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A Fisher Cat

An interesting visitor at our Bird feeder.

Here are some pictures of Fisher tracks in the snow.

Dan
Durham, NH

Fisher	Fisher	Fisher	Fisher
fisher-scan.jpg

abbie		02-Jul-2009 22:07
i love fisher cats!!!! i found one in my yard and it was sick :(

Joanne Stevens		25-Jun-2009 06:54
I live in Newmarket, NH and we have a resident fishercat in our trailer park. No one has a pet cat anymore. I heard that fishercat get them all. Sometimes I think he gets a small dog in the neighborhood a bit down the street, the last one was right across the street. I was sitting outside and he saw me, turned around and went across the street and very soon afterwards I heard the fight. I just saw him outside a few minutes. He seems to walk around the trailers now that he's gotten all the cats. I don't feel safe outside at night anymore especially if mysmall dog has to go out and do her duty.

Guest		23-Jun-2009 00:20
A fisher has lived near me for a year, my husband saw it attack a rabbit and carry it off. I have tried to take pictures but the nasty cat has eluded me. This animal walks like a bear, runs like a weasel, stalks like a lion, and the one near me has no white or cream color that I could see. I won't go out at night and walk around the way I might have before. The dog next door was attacked by something and had to be patched up by the vet. Keep your animals in.

TREY		22-Jun-2009 18:50
TO ALL YOU SO CALLED "ANIMAL LOVERS" THAT "LOVE THEIR PETS"...IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS, KEEP THEM IN THE HOUSE!!! I HATE ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT ARE SO SAD THEY LOST THEIR CAT, ETC. IF YOU LOVED THEM SO MUCH THEN WHY DID YOU LET THEM OUTSIDE TO GET KILLED BY ANOTHER ANIMAL? YOU KNOW WHATS OUT IN THOSE WOODS...ITS 2009...THERE HAS BEEN MILLIONS OF CATS AND DOGS ETC KILLED AND EATEN...USE YOUR BRAINS. WOULD YOU GO OUTSIDE BY YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS BY YOURSELF WITH NO PROTECTION? GOOD LUCK! YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING YOUR ANIMALS NOT PUTTING THEM IN DANGER!!! SO, STOP CRYING WHEN KITTY DOESNT COME HOME FOR 4 DAYS, ITS ALL YOUR FAULT SO I HOPE YOU FEEL GUILTY.

Guest		17-Jun-2009 16:02
Does anyone have photos of baby fishers? We live in N. Central Mass. I was just on my porch at mid-day and noticed a rustling in the nearby woods, looked and saw 4 or 5 small critters traveling up the hill. At first I thought they were chipmunks playing but the realized they had elongated bodies, white bellies a tan/brown coat, rounded ears and brownish tails that weren't too bushy. I went up the hill to investigate and saw them hiding under the mountain laurel under leaves and in small holes, they kept coming out to look at me as I was only 5 feet away from them. I got a good look at them. They made cooing sounds to each other, probably warning each other I was there. I'll try to photgraph and post if I can. We lost our big rough and tough cat (17 lbs.)last summer and I hope I'm not looking at the end results of that. Thanks.

Guest		13-Jun-2009 03:44
I think we saw a fisher tonight behind our shed. When the security light came on in the backyard I looked to see what set it off there was a raccoon at the side tree line. It was heading to the side yard where the shed is. I have a bucket of sunflower seed there that feeds the birds, chipmunks and woodchucks. I sat on the dark porch to see if the raccoon would show up at the bucket, then I saw this HUGE thing I thought was a dog come up the hill from the neighbors yard headed for the bucket. Since the bucket is in a dark spot we got a flashlight and those glowing eyes were pretty scarey as was seeing this huge animal with its huge bushy tail looking back at us!!! Wow. I've never seen a fisher before and had no idea they would be in this area totally surrounded by houses. The neighbors right behind us were outside yakking with their torches going & still this thing came from the trees near where they were. Scarey stuff. Guess the bucket is coming in at dusk from now on!! I have two dogs that have to go out to do their thing. This is in Allenstown NH. Is the size correct on these things up to 15 lbs? This thing looked as large as my Collie!

Bob		11-Jun-2009 22:46
Maxine - if you stop putting delicious chickens outside you will likely see a lot less of them. If it is a fisher you will have foxes or cats lining up to have a bite. Sorry to hear of your losses but you put food outside and they will come.

Abreanna		10-Jun-2009 21:33
Do you think a Fisher would attack a 60 pound dog? worried about my lost dog!

Maxine Morris		08-Jun-2009 23:45
It is June8/09 and I am sitting in my farm house crying all because of a fisher. This horrible creature just desecrated 12 of my 4 week old chickens. We would put them outside around noon and bring them back in around 6.30 pm. They were in their caged in area, so safe , I thought. I live in Canada and if anyone knows how to get rid of them permanently, I would appreciate knowing, Many Thanks Sincerely , Janine

LunaSea		07-Jun-2009 01:30
I live at the Chelmsford Mobile Home Park in Chemlsford, MA where Fisher Cats have been seen, and several cats are now missing, even a small jack russell is now missing, my other cat has been coming in when the sun goes down and I thought it was was weird for him to be acting that way, normally he stays out all night till recently he has been coming in and staying the entire night indoors, and this Saturday morning a tennant was walking her dog and got attacked by a Fisher Cat, not sure how bad, but now when my two dogs go out to poo I stand guard with a baseball bat.

Rick		01-Jun-2009 23:16
I have lived at my house for 30 years and tonight my wifa and I saw a fisher cat (googled)climb a tree in the back yard and grab a chunk of suet and run across the street into the woods. Rick Tewksbury MA

Anna		01-Jun-2009 02:08
I'll try to keep this short but it's a story that has been going on for about 7 years. I had a female fisher living in a tree at the edge of my yard. I don't know if she stayed there all year long but exactly on March 4 of every year a male showed up and sat at the bottom of the tree. This went on for about 10 days and the mating ritual began. He would chase her all over the yard/woods. The 4th year when he showed up she would viciously attack him. She would screech and run him off. I don't know if she was too old to mate but that was the last time I saw them for about 2 years. This year a female was living in the tree (could have been one of the offspring) and a male showed up. I could not deal with this again. They were so close to my house. Couldn't they find another hollow tree in the woods to live in? Why so close to human activity? Anyway, I called a guy to come and cut the tree down. When the tree hit the ground she popped her head out of the hole, looked at them and ran into the woods. Finally she was gone or so I thought. I walked to the tree to check out her nest and heard a baby making a crying noise. I ran back to my house fully expecting her to return. As soon as it started getting dark, the male showed up. He just walked back and forth on the fallen tree trying to figure out what the hell happened. He sat there all night. When I got up in the morning they were all gone. This was about 2 1/2 months ago. I hope they don't come back. The tree has been cut up into pieces. Sorry, this story was so long but it's unbelievable. I still can't believe it.

Mike & Erin		31-May-2009 18:10
Mike & Erin Brunswick,NY Found a fisher in our dog house our black lab chased it out it was atacking the dog and so we killed it with a patio block

Charity		28-May-2009 16:57
I saw one running across the street today in Lyman, Maine. I had never seen one before. I thought it was a cat at first but then saw the long tail. I called my husband and he told me to look up fisher cats on the web...well here I am and that is definitely what I saw.

Mike in Voluntown		12-May-2009 04:33
Actually Douglas - 1. You might revisit your source for information - Fishers have been REintroduced to CT by DEP (or as you consider it - the "Stupid" DEP). REintroduction is not Introduction. They were native to the New England region and heavly hunted over the past centuries. Word has it that they were REintroduced to help control this crazy porcupine outbreak we are having in the area (some sarcasm there since I have yet to encounter one). and 2. Never thought I once recommended anyone let their domestic cats out supervised. I have no doubt the fisher could kill a cat swiftly. My advice to one and all has always to keep domestic cats indoors if you do not want them to be part of the food chain they themselves try to dominate.

Douglas		11-May-2009 22:07
....Mike.... A: Fishercats are NOT native to Connecticut, they were introduced here by the D.E.P. B: House cat is a Fishercat's favorite meal. A fishercat will kill a house cat in seconds and drag it off before you can open the door.

Douglas Noyes		11-May-2009 22:03
Saw a Fishercat at the end of the driveway in N. Guilford yesterday.... Stupid D.E.P.... What were they thinking?

Pat Durante		06-May-2009 02:26
Just had one on my deck! Was letting the dog out, thank God she didn't catch it. Checked out the picture to make sure I wasn't seeing a cat. No black cats in the neighborhood with big bushy tails. Very slinky. Gave me the creeps! Was just at a Shoreline Greenway Meeting the other night and a naturalist was there talking about the fishers saying he'd never seen one. I knew there was one in the neighborhood and had seen it a few years ago. Guess it's still here!

Jim Andisio		05-May-2009 17:00
Please do not give out my e-mail address as it is linked to my business, Thank you. I live in Manchester,CT, and today I am out of a job. My neighbor has a backyard pond with goldfish, Koi and frogs. When he goes away, my job is to feed his fish. He called me today and said I was out of a job. Last night something ate all his fish, including his frogs. I have noticed that we haven't seen a chipmonk this spring and the squirrels are going, going...gone. Jim in Manchester, CT

janice		05-May-2009 02:05
I lost my dear sweet cat last night. Every night I let her in before I go to bed and last night I didnt. she never came home. and the strange thing was I saw a fisher cat walking down the road today. I have never seen one before so I looked it up on line and thats what it was. what a horrible way to go.

SM		03-May-2009 22:33
I saw a fisher this morning for the first time. It wandered out of the woods behind my house & walked across my backyard & into the woods again. Last year there were several cats lost in our neighborhood. We thought it might be a fisher, I guess it's back. Thankfully I keep my cats indoors. If you live in Northport/Bayside,ME keep your animals inside!

Desi		01-May-2009 00:27
I live in Hatfield, MA. We have Bald eagles, a bobcat, coyotes, fox, bear and many others. My next door neighbors warned me, as they were concerned about our dog on a leash during the day and "chucky" the neighborhood patrolling cat, that they found a large dead cat under the pine tree line. The next day I was out mowing the lawn and could smell it decomposing and went out to bury it, to keep the dog from rolling on it, and what I found was a Fisher. I'm not sure what killed it but I do know that about 2 weeks ago, I heard alot of screaming outside. Maybe then, I don't know, it's been cold until last weekend????

Alison		25-Apr-2009 22:11
We saw a strange looking animal this morning in the woods just behind our house. Yup, it was a fisher cat. We are in Old Lyme, Ct. I had heard they were around, but this is the first time I have seen one. We have a cat and small dog. They won't be going outside anymore unless they are leashed.

Mike		25-Apr-2009 02:34
Cindy - my suggestion - keep your cats inside if you want to keep them. Your cat is a hunter and not a domestic animal. It has no right to hunt native creatures and I am sure you feed your cats every day so there is no need for them to hunt (the dont eat what they kill - they are thrill killers only). Fisher cats are native (and protected). They hunt, kill and eat to survive. They are VERY efficient killers. Your cats would not last 30 seconds - and if they climb a tree to escape they are in for a very rude awakening. Dont trap the fisher because it is eyeing your hunters. If they are your cats then be responsible and keep them inside - they DO NOT NEED TO GO OUT SIDE TO LIVE and the fact that they can be killed is scaring you. I love cats, and dogs - in fact I love every little critter I see in my garden. My cat never gets a chance to hunt anything and is COMPLETELY safe - it is indoors always. Please consider the right of the fisher cat before you contact your local wild life officers to enquire about having the fisher trapped for you (they wont want you to do it and you might appreciate why if you knew their capabilities).

Cindy		24-Apr-2009 12:19
Cindy, I recently saw a Fisher Cat in my back yard about 100 feet away from me. I had the day off, and I usually let my two cats out on nice days. This day they were hovering around the deck and one of them saw something hopping through the woods. And when I noticed my cat piercing into the woods I went out on the deck and sure enough he just kept coming towards us. As I watched him he kept stopping to smell. I'm sure he's picked up the scent of my cats. This weekend I'm going to try to trap him. I'm looking for any suggestions.

Jeanine		24-Apr-2009 00:47
I have been looking for my cat for the last 4 days, hopefully she will show up! I was on my way home and I saw this creature that had a face like an opposum and the color was brown and had cream color on him also. I immediately remembered a story that my husband said about a thing called a fisher cat, I had never heard of them, so I looked them up and sure enough they say they can have a cream patch on them!!! I live in Cornwall New York and I never heard of them being around here. Pet owners keep your pets inside!!!

