Is our cat best friends with a pet deer?

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A playful interaction between a cat and a resident deer in Tsu's garden has sparked a lively discussion, revealing that Tsu previously blamed the cats for garden damage. The deer, often seen resting near the house, is anticipated to have fawns, which raises concerns about potential garden destruction. Participants share anecdotes about deer behavior, including their playful nature and the possibility of them being a nuisance when it comes to gardens. The conversation also touches on the types of deer present, with some confusion about whether they are white-tailed or black-tailed deer. Concerns about the safety of the cat around the deer are mentioned, as well as humorous exchanges about the dynamics between the animals. Pictures of the deer are shared, showcasing their cuteness and the community's affection for them, despite the potential for garden damage. Overall, the thread captures a blend of humor, wildlife observation, and the challenges of cohabiting with nature.
  • #31
DocToxyn calls them undercooked deer.
 
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  • #32
Ivan Seeking said:
DocToxyn calls them undercooked deer.
:smile: Since I'm moving to WV where I think their biggest "industry" is hunting, I suppose I have to say the same thing now. :rolleyes: They're really cute at a distance, not so cute close up and in tight quarters.
 
  • #33
Moonbear said:
:smile: Since I'm moving to WV where I think their biggest "industry" is hunting, I suppose I have to say the same thing now. :rolleyes: They're really cute at a distance, not so cute close up and in tight quarters.
Nooooo, NOOOOOO. I can't even think about killing one of those beautiful creatures. :cry:

Of course if it's already a rump roast, the only decent thing to do is eat it, in honor of it, of course, sort of a "Stranger in a strange land" grokking kind of way. :redface: :bugeye:
 
  • #34
Moonbear said:
They're white-tailed deer.
Actually they are Western Black Tail. Oregon has a very small White Tail population, they are localized in a valley about 100mi south of here. Our Black Tails are small, less the 100lbs dressed, often way less then 100 lbs. If you go to the other side of the Cascade mountains you will find a much larger Mule Deer.

My mom was born and grew up on a ranch in the Oregon Coast range. One year, as a child, she befriended a deer, later in the year her "pet" grew horns (ok, antlers). When it chased her across the yard and tore her dress, grandpa wasted no time...They had venison.
 
  • #35
I'd say the more immediate concern is the cat getting stomped.
 
  • #36
Integral said:
Actually they are Western Black Tail. Oregon has a very small White Tail population, they are localized in a valley about 100mi south of here. Our Black Tails are small, less the 100lbs dressed, often way less then 100 lbs. If you go to the other side of the Cascade mountains you will find a much larger Mule Deer.

Maybe it's the lighting, but the deer in the pictures don't look like they have black tails (the distinctive characteristic of black-tailed deer, not surprisingly). Other than that, it's pretty hard to tell white-tails from black-tails, at least for me :redface:.

Well, if they are black-tails, then those aren't such a vermin as white-tails, so we won't turn them into venison. Tsu can watch for fawns.

Ivan Seeking said:
I'd say the more immediate concern is the cat getting stomped.

Deer seem to know house cats can't really do anything to them. When I worked with deer, we had a stupid, highly annoying, loud barn cat that we thought we'd find stomped one day, but he seemed to wander among the deer all he wanted and they didn't really care. They can move a lot faster than the cat if they want to be left alone.
 
  • #37
Okay we have a solution. If this is a male, when the antlers start getting large I'm going to have Tsu go out and put little rubber tips on the ends.


[Reminds me a bit of how my grandpa told me to catch birds: Just put a little salt on their tail.]
 
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  • #38
I think she will need some practise...say, finger cots at 40 paces?
 
  • #39
Tonight I walked out the back door of the house and caught a doe playing with two of our cats, and only about five feet away. Of course as soon as the door shut she saw me and ran for cover; with two cats right behind her.

So now they are up to the door. What's next? Of course it beats skunks. :biggrin:

I once met a woman who, while taking a leisurely bath one day, looked up to see a baby Brahma Bull standing in the doorway of the bathroom and watching her.

0013-0410-1118-4138_SM.jpg
 
  • #40
Ivan Seeking said:
I once met a woman who, while taking a leisurely bath one day, looked up to see a baby Brahma Bull standing in the doorway of the bathroom and watching her.

0013-0410-1118-4138_SM.jpg
Brahma's are well known voyeurs.
 
  • #41
Last year the cats brought skunks into the house...

Was it a romantic, Pepe le Pieu, kind of rendezvous?
 
  • #42
revelator said:
Was it a romantic, Pepe le Pieu, kind of rendezvous?

We don't know of any funny business, but cats and skunks do really like each other. Well...that was until they met Bun. Until now our cats and the skunks liked to hang out, but Bun [barely a year old] is so high energy that she seems to have run them all away. I would see her chasing them all around my office, and then, one day, they were gone. :smile:
 

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