternal instinct and also a moral instinct, since what else could the mother cat s behavior be except a nurturing instinct for her kittens But physiologists are hard-bitten realists, and as physiological science... 

A rare and distinctive-looking breed. Good maternal instincts. Dual-purpose (there is a slight discoloration of the meat). 

As the most maternal sign in the zodiac, Cancer has an instinct for closeness that few signs can equal. The family you were born into never ceases to play a central role in your consciousness, whether positive or negative (or, more likely, a confusing amalgamation of both). You lavish attention on friends and lovers alike, and in the absence of a committed romantic partner, you turn friends into family. Children claim a special place in your heart. 

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