Mike in Voluntown		23-Apr-2009 04:21
Wow - that was a cool encounter. Moments ago I heard an odd noise (over the sound of the TV). The tell tale screams of a Fisher. I grabbed the camera (midnight and raining steady so didnt like my chances) and flood light. Impressive how loud they can be. I was thinking it must be outside my window but saw two large animals at the end of my driveway in the woods. One went one way (thought it a dog) and the other (looking like a fox in size and shape) lept the other once the light hit them. I headed toward where they had been and could hear the crys of the fisher (which was what had looked like a fox if that gives you an idea of size). I then saw the "dog" which was a coyote run back accross the driveway after the fisher. I was still 30 yards away and really only saw each for a second or two. The Fisher did not sound too happy about the encounter. I missed my chance of taking a picture and did not think it wise to chase a Coyote and fisher into the woods for a close up!! Theres a pack of coyotes in the area but only one that I was aware of tonight. The fisher screamed intermittently for a few more minutes (once every 20 seconds or so). It is impressively loud (like a woman screaming for her life). Just wanted to share tonights encounter - one of these days I will have some pictures to share.

Carol Sylvia		18-Apr-2009 05:14
Boy, am I glad to have stumbled across this site! Last Summer I was standing in my back yard several feet from my deck, the door under the deck was open as I was bringing out pool toys.What I thought was a huge black cat, but crazy looking came flying down the terraces in my yard and ran right under my deck! I was shocked, because in my heart something felt really wrong! I went to the other side and opened the other door so whatever it was could exit and sprayed the hose in for awhile. I have heard the eeriest sound many nights in the last year or two. It all comes together now! I live right on the edge of Great Esker park, so maybe it was a Fisher Cat?

Sheri		17-Apr-2009 21:29
I saw a Fisher Cat for the second time in Ellington. This one was really big and crossed the road in front of my car. I stopped the car and it turned and stood on the side of the road looking right at me. I almost had my cell phone ready for a photo when another car passed and he ran off. It was sooooo cute, with a teddy bear type face.

Guest		15-Apr-2009 11:34
live in voluntown too heard one last night and brought my cat in they sound like a screming girl too its spooky

Mike in Voluntown		14-Apr-2009 06:23
Live in the woods in Voluntown. There are a few fishers around. Have seen them face to face. Amazing critters. Still trying to photograph one. I can appreciate everyones fears as we have a cat and small dog. Cat is an indoor cat but dog has to go out (as a dog does). I never let the dog out unsupervised but still am concerned that the dog will chase a fisher (as a terrier will try to chase everyting). I know the fisher will quickly kill our dog which is why I am so dilligent about supervision. I feel bad for all who have lost pets or suffered injuries. But I also appreciate the fact that a fisher is a wild animal. We have Coyotes, foxes, bobcats etc. I am sure these all would gladly make a meal of my dog too. I feel like I am living in their habitat and have to respect their right to live here to. They were here before me and I hope they will be here after me. Consider all the native birds, snakes, lizards, and mamals your sweet kitty cat will kill - Only fair that they take their place on that food chain they try to dominate. I hope others will consider all critters and our need to coexist. If you want to keep your pet safe you will also need to keep it away from other critters.

Guest		13-Apr-2009 20:37
Oakley, Central Vermont area. Our cat has been an indoor/outdoor cat for 9 years. # weeks ago, the cat got attacked by something and ended up with 2 bites on her hind end. the vet did not think it was a fisher, but another cat. Last Tuesday, Molly was outside again and within a 1/2 hour, I heard this awful, high pitched screaming. I knew our Molly was in trouble. I opened the window and screamed, in a terrified loud voice, Molly's name over and over. Our vet thinks that may have saved her - given her time to get away when the fisher was attacking. Yes, the vet thinks it is a fisher now. She had to have a drain put in to flush out an abscess. She is a Maine coon cat and is tough and scrappy, but I wish she would retreat from conflict! We are blessed to have her alive, beaten up, but alive. We are trapping the fisher with the permission of the game warden and he will come dispose of it when caught. They are nasty critters.

GintyO		11-Apr-2009 01:58
Bri and I feel your pain. From previous entries, you know that we are trying to protect Bill from the same fate. If it is of any comfort, please listen to "Father and Son" by Yousef Islam (Cat Stevens) to ease your pain.

heartbroken for Sandy		07-Apr-2009 18:34
We just lost our sweet, 13 year old Lhasa Apso last Saturday night. We believe it was attacked and dragged into the woods by a fisher cat. She was out for only a short time. The animal that attacked her must have been frightened when we came out to search. She weighed 25-27lbs and started to show her age. We found her grasping for air. We picked her up, wrapped her and took her to the hosp. Her wounds were many, and very bad, therefore we had to put her to sleep.

guest		31-Mar-2009 21:45
This morning we found our "resident bunny" dead in the back yard. He was wild and had been living in the garden for the last few years. He had been decapitated. A friend said that Fisher's often do that and eat the brains of their prey. Is this true? Ghastly thought. I have looked everywhere for the hunting "techniques' of these animals but have not found anything yet. We have a small dog- 18 pounds or so, but I am now convinced not to let him out at night anymore on his own. Often I have heard the wild screeching that is described on these sites and I may have seen one in the daylight coming into our yard. We live in Gloucester MA and I m curious if more people have had this experience here in this area.

missybic		31-Mar-2009 10:33
I just found a Fisher Cat in my compost bin! Actually it was first found by my 13 year old daughter. What scares me the most is how "cute" they are. And the noises that they make. My 7 year old daughter over the summer, hear what she thought was "kitties" under a shed in the yard as she played by herself..... She came in running scared and said "Mama, something big under the shed yelled at me." I went out to see if I could see what it was, but couldn't see anything. What i would like to know is do they live in trees, or do they borrow? I have a huge borrow in the back yard, and am considering a large dog in order to protect my family. I have 4 children, the youngest is a 22lb 16 month old. This fisher was found less then 10 feet from my back door, and when I opended a window to scare it off, it came out from around the compost bin, and bounced towards the window that i was in. No hissing, but it wanted me to know that it saw me, didnt like me, and checked to see if i was a threat. I live in Rowley mass just off of Rt 133. Any advise for me can be sent to missybic@yahoo.com Thank you.

Ginty O		21-Mar-2009 03:03
Bri and I feel that your miniature horses should be fine, as the fisher c does not take on anything larger than your typical house cat (bastards). As for us, Bill is doing well with his new curfew - in no later than 7:30pm. A new season is upon us and while we keep an ever-vigilant watch on Bill, we realize that the fisher c is certainly more than a distant memory. Bri has aged a year since our first encounter (and entry)...but so has the fisher c. The (fisher) bell tolls for thee.

Linda		14-Mar-2009 11:20
I believe I just saw a fisher cat at around 6:30 this morning here in the woods of southern Maine. It caught my eye for just a moment as it climbed over a snowbank. It was slinky and moved smoothly. I don't know whatelse it could be. I do have 3 red squirrels living and playing around my bird feeders - I wouldn't mind at all if he took them along with him.....could someone tell me though what the footprint is like? I'll go out later when the sun is up (scaredy-cat) and look at the prints. I have miniature horses in the barn - they wouldn't bother them, would they?

Linda		14-Mar-2009 11:09
I believe I just saw a fisher cat at around 6:30 this morning here in the woods of southern Maine. It caught my eye for just a moment as it climbed over a snowbank. It was slinky and moved smoothly. I don't know whatelse it could be. I do have 3 red squirrels living and playing around my bird feeders - I wouldn't mind at all if he took them along with him.....could someone tell me though what the footprint is like? I'll go out later when the sun is up (scaredy-cat) and look at the prints. I have miniature horses in the barn - they wouldn't bother them, would they?

Guest		14-Mar-2009 02:35
I wish all the best for your pets. We have a fisher in the local area. It has routed many pests as well as pets.We have a coon cat, which lives indoors and hides when it smells the fisher. I have a suggestion for a fix, but it may take some work.This may seem like a no-brainer but if you're concerned about fishers in your area. I suggest the following. Contact your animal control officer and PURSUE them about the data on the local fisher population or complaints of lost pets.That said, contact EVERYONE in your local fisher populace area and ask them to sign a public safety petition. Go to your next town meeting, lodge a complaint, present the petition (hint-a thousand signatures is a nice number of voters, er residents.)Go to the local Rod & Gun club and present the petition there as well. A smart idea would be also to leave a percentage of Fifi's or Fluffy's next vet's visit as a donation. So here you have it, you've presented your problem to your public officials, enabled public support and contracted with a professional, private entity to complete the job.However, be sure of this, if you trap, kill it, or destroy its habitat on your own, you WILL bear the wrath of the ASPCA,your local authorities, as well as every conservationist on the planet.

Guest		13-Mar-2009 12:19
Groton, CT - I've just spotted my first one dashing through our backyard woods line. Our property abuts about 60 acres of woods near the Groton reservoir. About three feet long head to tail, all black, jumps like a weasel. Squirrel population still pretty good.

Ginty O		08-Mar-2009 01:36
It has been a quiet winter. Bill is fine, although he is one year older and at 18, the reflexes are slower. Bri and I are once more preparing for the feared fisher c. We will keep you posted through the spring season. We are sad to say that last summer and fall we failed to apprehend the dastardly beast. Bill's life depends upon our ever vigilent attention to the fisher c. (What does their den look like?)

E Papageorg		26-Feb-2009 17:50
i must admit that having seen one has really peaked my interest. does anyone know if they are creatues of habit and/or territories? should i think that this was an isolated incident, that it was just traveling through? should i warn the neighbors or would i be raising a false alarm? this site says there are pictures of their tracks in the snow, but i dont see any posted? is there some where else i should look? also the pictures below show the animal at a suet feeder. the one i saw was at least twice the size by comparison to the one in these photos. how big do they get?

E Papageorg		26-Feb-2009 16:14
i must admit that having seen one has really peaked my interest. does anyone know if they are creatues of habit and/or territories? should i think that this was an isolated incident, that it was just traveling through? should i warn the neighbors or would i be raising a false alarm? this site says there are pictures of their tracks in the snow, but i dont see any posted? is there some where else i should look? also the pictures below show the animal at a suet feeder. the one i saw was at least twice the size by comparison to the one in these photos. how big do they get?

Tania		26-Feb-2009 01:01
I saw a Fisher Cat for the first time in my life today. I saw him while driving to work today in Thompson, CT. He was wandering all over the road like he was confused and he smelled like a skunk. Everyone was stopping to look at him. Some were saying they thought he was rabid. Very interesting but very scary at the same time. I would NEVER let any of my cats go outside. To think we actually have these violent critters around here. I love all animals and these guys are cute, but don't let their cuteness fool you. They are mean as hell. Picture a pet ferret that grew ten times it's size and got up on the wrong side of the bed!!!

E Papageorg		25-Feb-2009 14:42
absolutely amazing, just saw one cross the street from my house headed to the woods and wet land area. i ran out of house and watched for about five minutes as it prowled around sniffing here and there. it climbed to the top of a rocky outcropping before i lost sight of it. have seen many different tracks this winter in the snow that i did not recognize. now i know. i live in braintree mass. we have been seeing more and more wildlife in the area of late. deer, rabbits, hawks. this winter i out out bird seed for the 1st time and had a steady group of feeding birds including male and female cardinal, flickers, woodpeckers, tufted tit mice. and many others. i wish the Fisher Cat no ill will as long as it keeps its distance. really wished i had grabbed the camera on the way out the door but really didnt think i was going to catch up to it.

Tired of the Fisher		23-Feb-2009 18:13
I have grown tired an intolerant of the Fisher who seems to live under my deck. He/she is not just nocturnal but I see him days. I have used to have a quite a bit of wildlife; birds, squirrels, chipmunks and obviously the fisher found this out as well and as sytematically been hunting and killing them all. Please advise how do I kill the fisher? No, I do not want to relo. No, I do not need a wildlife lecture. I want to know how to bait and kill.

