Oh Good, A Wyoming Cat And A Deer Have Become Best Friends

A white-tailed deer born last spring in a backyard near Buffalo has grown up to become best friends with a female cat named Tuffitt. Don Twing, who has owned the rural Johnson County property with his wife for 45 years, said the buck was born and grew up in the backyard. “He’s been around cats since he was tiny,” Twing said. “And she’s an outgoing, friendly little cat.”

Twing grew up on a Wyoming ranch and has always liked all manner of critters, domestic and wild. He has taken steps to make his property bird and animal-friendly, with lilac bushes and trees surrounding the backyard. The rural road they live on is a popular spot for people to dump unwanted cats, and the Twings adopted several. Several years ago, an old white-tailed doe showed up and decided to take up residence, birthing and raising her offspring there. Over the years, she has birthed many fawns, mostly in typical sets of twins. Some have decided to stick around too. “Unfortunately, yes, if the weather is bad, I can have 20 whitetails back there, bedded in the trees and the grass,” Twing joked.