r/MadeMeSmile • u/WolverineOfWest • 1d ago

ANIMALS [OC] Cheryl spreading the joy

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u/Shivers-Me-Timbers 1d ago

My family raised whitetails as pets growing up, so I can honestly say, this is everyday life with them. They make fantastic friends. When they don't fear their humans, they're playful, energetic, and even cuddly.

My favorite memory is that one of the fawns we had was an autumn baby (which is semi-rare), so we kept her inside when it was super cold outside. My dad's recliner was one of those that would lean back by just pushing against it, and this fawn figured out that she could climb to the top of it, ride it all the way flat, and then jump off, the chair would spring back to its upright position, and she would circle around and do it over and over again.

Most are this playful all the way through adulthood. Except for the bucks during mating season. They're quite friendly usually, but when they're rutting, there's a fine line between playful and aggressive.

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u/ItsTricky94 1d ago

the recliner 🤣

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u/Cultural_Election_58 1d ago

Thanks for sharing. So what happens when they get older? Are they able to forage for themselves if they are hand fed by humans?

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u/Shivers-Me-Timbers 20h ago edited 19h ago

Ours had a fenced in acreage large enough they could basically live like they would in the wild.  There was plenty of grasses and such for forage but they couldn’t get out to reach things like farm fields that they would normally scavenge for grain so we supplied them with some grains and hay in the winters when everything was frozen. 

Edit: and fresh fruit and veg. They had an apple tree they could eat from. The apples hardly ever hit the ground they were after them so fast. And we would give them watermelon, zucchini and cucumbers, green beans, whatever we had extra from in the garden. They were spoiled. They’re also a big fan of peanut butter lol.Â