GUEST		22-Feb-2009 14:13
WE HAVE FISHERS HERE IN CONWAY,NH.I DON'T LET MY CATS OUT!THEY ARE FINE INDOORS.FISHERS DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOUSECATS AND OTHER ANIMALS.IT'S JUST FOOD TO THEM.THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NATURAL PREDATORS THOUGH SO THEY MIGHT OVER POPULATE AND EAT ALOT OF SMALL MAMMALS.DON'T KNOW IF ITS A PROBLEM OR NOT HERE.JUST KEEP YOUR SMALL PETS INSIDE.BETWEEN FISHERS AND COYOTES HERE THEY DON'T HAVE A CHANCE!

marie		16-Feb-2009 20:06
what does a Fisher Cat look like?

pshary		24-Jan-2009 20:13
I lost my cat on a beautiful October afternoon. We were both outside so I was able to witness the whole thing. My cat was never out at night time and never out alone. He was chasing tiny frogs in the backyard. I love animals, but if I ever have the chance to see the fisher cat again I will persue with harmful intent. I can't erase the image of that afternoon from my mind. East Windsor, CT

Guest		24-Jan-2009 20:10
I lost my cat on a beautiful October afternoon. We were both outside so I was able to witness the whole thing. My cat was never out at night time and never out alone. He was chasing tiny frogs in the backyard. I love animals, but if I ever have the chance to see the fisher cat again I will persue with harmful intent. I can't erase the image of that afternoon from my mind. East Windsor, CT

Guest		21-Jan-2009 20:42
Somthing ate one of my chickens, does anyone have a picture of a paw print? That was all I could find. My paw print looks like a domestic cat, what are your thoughts?

Mike		28-Dec-2008 14:26
I was thinking 1 day of how to trap a fisher. This may work may not these bastards are smart. Take a barrel leave the lid on it and cut a access door in the lid, attatch a hinge to the piece that you cut out. Drill some holes in the barrel that way your bait aroma can seep out through the holes to attract the fisher. My thought if I did catch a fisher this way I would just set it on fire let it die that way

Guest		07-Dec-2008 15:46
If you wanted to trap a Fisher and move to a different location does anyone have any ideas?

jen		01-Dec-2008 00:37
i think we have one in our naber hood cats are going missing. and i am in yourk county maine lots of woods and swamps dont let my cat or kids out after dark

dean		29-Nov-2008 14:33
I think my cat may have been attacked by a fisher it came up on my deck and bit her she is in hospital my fault i let me cat out.i wasnt positive it was a fisher it was dark out but my neighbor said it looked like a wolverine i saw the animal run down steps of deck only got small glimpse of it.but it was small i live on upton hopkinton line it was for sure a wild animal.i lived here 14 years and never saw a fisher but they are here now,i.ve also heard rumors they have gone after small children not sure how true.

ECHO		26-Nov-2008 22:52
JUST TO LET ANYONE KNOW THAT CARES, I POSTED ON NOV 1ST ABOUT MY CAT MISSING AND WONDERING ABOUT THE FISHER CATS IN THE AREA.. ITS 6 WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR LOCAL VET.. I HAVE MY BABY BACK AND THIS WILL BE THE BEST THANKSGIVING I HAD IN A LONG TIME.. NEVER LOSE HOPE....ECHO IN ESSEX

Guest		23-Nov-2008 03:58
Bedford, MA Saw a fisher cat in our backyard (scrubby woods) off of Rt. 4. It was 7 am. The animal was large and black, with a very bushy tail. It followed a "trail" often used by deer in this area. Have spent a week trying to identify it- we knew it was not a bear or a house cat- finally researched and found the fisher- we are sure it's what we saw.

Guest		15-Nov-2008 18:29
Guest Hampton, New Hampshire We have one trying to attack the two ferral cats we have been feeding for nine years. People on this site are saying fisher cats are not dangerous to humans but a friend was attacked by a fisher cat just because he walked near the animal's tree-top den while deer hunting. The thing flew out of his lair and down the trunk of the in a flash teeth -teeth bared making a horrendous growling noise. It took six shots to kill it. They are built like a truck tire and have a poor disposition. The one after our cats just nonchalantly wriggled out of the cat-sized hole we cut in the wood shed doors where their straw-filled sleep box is at 7:45 Friday morning. It was my worst nightmare. The cats weren't in there then but...........I think the hava heart trap is the way to go.

Shugar in RI		12-Nov-2008 21:20
we love Fisher's! Let them all come up here to northern RI if you don't love them. They have a bad rep and are quite timid and will run scared off or seen. Wild animals are not mean, they are surviving. Keep your little pets safe or get BIGGER pets they can't eat.

pj		06-Nov-2008 02:42
I have just seen a fisher cat at the parking lot at my job in Stratham, NH. I saw a long tailed weasel looking animal run through the field near my car. I looked at it and it stopped and looked at me. Then it ran into the woods. I have heard them in the summer months outside my window (on the wooded side). It sounds like someone screaming and is always unnerving. Several of our neighbor's cats have gone missing in the last few weeks. This must be the reason why. I also heard the clicking noise that they maybe make in the woods near our home when I was raking leaves. We thought it was squirrels, but apparently, according to the youtube.com videos, fishers can climb trees, and that was a news flash to us. My family members have heard screaming in the woods, and we are sure that they are nearby. I'd say watch your pets and any small children playing outside alone, even if they are in plain sight.

Guest		02-Nov-2008 14:48
We have occasionally observed a very black Fisher Cat in our backyard in Middleton, Ma. for over two years. The first time was when I watched it very adroitly scamper up a large Oak apparently after a fleeing squirrel. The next time we watched it crossing the lawn with something in it's mouth followed very closely by a Fox, it may have raided the Fox's den? When the Fox got too close the "Cat" dropped what it had in it's mouth and turned on the larger Fox, who quickly retreated. We have seen it again off and on, the last time being this morning (11/2). Often in the evening we have heard a sound similar to a baby's wail, someone said that is the sound the Fisher makes? Last year while playing golf in Salem, Ma. a Fisher loped across in front of our foursome. With the exception of myself, the others had never seen one. Of course there is never a camera handy and when one runs to get it, our friend has disappeared into the woods!

Echo		01-Nov-2008 03:46
Very disappointed that people would think that because you let your pet out side, you don�t love them. I love my echo; she has been missing for 3 weeks today. I live in Essex, CT... Never thought I would have to worry about fisher cats around here. The animal control office told me that not only were there a lot of coyotes but a lot of fisher cats also.. Echo was only out from dawn to dusk and had access to get in when she wanted to. I love her & miss her, (even though she went out side)...I have been hearing more stories about fisher cats in the last couple of weeks. A friend told me today that Connecticut was full of fishers cats 100+ years ago, but all the land was cleared for farming and the fisher cats disappeared... About 15 years ago CT exchanged turkeys that we had to many of, for fisher cats that ME had to many of. Spread out pairs all over the state and now we have way too many... I would rather have turkeys. I think CT is a little to populated to have such a furious animal... No one ever warned pet owners that this may become a concern to us or our pets�� Echo in Essex�..

Nina in South Lyme		26-Oct-2008 07:16
Although I have only seen it once, my boyfriend has seen a Fisher Cat several times in the last couple of months, probably the same one. We have two outdoor cats and a bulldog, hopefully there will be no problems in the future.

Guest		23-Oct-2008 00:40
jbeaujax, I don't think the intention of the fourm is the knock other people, there opinion, believes or experiences. Out of respect for the creater of this sight I will not continue on with such back and forth trivia. A few facts; Fishers have not been in my area for 100+ years and I personally despise cats!

jbeaujax		21-Oct-2008 00:40
TIME TO CHECK YOUR RECORDS PAL!!! You have made som contradictory statements here. Reintroduced to your town means there were fishers there before. Probably before your backyard was built. Porcupince or Turkey may not be a neighorbhood threat; however your cat and the 6 of mine alike are. Do you realize cats are a real threat to the songbird population in most all urban areas, maybe your area of extreme unique? Aren't there more fishers around; maybe more than one killing the cats. All I'm saying is owners should get proactive and find a way to protect their cats that doesn't involve threatening another species. A cat's hunting territory is dependent on the food source and mating. You feed your cats and you have them desexed, therefore they do not need to roam far and wide, so build them an outdoor enclosure. This will keep them safe from vehicles and feline diseases as well. Also dont forget fishers kill rodents too, so perhaps they can be used to control the rat population rather than the domestic cats. you also said and I quote "just to set the record straight, a Fisher will kill not only for food. This is what they do and are very good at it. I have heard about it and I have seen it, more than once." If you had seen this elusive animal more than once kill and had heard of these actions also; why was your wifes cat out? Mostlikely the needless killing you saw was only because the cat was startled by your presence or someone elses, and left the meal to run away. Perhaps he aproached you and said geese how rude of me and my visiouse fisher family to be reintroduced to an area we were once prevelent in before people like you came to town. Just a thought, I know that cats are 'family members' but the birds are valuable, too.

Guest		20-Oct-2008 04:31
"jbeaujax" just to set the record straight, a Fisher will kill not only for food. This is what they do and are very good at it. I have heard about it and I have seen it, more than once. Why should someone with a house cat who has lived in the same area for many years fear now to keep their pets inside because someone in state wildlife decides the Fishers should be reintroduce. What good do they bring to the area? Kill Porcupines, control Turkey population? When was the last time you heard of a Porcupince or Turkey being a neighorbhood threat. It is true cats do prey on other animals like mice, rats, some snakes and birds to name a few but these are not someones pet who runs in their back yard, monitored in ones back yard and never left out between dusk to dawn. Not all of the people writing here are irresponsible pet owners! Not all cat are left out on the prowl but all Fishers will kill not only for food. Just ask a farmer with turkeys or chickens.

jbeaujax		20-Oct-2008 03:23
To the many folks who complain about the fisher cat and his so called viciouse killings of cats. I am a wildlife rehabilitator who has treated more cat caught wildlife than I can count. The free-roaming house cat kills mainly with no intent to eat its victims, simply for no reason at all. A fisher kills to eat. Besides cars kill more freeroaming cats than fisher cats do. Keep your cats safe by keeping them inside and save not only their lives but also the needless death of other wildlife.

Sally W		19-Oct-2008 12:20
I saw a fishercat in my yard (Topsfield, MA) this morning about 7:45. Although I had never seen one before, I had heard descriptions, and looked it up on the Internet and am sure that is what I saw. My house is surrounded by overgrown meadow and woods, and the fisher was moving slowly on the lawn near the house. It seemed to sense me looking, and ran off toward the street, then a moment later, scurried back along the edge of the lawn and into the brush down to the meadow. I saw what I took to be a weasel about a month ago.....it was darker and sleeker .... but now I am wondering if it were a young fisher.

Bob Gardner		17-Oct-2008 19:52
Are your pics taken day or night? I have a similar suet feeder and occasionally will find it in morning COMPLETELY emptied. Thought maybe a raccoon. Now I wonder if fisher.

Bob Gardner		17-Oct-2008 19:51
Are your pics taken day or night? I have a similar suet feeder and occasionally will find it in morning COMPLETELY emptied. Thought maybe a raccoon. Now I wonder if fisher.

Frank Stellato		16-Oct-2008 18:39
I walk my dog on Eastern Point in Gloucester, MA, a wooded area. On a recent walk I heard a noise, looked up and there was an animal sitting in a tree checking me out. I had never seen it before and guessed it must be a fisher. Now that I have seen you photo in today's globe I was correct. Thnak you. Frank Stellato f_stellato@yahoo.com

Guest		16-Oct-2008 16:30
Great pictures! I saw a fisher in my backyard several years ago and much later, a glimpse of one further back - I abut the Ashland, MA state park. A very powerful looking animal.

Guest		15-Oct-2008 19:27
Donna from Old Saybrook, Ct Several sightings over the past few weeks. Just this morning one poked his nose out of an underground hole and then appeared several feet away. I guess they have tunnels. He proceeded to walk along my seawall and then climbed down to the river below. Thought they were nocturnal. They are very scarey. Is it legal to shoot them? Someone please advise. I called my animal control person in town...awaiting a response.

