Whether furred or feathered, with paws or hooves, all are welcome in Don Twing’s backyard north of Buffalo.
And two residents of the property, a yearling white-tailed deer buck and a female cat named Tuffitt, have become best buddies.
It only makes sense, Twing told Cowboy State Daily. The buck was born and grew up in the backyard of the home that Twing and his wife have owned for 45 years.
“He’s been around cats since he was tiny,” he said. “And she’s an outgoing, friendly little cat."
‘An Old White-Tailed Doe’
Twing grew up on a Wyoming ranch and has always liked all manner of critters, domestic and wild.
So, he’s taken steps to make his rural Johnson County home bird and animal-friendly.
“There are lots of lilac bushes and trees surrounding the backyard. I did that intentionally,” mostly in hopes of attracting birds, he said.
The rural road they live on is a popular spot for people to come dump unwanted cats. Being soft-hearted toward animals, the Twings adopted a few of the cats.
And several years ago, a white-tailed doe showed up. She was apparently so impressed with the place that she decided to take up residence and started birthing and raising her offspring there.
“I have an old white-tailed doe who hangs around,” he said.
Over the years, she’s birthed many fawns, mostly in typical sets of twins. Some of them have decided to stick around too.
Twing talked jokingly about his little resident deer herd.
“Unfortunately, yes, if the weather is bad, I can have 20 whitetails back there, bedded in the trees and the grass,” he said.
Last spring, the old doe gave birth to another set of twins, a male and a female.
‘I’ve Got No Idea’
The cats and the deer get along fine, with no spats breaking out between them. But they typically don’t have all that much to do with each other, other than hanging out in the same general area.
But for some reason, Tuffitt and the male from the old doe’s 2025 set of twins have taken a shine to each other.
The deer has grown into a healthy yearling buck with his first set of spike antlers coming in.
He and Tuffitt are frequently right next to each other. The cat will roll over on her back and extend a friendly paw or two. And Twing’s seen them affectionately going nose-to-nose.
Twing said he’s yet to see the cat hop on the young buck’s back for a ride, but he won’t be surprised if it happens.
When asked why those two particular animals have gotten so close, Twing chuckled.
“I’ve got no idea,” he said.
It might have something to do with Tuffitt’s pleasant disposition.
“She loves people. With people, she’s never met a stranger,” he said. "And I’m guessing she’s just become that way with that deer."
Not Encouraged, But Not Unusual
Given the number of rural properties with pets in Wyoming, it’s probably not unusual for some domestic and wild animals to form bonds, wildlife biologist Cat Wood told Cowboy State Daily.
“They’re cute stories, but not necessarily something that should be encouraged. It can happen just because of where we’ve built our houses in some areas,” she said.
Deer can get used to people and domestic animals, if they’re not anxious about the surroundings, Wood said.
“If it’s a low-stress environment where the deer don’t feel the pressure of predation they (deer and pets) can get used to each other,” she said.
A Buck With No Name
Twing likes having the deer around, but doesn’t regard them as pets.
“My daughter lives in Fort Collins and I had to laugh when I called and told her about the cat and the deer,” he said. "She said, ‘I suppose you named the buck’, and I said, ‘no.’"
Tuffett might soon have some more deer around.
“The little mommy doe, she’s looking pretty heavy,” Twing said. "I’m thinking that maybe here toward the middle of June she’ll have some more babies."
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
