Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatically placing teat cups (7) onto teats of a milk-producing animal, in particular a cow, comprising the following steps: producing a two-dimensional image of teats of the animal, wherein distance information is present for at least a plurality of pixels of the two-dimensional image; evaluating the two-dimensional image and the distance information and establishing at least one position of at least one of the teats in a predetermined coordinate system; determining a further position of further one of the teats on the basis of the at least one previously ascertained position using the stored relative position information relating to a relative position of the teats of the animal in relation to one another; and applying one of the teat cups (7) to the further teat using the further position.