Guest		14-Oct-2008 06:21
Response: I hear you and I understand your frustration. I am not questioning or confronting what you saw. I have no doubt that is what happened. The interpretation and bit of biology and fisher �ecology� behind the incident and the situation however, is a little off. Unfortunately when people think �shy� for some reason they frequently think not dangerous or a timid bambi type of animal. That is unfortunate. The fisher is more accurately �elusive� and it is an extremely effective predator. Small mammals are their natural prey base. Unfortunately house cats are small mammals and while I would not want my pet attacked or eaten by one, it does not make the animal a mean or �vicious.� Fishers in your area are not even remotely near the point of overpopulation and there is no indication whatsoever that they will ever get there. Fishers numbers are still very low in CT. Their primary threat and population check is from trapping. There is a season for trapping Fisher in CT. (only since 2005) A Fisher will NOT attack your human family members, there is absolute nothing in it for them to do so. There is absolutely no need to fear for your family. But yes, definitely, pets left outside are at risk (not only from fishers, but rabid and diseased wildlife, other predators, other domestic pets and humans) Which is why we always advise keeping cats indoors. I am not anti hunting or anti trapping, just trying to give you avenues to solve your problem without you getting in hot water with the law or getting injured. Trapping out of season and without a license is a serious offense as is wildlife relocation. Not many folks know that but it is true. I work in this field so I just thought I would pass on the info.

Guest		14-Oct-2008 04:36
To the Guest who responded to my posting. You are 100% correct there is risk and you bring up a very good point. If I get a licensed trapper then they can remove the Fisher for me and I would not risk anything. I am not a furbearer expert but what I shared with the folks on this forum about this attack is 100% accurate. The time of day the accuracy the ferocity along with the other details on this attack. Why would you confront the vilidity of what I shared? I did this because of the perception of the "shy, nocturnal" rating these animals has not been given 100% accurate. I love animals, I am not a hunter, I do not own a bow and arrow or a high powered hunting rife with special bullets or a high power scope. I trap squirrels in attic with a have a heart trap and take them out in the forest to release them even though they chew holes in the wood to get in. I am not attempting to eradicate the Fishers from existence, just my backyard for my family and our pets safety.

Guest		13-Oct-2008 23:25
Trapping out of season, for any reason is illegal unless it is carried out by a licensed professional with permits. Relocating wildlife is ABSOLUTELY illegal and you should NOT do this. You can unwittingly transport diseases, disrupt other natural populations and risk injury to yourself. It is a VERY bad idea!! Call the Connecticut DEP Division of Wildlife. Ask for the furbearer biologist and they will give you more accurate information about fishers then what you have shared here. You do have other choices. Phone: (860) 424-3000

Guest		11-Oct-2008 01:59
Message from East Windsor, Ct. I wrote "with out cat in it jaws" correction: "with our cat in it's jaws". I cannot stress enough how vicious this creature is. I am not certain but I don't think the Fisher Cats have any natural enemy to prey on them and keep there population in check. At a rate of 4 to 5 pups a year this can equate to a real big problem is a short time, their approx. 5 to 7 square mile territorys do not over lap. I have no choice but to remove this paticular preditor from his present territory. Does anyone have any tested or proven experience on exactly how to get this task completed?

Kendi Wess		10-Oct-2008 15:08
I live in Danvers, Massachusetts (20 mins north of Boston). I have heard the screams and seen some of them. I have a cat who goes outside but it too afraid to. I want to trap one and kill it. I hate these creatures. They need to become exstinct !!

Guest		10-Oct-2008 01:40
East Windsor, CT...Today a 2:30 in the after noon a Fisher Cat jumped down out of a tree in my back yard bounced off the roof of my trailer ran across our yard a grabed our cat. My wife ran out to where it cornered our cat (under my pick up)and poked at it with a pitch fork, she just could not reach it. Just a well they will attatck anything, Size is not object to them. It just turned and ran away with out cat in it jaws. Any one who says they are SHY is full of crap, this was my back yard mid afternoon!! Any one who does not believe they prey on cat is very wrong also. My wife saw everything, every move, every moment of precise calculation it happened in the blink of an eye. These are very vicious, caculating predators and should not be taken lightly. The claim to be very rare and rarely seen. This is not true, they have over populated all of southern New England........I live in north central Conn., East Windsor.

Guest		09-Oct-2008 03:23
Pat: To the women who just moved into Mansfied. We have way to many fishers in this area. One fisher will cover a 10 mile area. Now put a bunch in the same area and they will decimate the Wild Turkey population cats and any small animal it can catch and eat. CT traded Turkeys for fishers with NH because the fishers wiped out their turkeys...so we bring fishers in...duh. Let the hunters take more turkeys and the population can be controlled. The fishers need to be kept under control. The DEP has increased the amount that can be trapped but that is only a start.

Shelly		30-Sep-2008 20:56
I was walking in a contry area in RI and i saw a little brown baby ferret looking thing that got hit by a car. we caught 3 fishercats with a have a heart trap. so i know was they look like. I was wondering if they are that small when theyre little or that was juts an diffrent animal. does anybody know?

Kim M.		26-Sep-2008 19:48
Am new to Storrs, CT. My daughter/I heard the same errie sounds last night; baby-ish crying, repetitive chittering - hard to describe. Having read the comments, seen the pictures and heard some storiees of my own, I am convinced we, too, have a Fisher Cat nearby. We are surrounded by cornfields and have a pond and woodlands. Don't laugh, but noticed strange "droppings" in the garage this summer. They were also on the driveway....looked kind of "cat-like", but were different. Has anybody seen what they "leave behind"? We have a large dog who is partially blind...I let him out at night and stay with him until he is "finished". Has a Fisher Cat ever attacked a human being? So sorry to all you cat owners who have lost your pets....I can't imagine how awful that must be. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Guest		19-Sep-2008 02:08
My cat disappeared a week and a half ago during the day with no trace here in NE Connecticut. She was a very fit and active cat and a strong fighter and could always hold her own even against dogs. I thought it was a coyote or bobcat that may have got her. My cats are special to me so I went way overboard and I bought a huge trap made for catching mountain lions (not cheap!). The trap was 7 ft long x 2 ft wide x 3 ft tall with a self locking door and had to be shipped to me by a tractor trailer. It is like a huge "have a hart" trap. I baited it with a pound of expired hamburger and some raw chicken. When I checked it this morning I had trapped a fisher cat. The fisher weighed about 20 lbs and was about 2-3 times the size of a house cat. It looked innocent enough, but when I tried to move the cage into my truck the thing was violently aggressive. It pounced all over the cage and even held itself upside all the time hissing and spatting and clawing. I wore thick leather welding gloves with the idea that it would not bit through it I got too close to the cage. However, I tried poking a stick near it (about the diameter of a broomstick) and it lunged on the end of the stick and crushed and splintered it with it jaws in a spilt second. I think it would have crushed the bone in my finger if it had gotten a hold of it. I had never seen anything with jaws like this other than a large snapping turtle. Instead I moved the cage with the help of another person using a two long steel 10 ft pipes passed through the wire cage like ricksaw handles. I covered the cage with a tarp, got out my road atlas and found a place on the map that this would do no one any harm. After driving for a ridiculously long time, I finally released the fisher cat far, far away from my house or any other any house in an area with no one living for miles around. I rigged up the release door on the cage with a rope and had a 8 ft 2x4 to ward it off if it attacked. Instead, when I opened the cage, it merely ran away into the woods without any attack. It also gave off a musky odor that stunk like old wet dog fur but much worse. This thing was much more aggressive that I had ever imagined. My cat would not have had a chance against this.

MD		15-Sep-2008 13:09
Rhode Island; I live in a residential area off Atwood Avenue in Cranston and there was a fisher cat in my back yard about a month ago; it was a cloudy Sunday morning and he was strutting around like he owned the grounds so he's been around before. About a week before that, there was a screaching fight of two animals in the woods behind my house and now I realize that after researching fisher cats, I know exactly what I saw and heard. Keep pets inside unless your with them.

Mike form Ivoryton		14-Sep-2008 00:51
I found the remains of a wild rabbit in my driveway this evening (Ivoryton, CT) and it was a pretty gruesome sight. Incidentally I found similar but unidentifiable remains near the same spot about eight months ago and wondered if a Fisher Cat was prowling the neighborhood. Are there characteristics of such an attack that are specific to Fisher Cat predation? I hate to ask such a morbid question but I need to determine what is lurking in my yard at night.

Guest		13-Sep-2008 03:02
I saw a dead fisher on rt 79 in the southern end of Durham CT yesterday, 9-11-2008. Somebody removed it during the day. 3 years ago I saw a live one running across the road near the same place. 6 months later all the small animals in our neighborhood disappeared. I mean ALL of the small animals, domestic and wild, including our 2 cats and all the rest in the area. That winter 3 days after a snowfall there were no tracks of any kind in the snow outside. It was very spooky. Animals returned a year later, but the fishers must clear out an area then move on. Unfortunately, they have returned.

Laura		12-Sep-2008 18:57
It is not my intent to sound heartless towards cats and small pet owners, I own 3 indoor cats, however people who let their small pets outside and are horrified when they are killed by wild native predators are fooling themselves and cheating their pets of healthy lives. Fisher, coyote, fox, great-horned owls are all native to CT and Massachusetts. Cats are non-native predators - originally from desert areas. Cats are decimating our native ground-nesting birds and small mammal populations. I feel bad for my indoor cats because they would love to be outside - however, I love them enough NOT to expose them to wild predators, parasites & cars. It�s unfortunate that people are afraid to the alleged sounds fisher make, but they are generally solitary and shy. Check out the fisher information on the Mass Audubon website. Then go outside and enjoy the wildlife that's still left.

Diane		12-Sep-2008 15:38
Diane - Lynnfield, MA (Sept. 12, 2008) Fishers have been in my neighborhood for at least the last 3-4 years. Am constantly awakened by their horrible screeching in the middle of the night. Cats and small dogs are constantly disappearing. Would be nice if the town made the residents aware.

Heidi, Mendon MA		12-Sep-2008 15:02
Mendon, MA People told me about fishers and I knew they existed, but being nieve I didn't think it would happen to me. About 2 months ago I lost my sweet kitty to a fisher. I heard the attack out front of my house. There is a thin stretch of wood between the neighbors and my house. I knew my cat should have come in at night, but she would take off and I would not be able to get her. So we let her stay out overnight! Biggest mistake of our lives. We found fisher tracks after the fact and never found her body! My other cat is now not allowed outside at all. Lately there is a stray coming around and a worry about her safety outside. I have posted flyers around the neighborhood and listed that I found a cat on Craigslist.com If no one claims her I may take her in... Of course going to the vet with her first before exposing my cat and family to a stray. Fishers are overpopulation our towns. They are vicious creatures that kill just to kill! I miss my baby and I hope people are smarter than I was and listen to others.

Heidi		12-Sep-2008 15:01
People told me about fishers and I knew they existed, but being nieve I didn't think it would happen to me. About 2 months ago I lost my sweet kitty to a fisher. I heard the attack out front of my house. There is a thin stretch of wood between the neighbors and my house. I knew my cat should have come in at night, but she would take off and I would not be able to get her. So we let her stay out overnight! Biggest mistake of our lives. We found fisher tracks after the fact and never found her body! My other cat is now not allowed outside at all. Lately there is a stray coming around and a worry about her safety outside. I have posted flyers around the neighborhood and listed that I found a cat on Craigslist.com If no one claims her I may take her in... Of course going to the vet with her first before exposing my cat and family to a stray. Fishers are overpopulation our towns. They are vicious creatures that kill just to kill! I miss my baby and I hope people are smarter than I was and listen to others.

Lee		12-Sep-2008 14:54
I am in North Reading Ma. Near Harold Parker State Forest. Fishers have been plentiful here for years. We hear them most nights especially spring and Fall. And I see them dead, hit by cars on the road alot. My Mom lost at least 4 cats to them over the years. My small & medium sized dogs know when they are around the house, they fear them and don't go out at night by themselves. We have started seeing more coyotes recently and I wonder if the coyotes will take down the fisher population!

Guest		11-Sep-2008 17:53
Groton,Massachusetts - September 10, 2 p.m. While bicycling on the Nashua River Rail Trail, about 100 yards east of Route 119 just past the old railroad bridge, a fisher hopped out of the underbrush onto the trail appearing to sniff at something on the asphalt pavement. It looked up and saw me approaching (approximately 20 yards distant) and hopped back into the woods. I passed slowly and advised a pedestrian, walking two miniature poodles, who had seen the fisher from afar to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. The only other sighting that I've had of a living fisher was in the Annisquam section of Gloucester, Massachusetts around mid-morning one Saturday in October 2007 when I was walking on a back paved road. Similarly, that fisher hopped out of the underbrush into the roadway about 30 yards in front of me, looked up and spotted me and hopped back into the woods and seemingly disappeared. Late one evening in November 2007, I was standing outside of a house in Annisquam looking up at the stars when I heard what sounded like a pre-teen child calling for help from the woods. As I turned to run into the house to get the telephone and call 911, I heard the same IDENTICAL sound, again...and then the IDENTICAL sound, again...and, again. It was then that I realized that what I was lisyening to was very likely the call of the fisher. VERY VERY eerie and VERY humanlike. YIKES!

