A milking claw for a dairy animal has a top having a front pair of first and second inlets laterally spaced on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis and receiving milk from the front pair of teats and directing such milk rearwardly into the claw on laterally opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, and a rear pair of third and fourth inlets laterally spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and receiving milk from the rear pair of teats and directing such milk forwardly into the claw on laterally opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, along nonintersecting flow paths.