Local animal lovers are excited about the recent news of a doe deer adopting a feral baby kitten at Dan and Sue Stahlman”s home in Lakeport. The deer-cat relationship has drawn attention from all around the county. Whereas dogs and even baby raccoons have adopted kittens, no one, including wildlife biologists, can remember a deer adopting a kitten.
The abandoned kitten showed up at the Stahlman residence two weeks ago and was little more than skin and bones. The Stahlmans fed the kittten and it began to put on some weight but still wouldn”t allow anyone near it. That all changed when a deer showed up looking for water. According to Dan Stahlman, the kitten immediately went to the doe, which began licking it. The pair bonded in a short time and has been inseparable ever since. The kitten sleeps in a nearby shed but is the first to greet the deer when it comes around. The deer immediately begins licking the kitten. Dan said the deer actually goes looking for the kitten and licks it until it”s soaking wet. I checked with several veterinarians and wildlife biologists and they all said it”s the first time they have heard of a deer and kitten bonding. How long the two will remain friends is anyone”s guess.
Lake County abounds with stories about wildlife. One of the best is when Scotts Valley resident Jessie James adopted a wild ground squirrel. Ground squirrels are common throughout the county but most run at the sight of a human. James said he found the baby ground squirrel a year ago on his ranch. He took the young squirrel home with him and bottle-fed it milk and liquid puppy food. He named the female squirrel “Roadie.” The squirrel comes when he calls and he said it”s even possible it saved him from being bitten by a rattlesnake. According the James, he was out in his yard and called Roadie. The squirrel came running and was about 10 feet away before skidding to a halt. Her tail went up and she started to run around in circles. James approached the squirrel and there was a huge rattlesnake all coiled up. James said if Roadie hadn”t warned him he would probably have stepped on the snake. It was 4-feet long and had 10 rattles. To say the least, Roadie is now a permanent part of the James family.
A woman in Bachelor Valley told me a few years ago she adopted an abandoned doe fawn. She raised the deer and named it “Baby.” When the deer became an adult it disappeared. Several years went by without her seeing it and one day an adult doe showed up in her yard. She thought she recognized it as Baby. She called out the deer”s name and it came running right up to her and she petted it. After all those years the doe remembered her.
Of course, it”s not just wild animals that astound us with their abilities. A few years ago my daughter adopted a feral cat that showed up in her yard in Santa Rosa. It took several months before the cat would allow her to pet it. Soon the cat was living in her house but the surprising thing is that the cat learned to open her front door. The cat would jump up and grab the doorknob with its paws and twist it. The door would open and the cat would go outside. It also would go into her bathroom and turn on the shower using the same technique. I wouldn”t have believed it if I hadn”t seen it.
The Department of Fish and Game says we are not to feed or tame wild animals. Of course, very few people pay attention to that. In fact, people throughout the county feed deer all the time even though it is against the law. I don”t feed deer but I still enjoy them when they show up in my yard for water. The same applies to quail and wild turkeys. That”s what makes living in Lake County so special.