Bob Warner		09-Sep-2008 23:46
Just saw a Fisher Cat about 20 minutes ago in my driveway. It was under my car and was coming out the side closet to the garage door that I was standing in. We both froze for a couple of seconds so I was able to get a good look at it. I would describe it as chocolate brown in color. It had a long mink like dark tail, much longer than a cat's tail. The head was round with stubby ears. I live on Wilderwood Drive, Guilford, CT.

Bob		09-Sep-2008 23:37
I just saw what I would describe as a Fisher cat. I would describe its' color as chocolate brown, longer tail than a cat's and a round face with stubby ears. I was in the process of taking the garbage out around 20 minutes ago and the animal was under my car parked in the driveway.

Rich		09-Sep-2008 17:02
A Fisher Cat crossed my path this morning on Vineyard Point Rd, Sachems Head, Guilford, CT this morning while I was riding my bike. It crossed the road in front of me and kept going. Bigger than a cat with a beautiful brown pelt and tail. I've heard their screams before but never saw one. It made my day!

Guest		07-Sep-2008 07:45
I live in Reading, MA, just 12 miles north of Boston and three or four times over the past two weeks have been startled awake in the middle of the night by the same three shorts screams, just as described below, as if someone is being attacked or really scared. Seems especially strange to hear the screams tonight given the heavy rain and winds associated with the remnants of tropical storm Hanna.

jamesobrien		03-Sep-2008 18:41
Ginty-O: I'm refreshing a long overdue story for The Boston Globe on fisher cats in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Can we get in touch? Drop me a note at james@jamesobrien.cc, if you would like to talk about your fisher encounters. James

Guest		31-Aug-2008 19:10
pretty sure we got a fisher cat in my east providence, ri neighborhood. bloody awful screams, very different sounds than the coyote and fox sounds i grew up with. ferrel cat population gone as well as the bunnies. don't leave your animals out at night. even my outdoor cats come in running when it starts screaming. they will no longer be let out after dusk.

Guest		31-Aug-2008 03:47
Just returned from camping on some family land in western Mass. Heard four or five gawdawful screams two nights ago - thought it was an owl taking a rabbit. But one of our neighbors said we have fisher cats, and after reading the description I think that must be what we heard. We're trying to manage our meadows and forest to encourage wildlife, and this is part of it, I think. A few years ago we had coyote problems, but they've gotten more scarce - maybe the fisher cats (which are native) have thinned out the non-native predators. It may be a nuisance, but keep your cats and dogs inside; if the fishers can depend only on wild prey, their numbers will stay down. Our pets make attractive, and easy, meals, which allows them to reproduce beyond the levels they should.

Mike		29-Aug-2008 03:40
Hello everyone, I ride mtn bikes and hike @ Indian Ledge Park in Trumbull, CT. About two weeks ago as I climbed a steep hil two rat/weasel/hyena looking things were staring at me and then moved towards me. Not knowing what I was looking at I stopped and realized these were young and mom must be around so I bailed. Did some research and this is a great page to let people know where and what they are!! Be careful hiking in that area up by rte 25. Oh and thanks to the brainiacs at the state of CT for this one. Pretty soon the animals will be running everything and eating us. :)

Susan		29-Aug-2008 01:06
I live in Cohasset, MA and saw a fisher this afternoon around 6 PM. At first I thought it was a black cat and was surprised because we have a chocolate lab and have never seen a cat in our yard. But I quickly realized that from the way it loped it was not a cat, but a fisher. I only know what a fisher looks like because we once saw one running across the snow in our backyard in Concord, MA. That house backed up to 150 acres of conservation land, but this yard is on the main street of sleepy, little Cohasset. There are woods around, but still I was shocked to see it. We have heard noises a couple of nights that we weren't sure what causes them. Perhaps a raccoon or now, perhaps a fisher. Quite interesting! Thanks for having this blog!

Jason		28-Aug-2008 18:34
Im also from Watertown ct. And had a very interesting morning, At 4am today I woke to what sounded like someone running on my front pourch with a bowling ball tied to there ankle. I suddenly realized the we had left that cat outside and Something was attacking it. I jumped out of bed ran down stairs and turnded on the pourch light to find a 40 to 50lb coyote chasing the cat around. The cat ran to the door when the light came on to only be cornered by the beast and was seconds away from being killed. I flung open the door and the noise was enough to scare the coyote so the cat could run inside. The coyote turned at me and snarled so I slammed the door shut. There are no puncture wounds but his back legs are hurt prety good.I will tell you that the coyote will be meeting me again and he will not be so lucky. I am not one to kill a wild animal but to come on my front pourch leads me to believe he is a risk and needs to be removed.

Kara		28-Aug-2008 13:30
Kara My husband and I woke up the other night to a very disturbing scream. We looked out the window to see 3 fisher cats in our front yard chasing after something. No wonder my dog has been afraid to go out at night. Mansfield, MA

Guest		27-Aug-2008 19:40
Heidi in Old Lyme Ct again, Yet another cat attacked by a fisher this one lived however lost half its tail and needed 16 stiches very lucky cat. It was the cat across the street from my house. someone should do something about the control of these things. Instead of eating wild aniamls such as turkeys that they where put here for (by the state) they find it much easier to pray on our house pets and whats next our small children???? Angry in Old Lyme!

Bob		26-Aug-2008 16:59
Hi my name is Bob and I live in Warwick, RI. My mother-in-law and my 2 kids (ages 13 and 10) said they saw a fisher cat in our back yard yesterday afternoon around 4:00 pm. He was under our deck chasing something (we've had a lot of rabbits and chip munks this year). He ran across the yard then turned and looked at them (they had our mini pinscher with them) as if to stalk them. they were on the deck but then moved indoors and watched him through the sliding glass door. He watched them for several minutes then he found a chipmunk, swiped him up quickly with his paw into his mouth and ran into the woods behind our house. Has there been other reports in the Western part of Warwick, West Warwick or East Greenwich?? I will not put my dog out on his run after hearing about his fisher cat (my dog only weighs 8.5 lbs). Bob

Paul		22-Aug-2008 03:15
Sitting out on the porch around midnight last night I heard a scream of bloody murder. In the pitch black with my nerves on full alert,trying to decide if I should go tromping around the woods looking for a crime being committed, a minute later the sensor light went on tripped by the biggest porcupine I have ever seen in full flight. Needless to say we startled each other. Now what scares a giant porcupine? looked up porcupines on the internet and ended up discovering our friend the fisher. I was able to place the sound,and the flight of the porcupine, as well as settle my nerves. I have discovered since I am not the first to hear its scream around here. In case you didn't know, fishers kill porcupines by jumping over top of them and attacking their faces, again and again. Crafty. Thanks for the pictures, I now know what to look for, a fisher with a face full of thorns, hahaha Paul Alberta Canada

Kevan		12-Aug-2008 20:09
hi my name is Kevan and i live in Charlton Mass and have heard and seen fishers for the last 4 years at our new house. From reading a lot of posts here its apparent that New England is fisher cat central. I have had many encounters with the fisher. One time my friend and I were walking around the circle down the street around 2am (we were sorta drunk) and not 15 feet away one screamed so loud all the hair on my back went up. the fisher then ran in front of us under a street lamp and off into the woods. Another encounter was when my girlfriend and i were sitting at my fire pit in my yard talking and all of a sudden we hear this ear piercing screech like that of a women screaming. Another incident was when my uncle Mark whipped a boot at a fisher cat that had dragged a rabbit carcass into his garage... the damn fisher hissed at him. I've seen the remains my neighbor found of his cat, im thinking it was a fisher, but the only parts we found of the cat was what was left of a paw or two, skull fragments, fur, and the cat's collar. Fishers like any other wild animal will attack if cornered or provoked. If a fisher is attacking your pet...don't be a hero, grab a gun and shoot a warning shot or shots into the air(don't get a shotgun). the fisher will attack you if you run at it. Fishers don't like anything to come between them and there kill...even if its your pet. If your gonna try to chase it off and don't have a gun...get a long solid stick(don't grab a knife unless you like getting mauled) because the farther you can distance yourself from the animal and still hit it, the better. Also yell loud and try to appear as large as possible. I love my cat and if i saw him with a fisher..I'd fight it off too. Everyone seems to have a hard time finding a sound bite of a fisher cat so i have a suggestion. Not to sound like a nerd, if you want to get a really close idea to what a fisher cat sounds like and happen to play video games or know someone who does, in the game Halo 2 for the xbox there is this enemy called the flood, when they scream it is almost identical to that of a fisher cat.

Bob		12-Aug-2008 18:28
Hi, I live in Rumford, R.I. and early yesterday morning at approximately 5:00 am I saw a Fisher walking along a bridge next to the Ten Mile River. Funny looking thing with a tri-angular head. Wonder if they are good eatin?

Kevan		12-Aug-2008 04:59
hi my name is Kevan and i live in Charlton Mass and have heard and seen fishers for the last 4 years at our new house. From reading a lot of posts here its apparent that New England is fisher cat central. I have had many encounters with the fisher. One time my friend and I were walking around the circle down the street around 2am (we were sorta drunk) and not 15 feet away one screamed so loud all the hair on my back went up. the fisher then ran in front of us under a street lamp and off into the woods. Another encounter was when my girlfriend and i were sitting at my fire pit in my yard talking and all of a sudden we hear this ear piercing screech like that of a women screaming. Another incident was when my uncle Mark whipped a boot at a fisher cat that had dragged a rabbit carcass into his garage... the damn fisher hissed at him. I've seen the remains my neighbor found of his cat, im thinking it was a fisher, but the only parts we found of the cat was what was left of a paw or two, skull fragments, fur, and the cat's collar. Fishers like any other wild animal will attack if cornered or provoked. If a fisher is attacking your pet...don't be a hero, grab a gun and shoot a warning shot or shots into the air(don't get a shotgun). the fisher will attack you if you run at it. Fishers don't like anything to come between them and there kill...even if its your pet. If your gonna try to chase it off and don't have a gun...get a long solid stick(don't grab a knife unless you like getting mauled) because the farther you can distance yourself from the animal and still hit it, the better. Also yell loud and try to appear as large as possible. I love my cat and if i saw him with a fisher..I'd fight it off too. Everyone seems to have a hard time finding a sound bite of a fisher cat so i have a suggestion. Not to sound like a nerd, if you want to get a really close idea to what a fisher cat sounds like and happen to play video games or know someone who does, in the game Halo 2 for the xbox there is this enemy called the flood, when they scream it is almost identical to that of a fisher cat.

Bill Lubak		12-Aug-2008 02:30
I live in Watertown Connecticut and I just got a call two nights ago at almost midnight by a very distressed co-worker. Her 18 lb Maine coon had misteriously disappeared. After talking to neighbors, she was alarmed to find out there are a total of 13 cats and 3 small dogs missing in the area. Another of her neighbors had put her 2 Amazon Parrots on her deck at about 10:00am in the morning. When she came back, the cage was knocked over and the birds were gone. She called the DEP and they told her that it must have been Coyote's and responded with "what do you want us to do about it, shhot them?" "We can't do that". She also called animal control and didn't get very far. Our animal control officer is only part time here and doesn't havee the time to investigate the problem. So she called me after talking to people I have known and know me. I have been a herpetologist for over 30 years now and have studied and handled a wide variety of exotic animals. After reading comments on this forum, I am suspecting the possibility of it being a Fisher cat or cats. I plan on setting up cameras to see if I can catch the culprit on film. There were unverified reports a few years back in town of a Mountain lion being sighted drinking from her horses water troft. Whaever it is, I will catch it with my cameras. I will keep you posted. Bill Lubak

Heidi		11-Aug-2008 19:40
I live in Old Lyme, Ct In the past week I have lost 2 of my 5 cats who where outside at night. One a 16 yr old kitty other a little over a yr old. My other two that go outside are now afraid and jumpy. I am thinking they know what happened to there bodies. My sister has seen a Fisher Cat down the street from us a few weeks ago and paid it no mind. I now keep my others in at night. I wish I had known they where in the area earlier.

