Brown Family Hiking Trails is a 330-acre property in Missouri where a family of cats, dogs, and deer often cuddle each other. To see it, you would think you’ve found a little heaven on Earth. It’s as if the usual rules about not getting along don’t apply here whatsoever. Instead, everyone enjoys snuggling for hours on the couch after a hike in the woods.
“Our animals are just very loving to each other. They’re just all so sweet together, and they’re family,” says Lorrie Brown.
Since the lockdowns for Covid, the family built ten miles of hiking trails. Daily, they enjoy hiking the hilly wooded trails, and all animals follow along. Sometimes that means a herd of as many as seven deer, three dogs, and four cats! There are spring-fed tubs and ponds that the dogs love cooling off in along the route – even in the snow! So, you know, a dog spa.
“I don’t train them. I am shocked as anyone that they follow me. They all think they are dogs,” Lorrie says.
The Brown Family dog spa
Buttons the Deer and Whitetail Lodge
Eleven years ago, they rescued Buttons, the deer, when she was just a few days old. Sadly, a car struck her mother, and she would not have lived without bottle-feeding.
All grown up, Buttons occasionally comes into the house to eat at the table. However, this momma usually explores the property, responding if someone calls her name.
In the Brown family, all the animals love each other. However, Buttons may be closest with the oldest grey and white cat, Rabbit, and G-bro, the Golden Retriever, who helped raise her.
G-bro with Buttons and her fawns, images via YouTube/The Dodo
Happy Trails in the Woods
In October, the family created a beautiful little cabin themed after Buttons. Inside, there are portraits of the deer and her family and friends. They call the cute converted shed “Whitetail Lodge.” Although you may want to stay, it’s just for the family on this idyllic farm.
Images via Instagram/BrownFamilyHikingTrails
Always, Buttons is free to come and go on the property and protected there. So long as the deer stays near, she is safe from hunters, and she’s lived a long life, having fawns each year. Then, Buttons brings the fawns to visit. Now, there are so many the family lost count of exactly how many there are. Some are relatively tame, while others remain wild.
“She normally has twins every year but she didn’t start having babies until she was 2-years-old. All we know is that her family tree is growing.”
On occasion, you might see the Brown’s son teaching a fawn to swim or their daughter giving a deer a tutoring lesson.
See Buttons the deer bring her fawns to see G-Bro below from The Dodo:
The Brown Family of Cats, Dogs, Deer, and Humans
The Brown family has three Golden Retrievers, four cats, Buttons, her offspring, and sometimes other animals like ducks.
Here’s a summary of the animals in the Brown’s peaceable kingdom:
Cats:
Rabbit, 16, Zubie, 4 Mango, 1.5, Monkey, 6 months
Golden Retrievers:
G-bro, 10, Junie, 3, Kai, 1
Deer:
Buttons, 11, and lots of babies (?)
See Monkey befriend Button and Mango from The Dodo:
Both Mango and Zubie were stray cats, and Monkey arrived after contacting an ad on Craigslist.
Monkey the kitten and Kai, the dog, like being outdoors, while older cats Rabbit and Zubie, whose sister was Soysauce, prefer being inside. One winter night, Zubie showed up in the garage and was starving. Since then, the tabby “has never wanted out since.”
Junie’s personality is a little obsessive, while G-bro is calm and Kai is goofy. Notably, G-bro’s name is short for Gavin Brown, Lorrie’s son, who chose the name for his dog.
Rabbit, the oldest cat, got his name due to when he arrived and Monkey, well he just acted like a monkey from the start.
“We named him Rabbit because we got him for Easter and normally you get bunnies or ducks for Easter,” they explained on Instagram.
Sometimes, Rabbit likes to be carried home after one of the Brown family hikes.
Buttons with Rabbit the Cat
🐒 Monkey the Kitten 🐒
Monkey, the tabby kitten, arrived at 6-weeks-old from an ad on Craigslist. They decided to take in Monkey after Mango’s sister Soysauce passed away. The sandy-colored cat would cry looking for his sister, and they felt he needed someone to love.
Soon after Monkey arrived, everyone wanted to be his friend, and the snuggle bug loved cuddling with them all. However, Mango initially took a little time to warm up to the kitten.
Monkey the kitten with Mango
Then, Lorrie started taking little Monkey on hikes on her shoulder. Eventually, he became independent and loves hiking on the family trails with Mango and the gang. However, he’s never far from sight, with predators like bobcats and coyotes in the area.
We love watching this loving family enjoy their time together. If only every place could be so peaceable and loving.
For more, follow the Brown Family Hiking Trails on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
