A procedure where two rats, one pregnant rat and one female rat who is not pregnant, are surgically joined to share a blood supply. This means they they both are exposed to hormones that just one secretes. The end result is that the rat who is not pregnant will show maternal behavior, because the pregnant rat secreted the necessary hormones. 

University of California, Davis

It is seen that virgin female rats do not display these maternal behaviors around newborns. Virgin females dislike the smell of pups. However, if put a female around pups for a few hours for a few days in a row, virgin females can develop some maternal behaviors; they can be trained to care for newborns. 

Virgin Females and Newborns

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

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