Deb		10-Aug-2008 07:41
East Haddam, CT (near Colchester/Salem border): 3:00am woke-up to sounds of loud choking-growling that did not stop when I turned on light. Something ran away from the dark side of the house when I turn-on the front flood lights. My husband and I went our searching, but couldn't find any victims or a trail in the dark. We lost our 12 year old kitty on July 25th. She always stayed in the yard and usually came in at night. But not that night. I wish I search for info before this happened.

bernice		06-Aug-2008 07:34
for eva. my daughter lives upstate ny in earlville. she said that what you heard could be a deer, the sound you describe is an alarm call, or a bear, giving a warning call. i've heard deer give that kind of call while camping and you wouldn't think it came out of a deer.

BERNICE		06-Aug-2008 07:17
I live in brattleboro, vt. i think we have the corner on fishercats. we moved here recently from ct. and i never even heard of the things. tonight, as i write this, there must be 2 of them outside fighting or something cause they are making a godawfull racket. i think the whole neighborhood is awake with all the screaming going on out there. my dogs are going nuts wanting to get out, not likely, even though they are fenced in. these things also smell horrid. when we first moved here in october '07, before the fence was put up, one of them ws marking out on our shed. they must rub up against things because there was a lot of hair on the side of the shed. i picked some up and smelled it and it stunk worse than a skunk. very, very musky. anyway, keep your cats and small pets in at night and supervised during the day. these are nasty little boogers.

Guest		04-Aug-2008 02:16
Grafton,Ma. Have been told we have fisher cats in the area. Thought I saw one scurry through the shadows one night. In either case , one of our cats git out the other night. There is no sign of her, just alot of her fur on the side of the lawn. I have a feeling she is not coming home.

Ian		30-Jul-2008 21:13
Hi my name is Ian and i am 9 years old. I live on a farm in Southboro, MA. I lost 15 chickens and two ducks to a fisher. They are evil creatures!

Guest		30-Jul-2008 14:53
I agree with John from Coventry, CT. Good ole State of CT reintroducing them. Thanks for nothing CT. I live in Colchester, CT and have lost 10 cats over the years. In the past week I lost 2. I used to have feral cats that I fed and they are gone. I make sure my cats are in at night. Only three go out now, and I can't keep them in because they would be miserable, but they are in at night. I am heartbroken. I do not believe in killing any animal but when it comes to these beasts, I would pay someone to kill them! They are good for nothing!

Steve		29-Jul-2008 16:06
I live in Brentwood NH, have been observing Fishers for the past 5 or 6 years...in the woods, in our back yard...in my garden...both night and day. They are quite the beast, and it is well-advised for all to keep a good distance... Having read through a number of the comments below, I am compelled to make one of my own: these are wild animals, and we are impinging on their habitat--keep your cat indoors at night--or move to a location Fisher- free. I hope the Fisher frequenting the area around my garden persists, and at least scares away the remaining moles...

Barbara		25-Jul-2008 18:12
I live in Charlton, MA and have seen them. Usually, they stay in the woods and bother noone. However, I am fairly certain it is what attacked my cat recently when he stayed out overnight.

John		24-Jul-2008 21:20
I am from Coventry Ct. I have lived here for 57 years and before a few months ago never heard of a fisher cat, thats why I am not sure if they are native to this area or not. I do know that they were introduced to this area recently by the State of Ct. to help control the turkey population and they are protected, you are not supposed to harm them. I am a firm believer in the old addage, if you don't bother me I won't bother you, now me also includes my 12 chickens, if the cat goes after my chickens he better have more than the state to protected him because I will hunt him to the ends of the earth to blow his head off. Yes there is one in the woods near my home, they hunt rodents like mice squirrels etc. they will avoid you rather than confront you, but will attack if they are cornered or feel threatened they are alsonot opposed to eating a cat or small dog if that is all they come by. these cats have a mating cry that is similar to a baby crying hard but if the you hear what sounds like a woman being tortured and the hair on the back of your neck stand straight out you are more likely listening to a bob cat you will know the difference if you hear them. So thanks to the good old state of Ct. once again trying to solve a problem they tipicaly went and created a worse one !!!!!!

Guest		24-Jul-2008 01:05
Living in Chester, N.J. we have been sitings of fisher cats for about a year. Wondering if anyone else in Morris county has seen any

DianeH		21-Jul-2008 14:53
I live along the shoreline, Quaker Hill, CT (right next to New London by the Coast Guard) and was driving home Saturday night around 7:30 pm when a fisher cat came into the middle of the road, then turned around and ran back into the woods. I had heard screaming at night some time ago, the most horrific scream I have ever heard. Someone mentioned that fisher cats make a blood curdling scream. I keep my pets inside. Will the fisher cats attack? I used to hike the woods but worry about the fishers and coyotes.

Sam		07-Jul-2008 21:47
Saw one yesterday afternoon in Scituate, MA. Didn't know what it was, went to check it out, and got within 5 feet of it (I was told later that wasn't such a good idea!) it didn't try to come after me, but it didn't run away either. At any rate, it gave a baby bunny a chance to escape, but the fisher cat didn't look too happy that I had just ruined it's lunch.

ginty o		29-Jun-2008 03:05
it is us again, Tonight we were once again on the offensive. with brand new amunition at our side, we ventured once again to the fisher's layer. Bri decide to put out afew slices of bacon right on the frontline. The fisher stayed in the shadows and ran ferosiously through the woods. We are upset to say tonight was neither a victory or a defeat. We didn't capture him because of our unfortunate sprinkler system timer. But, we did get bill in safely and stoped the fisher c from attacking us or bill. We now have all summer and all fall to aprehend the fisher. We will not rest until the fisher is at eternal rest!

JP		29-Jun-2008 01:35
Saturday, June 28, 2008 Sutton, MA This morning at 8AM a fisher cat loped across my backyard, apparently circled the house and loped across a second time. He never saw me, but he was no more than 20 feet away. I had a very clear view of him. He was very solid looking. It was about 24" long from nosetip to base of tail with another 15-18 inches of tail behind him. He seemed to be approx. 18" at the shoulder. His mouth was open as he loped, like a dog might when running. If I had to guess his weight, I'd put him at 30-40 lbs, which does not jive with the little I've found on the internet. He was a BIG BOY! I've no doubt he could take out the fox I've seen around.

Ricky		24-Jun-2008 16:26
Hello, my name is Ricky, i have been hearing some noise's late at night, and last night i heard a cat fighting something next door, and then it got quite and i heard a loud wine from the cat, and as soon as i walked out side i heard these little feet running away really fast....and now my cat wont go outside at night anymore, is there any ideas what i can do? to make it safe for my animals to go out, please e-mail me

Ricky		24-Jun-2008 16:24
Hello, my name is Ricky, i have been hearing some noise's late at night, and last night i heard a cat fighting something next door, and then it got quite and i heard a loud wine from the cat, and as soon as i walked out side i heard these little feet running away really fast....and now my cat wont go outside at night anymore, is there any ideas what i can do? to make it safe for my animals to go out, please e-mail me

Ginty O		23-Jun-2008 02:04
Update from pelham - Bill is doing well, in the garage and safe. Next weekend, Bri and I are heading back into the woods to bait the fishers. No screams of late but we know they are out there. What we need to find is the den...how does one venture out without the adrenaline kicking in and sending us running back for safety? We'll keep you posted.

Jan		20-Jun-2008 18:49
Our neighbors had many feral cats which they fed and semi cared for. I've had no problem with them and liked to watch them play from my kitchen window. In the last week and a half, every cat has disappeared. About 10 cats with a few kittens. The neighbor said it's either a fishercat or a bobcat. He's found dead bodies and two mortally wounded cats which they put down. Very very scary!!

Guest		19-Jun-2008 07:14
unfortunately, I am awake (3:00 am) due to yet another night of a fisher cat howling. It's such an awful noise. my Golden Retriever tries to bark to warn to keep the fisher away, but the fisher cat howls seem rather close EVERY night lately!

Guest		18-Jun-2008 18:40
I encountered four or five baby fisher cats early this morning (5:45 am) while walking my dog in the woods in Wilmington. Don't know who was more surprised to see each other, them or us?! Don't know where the parents were ... just glad we didn't see them!

Guest		18-Jun-2008 03:52
I hate fishers. As a duck and goose owner, it's ALWAYS disconcerting to hear screaming coming from the woods nearby. What's worse, though, is that my family has lost two cats to these awful creatures, nearly exactly a year apart. Both were only a year old at the time. The strange thing, when reading posts about how utterly violent these creatures are towards humans, is that my first cat used to go out and have screaming matches with them. He once cornered one in a tree, if you believe it. There is absolutely nothing scarier than to wake up to choking fisher screams and a cat howling nearby, and know that the cat is yours. But somehow he managed to defend the house countless times. Fancy that. We no longer let our cats outside. And ducks and geese are firmly shut in a VERY safe pen at night. Though we haven't heard those screams in years, tonight there was a most identifiable screaming coming from the woods nearby. They make one so ancy. I'm tempted to abandon my animal loving ways and track it down to kill it in cold blood. Talk about awful!! I'm going to have to look up the reason for their screaming. If it's a defense mechanism, it certainly keeps me away.

Matt		17-Jun-2008 05:03
Merrimack River edge, along Chelmsford. They are out screaming tonight, sounds horrible. I have seen them late at night, but never during the day.

Brian		16-Jun-2008 17:50
Blood curdling scream probably fox mating call -- often attributed to Bigfoot, including by me until I looked it up, which made me feel much better.

big jim		08-Jun-2008 01:14
why can't I find the sound of a fisher cat on the internet? in the middle of the night i hear this bone chilling scream that wakes me right up and i want to know what it is. sounds like a lady being murdered. scared the crap out of me. and to the person who's losing the fish in their pond, it's most likely a bird of prey that's taking your fish. my friend lost all her koi fish to a frickin blue heron! if your yard is fenced in...it's a bird. i'm in conway mass. the boonies with lots of coyotes. but this shrill sound i cannot find. someone said bobcat but no.

DJF		06-Jun-2008 02:51
Was just walking my dog in condo complex in Nashua, NH at 10:15pm. As I came towards dumpster something heard us and bounded out to front lip the jumped across dumbster to rear ledge then leapt into woods in about a 20 arc then disappeared towards stream.. Complex backs but to state land with stream. Questions: 1. Can Fisher Cats jump? 2. Are they very fast?

Laura		05-Jun-2008 00:01
Yesterday I saw a wild turkey running across my backyard......so I looked behind him to see why he was startled and a fisher was running behind him and stopped right in front of my back sliding door. I couldn't believe my eyes that I saw an actual fisher. Then, last night husband heard loud screaching at 3:15 am and went outside...... out cat flew out of the woods no doubt because of the fisher. We have 2 kids and 4 young kids...kind of creepy to know he's lurking in our bushes now.

Linda		03-Jun-2008 03:42
I am soo scared- here it is 11 pm, I now know it is fishercats in my backyard. So close, 2 of them fighting like crazy in a tree 10 feet off my deck-my cats and dogs are here with me and they are just as scared as I am! I live in Bellingham, Mass. abutting lots of woods.

Julie		01-Jun-2008 16:10
Last night my husband and I were sound asleep when we heard a cry...sounding like a baby. We jumped up to check on the kids and realized it was coming from outside. Over the past week we've had two dead "small" animals on the side of our house (neither could be identified). We thought the cry could be coming from a Fisher Cat? Anyone heard their sound...or cry? ...LaGrangeville NY

Ginty O		01-Jun-2008 00:02
This morning Bri went out to look in the woods. He found a dead opossum where the fisher c had been last night. It had a hole in it's left rib cage. We assume it was the fisher c and tonight we are once again on the offenive. It turns out that the foul smell was coming from the dead opossum.

Ginty O		31-May-2008 03:35
Forgot to add - we are from Pelham NH.

Ginty O		31-May-2008 02:16
Ok - we were just outside in the back yard. Fisher cats on the prowl. Bri and I grabbed our ammo and went on the offensive. See, last year, they attacked our cat Bill. He got away with a bad laceration to his leg (and plenty of fur flew in the process). Bill is ok today and we are forever on the guard. Funny thing tonight - the typical screems of the fisher c and a very foul smell (which was not us). What on earth did we hit? Got to go - the scream is back.

