Peregrino,
Your wife and mine must be sisters. The first time my wife saw an elk she called them "Raindeer".
In my in-laws neighborhood there is a good size Bobcat that likes to troll the backyards. Its got one normal eye, the other eye is the size of a raquetball and a deep dark blue throughout (I'll see if I can find some pictures) but its the ugliest friggin cat I have ever seen.
She thinks its "Cute".
Col. Good luck with your pest problem. I agree with Peregrino you might want a bigger gun.