Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of milking a mammal which includes, applying a vacuum to the lower end of a milking cup liner; and modulating the pressure in the pulsation volume to cause a milking operation on a teat of an animal that is inserted into the top end of the bore. The modulation includes an “on” phase in which the vacuum applied to the liner bore is less than a vacuum applied to the pulsation volume to thereby enable milk flow from the teat, and an “off” phase in which the pulsation volume is at an increased pressure relative to the “on” phase to close the liner bore to thereby stop milk flow from the teat. The modulation includes applying positive pressure to the pulsation volume to apply compressive load to the teat.