Eva		28-May-2008 02:19
HI, WE LIVE IN UPSTATE NY THE COUNTRYSIDE OUTSIDE OF SYRACUSE AND HAVE HEARD A NOISE RECENTLY JUST AFTER DARK, IF OUR DOG IS OUT ALL HIS HAIR GOES UP BUT HE DOESN'T MAKE A SOUND AND HE BOOKS FOR THE HOUSE. I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT I HAVE HEARD IT ON 2 OCCASSIONS, IT MAKES A NOISE THAT IS A CROSS BETWEEN A COUGH AND A BARK, SORTA A CAAARRRFFF. IS THIS A NOISE THAT A FISHER WILL MAKE?

scott		26-May-2008 16:16
That was in Windham, NH.

scott		26-May-2008 16:15
My family and neighbors were all awaken this morning around 3:30AM to the screetching of what we believe to be a fisher cat. Apparently it was attacking something in my driveway. When I went out to investigate it had already chased whatever it was attacking across the street to my neighbors driveway. When I inspected the ground I saw what appeared to be a green excrement. This led me to believe that it must have been attacking some omnivoire or herbivore. The noise was really fascinating.

Dave		26-May-2008 00:32
This morning around 11 AM my son and I saw one in the wetlands on my property. We were about 150 feet away from it. A neighbor had recently said he had seen one in that area. It was clearly visible and did not look like a fox or a coyote, both of which I have seen in town. This is in Westport CT south of the Merritt Pkwy.

guest		25-May-2008 04:13
May 24th,2008 Branford Ct. My husband and I were sitting on our back patio around 5:00 when this animal approached us from the woods! !We live only about 1/2 mile south of route 1 in Branford. After reading some of these comments I will be on my guard when out in the yard!!!

guest		16-May-2008 12:30
I live in Westerly R.I. and I heard an unusual animal sound last night. It was a loud snapping sound along with a sad wimpering. I'm wondering if it could have been a Fisher cat attacking a squirrel. I would have considered the whimpering sound more like a rabbit but we haven't seen any rabbits around here in two years.

crochetti		15-May-2008 18:40
I am located in Southboro, MA. My chicken population has been devasted recently ( had 22, down to 3-4) ....last night it was the Fisher Cat , last week coyotes. Not sure which sound is more unnerving the scream of the Fisher or the pack of coyotes howling ...ah, I see from the photos the Fisher is a climber...the remaining chickens have taken to roosting in trees..I am pretty sure they use the scream to frighten the chickens to the point where they attempt to make a break and then they are taken. I am starting to intensely dislike this creature.... any ideas on how to eradicate ( short of trapping??)

Guest		14-May-2008 11:44
saw a fisher cat in my back yard in Upton MA last night - when I opened the slider door - it paused, looked directly at me, stayed still for a moment and then slowly went on it's way - it was about 15 feet from my door.

julie		13-May-2008 23:19
ok not sure if whats going on is the doing of a fisher cat.but our neighbor down the street has lost a lot of chickens .we have a fish pond in our back yard .have had it for 5 years and 28 gold fish.they got big in that time .well mothers day morning we went out to feed them and could not find them .took all the rocks apart and only 9 were left.and they were really scared. well monday comes and now we have only one left.i thought fisher cats dont like fish .also we have a fenced in yard.not sure how or what is getting them .any one have a idea thanks oh ya we live in franklin ma

Guest		11-May-2008 14:14
Gales Ferry, Ct. My 8 year old cat has just disappeared and I'm now finding out about these Fisher cats. I had never heard of them before and had no idea they were around in these parts. I wish I had known before as I would have never have let my cat go outside.

Guest		11-May-2008 04:23
hi I live in North Smithfield, RI and I heard this stange scream like somone or something tht sound like scream the help. I look out the window and head this thing scurry off the deck and across the yard to my driveway, My two boxers wnet absolutely nuts. I put the lights on and this thing about 3 ft lont and black ran so fast it was to describe. But after treading up I truly beleiove it was a Fisher cat. I know do not let my dogs ou. Our yard is not fenced in the dogs go out on tie to do their thing and come back in but I am afrad they might get attack so I stay on the deck with till they are done. What a horrible sound yucky/

Guest		10-May-2008 14:36
Guest: I live in W. Rutland Vermont and while walking my dog this morning my neighbor warned me that while doing his early morning walk up the road (about 5 am) he saw a fisher cat coming down a neighbor's driveway...and apparently has recently spotted one walking across his next door neighbor's lawn...headed up to the woods. He was concerned because I, for one, have a cat who has been going outside for as long as I've lived here (nearly 9 years)...though not early AM or after dark...except on those few occasions in the warm weather when getting him back inside before dark was a challenge. If we had fishers in the area before, I've never heard of them being up this way...above Pleasant Street....I thought I just had to worry about the huge skunk population digging in the lawns for grubs!

Lennie Harrington		06-May-2008 17:45
I live in Beverly Mass and just had a medium size fischer walk across the perimeter of my yard about 30 feet from my back door...We also had a coyote walking through the yard last week in the middle of the day...We have the yard fenced in but I ma concerned if he gets in the yard for my Lab??

Guest		05-May-2008 23:33
Maybe not a bobcat, golden color.

Linne		05-May-2008 23:27
I saw what I beleive to be a Bobcat crossing the Brook Road tonight as I was leaving the ELementary school. ANy input, could it be?

debbie		05-May-2008 19:54
Please help, we beleive after speaking to the neighbors a fisher cat got our beloved pet of 7 years. we had 9 bunnies and last year they died one after an other, scared to death? purhase.. how do you get rid on theese animals? catch and kill them, is it legal. our neighbors have told us there is so many in the area.. we wants to get sheep and chickens -thats why we purchased a farm in Athol, Please help...

Guest		05-May-2008 18:15
I live in central ma and I had my first and hopefully only encounter with this animal today. I was pushing my two year old on our swingset while our two cats played nearby. All of sudden I saw what looked like a cat jumping like a weasel through our backyard about 10 feet away. It didn't even look at us and I'm glad after reading these stories! I'm surprised at some of the messages on here. We have two house cats that we let outside which I understand is a risk but keeping them inside is cruel if you don't live on a busy street. It would suck to lose a cat to anything but honestly if any wild animal is hungry a domestic animal is easy prey. I am scared now to let my son out of my site even for a second now that I've learned more about these animals. No matter what the temperament of a fisher cat he wouldn't have a chance against this animal! I won't even run inside to answer the phone now without grabbing him first!

Sal		05-May-2008 15:44
I run into fishers all the time. I have never had a problem with them. Last week as i was sitting in the forest a fisher passed within 5 feet of me and fled when I spoke.

Trevor		04-May-2008 08:50
Hi, BEWARE of FISHER MYTHS! I'm from Green Valley, of eastern Ontario, just 10min west of the Quebec border, 15 min north of the St.Lawrence River. My neighbor 500ft down the road lives in a moderately dense, wooded area, with coniferous trees; and she is a large old lady, (to make my point, that the fisher should be feared) who was attacked by a Fisher from behind,in the calf area of her leg. It has 1"1/2 - 2" long teeth, top, and bottom, and has non-retractable claws, which latched onto her calf after she exited her shed near the woods, and was only feet away out the door, when she was attacked from BEHIND in BROAD DAY-LIGHT!, people. This fearless beast wrapped around her leg, while gnawing away at her calf, and it took all she had to beat it off of her. The doctor did surgery to see how far the bite went, because he needed to know if the bite reached the bone. He told her she was very lucky, because they would have had to amputate her leg to avoid the spread of infection in her bone. She was put on anti-biotics for the flesh-eating disease to take care of the infection caused by the bite. She recovered but had a total of 4 surgeries on her calf, to regain proper mobility. Another incident occurred with a hunter just 3 miles N.W. of Alexandria, which is 12min. North of my area by car. The hunter encountered the FISHER about 75ft away in a medium density deciduous treed area. It looked at him, then charged him in BROAD DAY-LIGHT. Fortunately for him he was carrying a .22 caliber rifle, and had to fire several shots to drop the animal before it reached him. Don't kid yourself about the mentality,or nature of this beast. I have personally witnessed the speed, and agility of the FISHER at night while driving over a crest on my road. What I can tell you,is this is a narrow two car dirt road in a swampy area, and it was so fast at crossing the road 50 ft in front of me, that I barely got a 1 second count in. This animal is Super Quick, and someone on their bicycle would likely not out-run one on a race bike since i'm a cyclist myself with a race bike, and could barely out-run a guard dog in the dark,at my top speed on the flat, at approximately 30mph; But this thing was faster by at least 10mph. So please use EXTREME CAUTION near highly wooded areas, and I don't know about you,but from what I experienced, I don't leave my house for the woods without some kind of protection, if you know what I mean. Oh, careful entering, or exiting sheds near wooded areas,since they are drawn to the shelter it can give them.

Guest		01-May-2008 19:33
I live in Ashford CT and believe I saw one today out in the backyard, at the edge of the woods. I am always with my dogs but don't know if they will attack if they have a human with them.

Guest realist		01-May-2008 16:24
Fishers are part of nature, I can't believe some of the paranoid, misinformed propaganda I just read. Educate yourselves. They are not demon cats, vampires or some invasive species. They may poop on your deck but they won't steal your opioids from your medicine cabinet or litter the countryside with fast food wrappers. You should probably be more concerned about hybrid vigor of that mutant house pet than the activities of fishers in nature.

guest		29-Apr-2008 06:18
I live in Tolland Ct. and seen a couple of Fishers , my dogs and cat are always inside so I dont have a problem with the fishers. For those of you people who choose to let your cats and dogs room around oh well ! Get pet insurance .

Neil		28-Apr-2008 03:43
I'm tired of hearing about the fishers and coyotes getting blamed for pet cats deaths. The pet owners is responsible not the native wildlife!! If you let your pets out withoust a leash then are part of the food chain. It's your fault. I'm tired of people letting there cats out and killing songbirds and rabbits. I'd much rather shoot a pet cat on my property trying to kill a bird then a fisher doing the same thing. The fisher belongs in the ecostyem not your darling pet cats.

Kara		24-Apr-2008 21:38
OMG I had no idea what a fisher cat was until last night. of caurse my husband went right back to sleep, but with my imagination and that horrible screech, I was up all night paranoid. I could not believe there was an animal that could sound like a human being screaming. we live in the woodsy area of Haverhill, MA and I thought someone was being attacked out back, it was absolutley awfull, especially if you have no idea what it is. I sleep right near the window and the curtain and window were wide open, and all I could see in the back of mind was someone bloody and beaten running right up to the screen and screaming...I know I have too much of an imagination. :)

Guest		23-Apr-2008 01:37
I live in Palmer Ma they are all over the place here

terri		23-Apr-2008 01:36
I was told that a fisher was a cross between a cat and a ferret Is there any truth to that. I didnt think so but I thought I would ask

Guest		23-Apr-2008 01:26
Cape Cod Ma here and way less than thrilled with the obvious fisher cat problem in my neighborhood. Coyotes are here but much less of a problem. The fishers have killed almost every squirrel in the area. It's gotten so that I get excited to even see a squirrel these days because they are now so rare. Three nights ago I watched a rabbit that lives in my yard race down the middle of the road late at night with a fisher on its tail. I was feeling just sick about how they've raped the local lands of every other fur bearing creature, leaving hardly any other wildlife for us to observe. I chased the fisher and verbally abused it just to vent a bit. The rabbit fled back up the street and I stayed right with the fisher (it had frozen because I got so close to it while it was distracted with the rabbit chase) long enough for the rabbit to get some distance. I had to work the next day tho so couldnt stand watch all night and of course now my friendly little yard bunny has vanished, never to be seen again I'll bet. I generally believe in the "let nature takes its course" mentality and I share my gardens happily (or used to, nothing left to bother them now !)with the local wildlife ...... but these evil little vampires are not a good thing. The only solace to be taken is that now that they've wiped out every other animal in the territory they will eventually starve to death (yaaaaaay) or be forced to move on. 15 years of watching coyote packs roam through and not a single lost pet from them. Now I wouldn't dream of letting my pets out after dark. Bah !

Guest		18-Apr-2008 19:25
fisher cats in Berwick, Maine--ohhhhyea walked right across our front yard and into the backyard twice, knew right where it was going.

Guest		18-Apr-2008 16:28
GUEST I saw an enormous "cat" loping through the woods behind my house this morning. Research led me to this site, and the photos. What I saw was definitely a fisher cat. North of Olde Orchard Road.

hayley		17-Apr-2008 14:08
yesterday my friend called me and said she herd howling from ciotys and 5 minutes later it was like a cry for one of the ciotys then 10 minutes after silens they herd someone screaming help me! then she called the cops and they came and there was alittle blood that got dragged in woods but when they came out there naber was there and said he herd somone screaming help me please please help me i am getting attacked in his yard so that is why he went to the cops and my friends moms boyfriend herd it to at his houseso he called the mom of my friend and said cyotys are geting to friendly so BE CAREFULL!

Guest		15-Apr-2008 22:06
ANy of you who has a fisher in your area, WATCH OUT! A Fisher lives near me, and it keeps on coming back, moving its den, and has caught and killed 3 of my cats, including one that was my favorite ever just recently. When we catch it, I will make it know pain very well.

kathie		15-Apr-2008 17:11
I was driving thru Hollis, NH last weekend, and saw a baby fisher cat zoom across the road in front of me and pop into a gap in a rock wall. Had sense enough to want to get off the road fast. Years ago I saw one in my back yard in Brookline, coming up to my house sniffing around. I yelled out the window at it, but it took no notice at all. Kind of disconcerting to be ignored like that by a wild animal.

Guest		11-Apr-2008 02:58
guest Clinton Ct we spotted a fisher cat a few months ago and today it was up a tree right outside our back door and was not concerned about our dog barking at it. It did get down out of the tree but was in NO hurry to get farther away. Our dog has been barking at something druing hte night and we think the fisher cat is what she is barking at!

Guest		09-Apr-2008 15:22
I live in Hollis, NH and a fisher cat has just passed through my front yard. We have two golden retrievers who spotted it from the window and started barking. It ran along the front of the yard right near the road. I went out and saw it in the neighbor's yard, also right along the road. Some reading suggests that now could be mating season and it might be looking for a mate?

Guest		06-Apr-2008 17:29
I live in North Oxford MA in a condo community. This afternoon my cat was looking out the sliding glass window and I was wondering what she was looking at. I saw this animal digging in a hole, taking something in it's mouth, running into the woods and then coming back to the hole again. Every once in a while it would stop, get up on it's hind legs, look around and go back to the hole. I came on the internet and found that indeed it was a fisher cat.

Guest		02-Apr-2008 13:10
This morning I looked out the window and saw a fisher cat walking across the lawn. He had a back foot that was injured. His tail had a kink in it at the end also so he looked like he had been in a fight I ran for the camera but he had disappeared.

Paul		01-Apr-2008 15:30
I been watching a fisher cat for the last few days. (Maguire Road Kennebunk Maine) Black/bwown, followed tracks down behind my house, my cats were spooked by something this morning aroud daylight. Paul from Maine

krasicki		31-Mar-2008 15:10
A fisher cat wandered across the yard just about an hour ago. Fascinating looking creature that just bounds along their merry way. krasicki Ashford, CT

Guest		29-Mar-2008 13:07
Fisher cat in my Nashua NH yard this morning! Is it normal for them to be out in the morning?

Rick		28-Mar-2008 18:51
I live in Billerica MA , I was walking down the road at about 4pm to find a dog going crazy at the bottom of a tree , when i looked up i saw a fisher cat about 30 lbs hanging from a branch , the fisher cat fell out of thee tree scared the dog off and cantered off into the woods as if nothing happened. 1st time ever seeing one it was awesome very proud huge paws.

Guest		27-Mar-2008 11:37
Fisher Cat spotted in Lakeville Ma. March 2008, crossing through a field, very large black with some red.

Guest		27-Mar-2008 00:00
Thompson CT 5:30pm fishe cat spotted crossing Thompson rd over a stone wall and passed about 20ft from side of house.

Lex		25-Mar-2008 01:55
My husband saw one behind our house which backs onto conservation land in sudbury ma. Be careful! I also spotted a coyote walking up to someone's front door!

Peg		24-Mar-2008 13:37
My Border collie mix treed a fisher cat on Saturday eve, March 22, 2008 in Grafton Mass. Most definitely a fisher cat. Fortunately, noone was attacked/injured.

Debbie		23-Mar-2008 00:02
Our terrier was only out for a couple of minutes when we heard a scream and found the dog with both eyes damaged. One eye had to be removed the other may not function at all, but we won't know for a couple of weeks. Animal Control thinks it was a ficher cat. Anyone think this could be true? We never saw what got the dog.... Mass/3/22/08

Cyndi		22-Mar-2008 13:40
I live in Marblehead and the other night (3/20) around 3:30am one of my cats was going crazy looking out on my deck (live on the 2nd floor). It was windy and there was a full moon so thought something was blowing in the wind. Then I heard a crash against my sliding glass window...don't know if it was my cat or the fisher cat. Looked outside and at first thought it was a raccoon or weasel (have had both on my deck) but then heard that sound and saw it's face. Was told it could be a fisher cat so looked it up on the web and sure enough, that's what it was! Thank God my cats are indoor cats!

Jeff		19-Mar-2008 16:18
Fisher cat sighted today in Rocky Hill near CT river

chris		19-Mar-2008 04:58
I live on Cape Cod and a couple of days ago I saw what looked to be a cat sized ferrit run in front of my car. It was no house cat, it ran with its back arched and head near the ground. This was at about 9 am what a treat to see. I feel after seeing pics it must be a fisher.

Sonya		18-Mar-2008 15:13
For the past 3 nights we have had a fisher cat come visit. I have 3 dogs housed in an outside kennel (that is 6' high); a bloodhound, lab mix, and a redbone coonhound that sound off whenever it comes around. I had 2 rabbits that were kept outside in a hutch that stood 4 feet off the ground for a short time and then moved them in as I'm pretty sure they were what he was after. I have seen him twice and heard him last night. This animal is not scared by the bellowing of my dogs and I believe it is trying to get into my house for the rabbits, as I have seen and heard it circling the house. Is this normal behavior?

Evette P. Goodridge		17-Mar-2008 21:54
My name is Evette Goodridge i work at raining cats and dogs, in cambridge, and i heard that a dog name ziggy masterson the owner of beth she had let her dog out in the yard and she said that her neighbor heard her dog screaming and her dog was attact by fischer cat since 3/14/2008 on a friday night, and it is so sad for her dog ziggy of her lost. And everyone loves that dog so much and we take good care of him when he comes to daycare, we all will miss him in our hearts and soul. Thank, You for your message Sincerely, Yours Evette P. Goodridge 03/17/2008

Dan		17-Mar-2008 18:02
Spotted a fisher cat walking across a trail in Union, CT, mistook it for a beaver as it moved through the bush, beautiful animal, well fille out and alert!

Ang		15-Mar-2008 02:39
3/14/08 Boxford, MA 10:10 PM. Opened the door to let the dog out (boxer pitty mix) and heard the shrilling baby like scream of a Fisher Cat. At which point my 67lb "big bad pit mix" ran back in the house! I think I will wait a few hours before letting her out. I also have 3 small dogs (2 chihuahua's and and Italian greyhound) that are litter box trained just b/c of where I live and the Fishers in the area. Not only do we have a Fisher Cat problem but yesterday a huge hawk was swooping around the area and it was not the 1st time. My little ones are an easy target for these predators as they are only 6lbs, 7lbs, and 8lbs.

Bon		14-Mar-2008 01:55
Oh my god, so this morning around 4:30 I heard this howl and scream. Oh man, that thing sounded like a pig squealing or even a baby screaming. Well, I was still waking up after hearing this sound and I woke up my dad and we ran into the bathroom to try and see the fisher. (we have had problems with fishers before). And it continued to scream as I heard something run up my back stairs. Luckily it wasn't this horrible creature, it was my cat. The fisher was trying to get my poor cat! Everything is fine now, but that was very, very scary!

BRAD		11-Mar-2008 22:43
SAW A FISHER CAT TODAY IN TAUNTON, MA. IT WALKED DOWN A STONE WALL AND PASSED VERY CLOSE TO ME AS I WAS WORKING IN THE YARD. FIRST ON I'VE EVER SEEN HERE.

don		08-Mar-2008 07:35
yes its true, fishers were introduced to ct. to control the turkey population. however. The fisher is going after squirels instead. I live next to the enfield prisons. and found one that had been killed by a lawn mower next to our lake here. Thinking that it was a woodchuck then i didnt give it a second look until a couple of years later. we saw its bones still in the same spot, so we took them home and boiled them. (we wanted to preserve the skull). But we still didnt know what it was exactly. Until 3 years ago i saw one running around a field where i work. another guy caught it . he walked up to it with a barrel and put it over the animal. the animal was acting very tame, and almost sick. We called the dep, and they sent a warden out to verify the animal. Yes it was a fisher. but the warden could not let the animal go free because of its sick acting, dossile demeanor. He had to put the animal down. However, Me being a hunter with a valid licence was able to keep the animal. i had it mounted and now realize that the skull and bones i had found were in fact a fisher cat. now i have 2 skulls and a beautiful jet black fisher on my wall in my log cabin next to my 8 point deer. I have seen only one more since then. right in my neighbors yard, and have noticed less squirels around.

Nancy		04-Mar-2008 16:45
I have two fischers living in my back yard (Wilmington MA). One female and one male. They seem to be living in differnt trees. Getting together in the am. The male sits in the tree where the female is living (hollowed out)to stand guard. They are kind of cute, but scary, they seem to be very playful with each other.

Nick		21-Feb-2008 02:14
West Greenwich RI, late at night from June of 2007 to current Feburary of 2008 there have been fisher cats lurking around outside between the hours of 11:00pm-3:00am. I was sitting in my room watchin TV and the noise of the fishercat actually overcame the noise of the TV and the windows were not open. It happened at a steel mill across the street from my house and it sounds like a young women or child screaming for help. In all honesty I really thought someone was being murdered. Its not something taken lightly as a 14 year old. Very loud and scary. You will know the noise when u hear it. Sends a chill straight up your spine. I looked out the window with a flash light for it in hopes the light would hit the animals reflective retina that most all cats and dogs and other nocturnal animals have. The eyes literally glow when introduced to the eye. Some advice is to keep all animals inside because im absolutley sure two of these good take down a full sized deer. If I ever found myself outside as that noise was going on I would probably faint due to fear..scary stuff!

Nick		21-Feb-2008 01:39
West Greenwich RI, late at night from June of 2007 to current Feburary of 2008 there have been fisher cats lurking around outside between the hours of 11:00pm-3:00am. I was sitting in my room watchin TV and the noise of the fishercat actually overcame the noise of the TV and the windows were not open. It happened at a steel mill across the street from my house and it sounds like a young women or child screaming for help. In all honesty I really thought someone was being murdered. Its not something taken lightly as a 14 year old. Very loud and scary. You will know the noise when u hear it. Sends a chill straight up your spine. I looked out the window with a flash light for it in hopes the light would hit the animals reflective retina that most all cats and dogs and other nocturnal animals have. The eyes literally glow when introduced to the eye. Some advice is to keep all animals inside because im absolutley sure two of these good take down a full sized deer. If I ever found myself outside as that noise was going on I would probably faint due to fear..scary stuff!

guest Heather		21-Feb-2008 00:46
I live in Madison,CT. A friend of mine that I work with said that she was driving home in Cliton the other night and saw one. She almost hit it. She said that is was walking or whatever, right across the street and she slowed down and looked and realized what it was. She couldn't believe it. My boss has also seen them, and showed her pictures once before, that is how she knew it was one!

Guest		07-Feb-2008 14:18
On Saturday Feb 2 I saw a huge Fisher behind my place - very dark, long bushy tail - moving at quite a pace, parallel to a stream. I'd never seen one so close and so big! About 15 minutes later I heard a noisy Jay with a warning - not for the Fisher, but for a Great Horned Owl swooping through the forest! Quite a morning. --------Laurie, Vermont

twillia99		26-Jan-2008 15:03
I live in Ledyard, CT and I have actually captured two fisher cats. They have killed many of my chickens, in fact, 14 at one time. I have included some pictures and a short video of one that I captured on Jan 24th. http://www.pbase.com/twillia99/profile. This is a trial profile that runs out in a month. Enjoy.

Jaclyn		25-Jan-2008 03:23
please answer a question for me i was told that fisher cats rip out the intestines by putting paw up the rectum and grabbing the insides. a co worker of mine said this is what they do and i told her no! i recently have learned about fisher cats never knowing that they even were around! please answer because i need to prove that this does not happen

Susan		17-Jan-2008 19:39
Saw my first one today in Southington, CT. I have lived here, on the side of a small mountain, my whole life, and never saw one before. The tail was beautiful!

segun		06-Jan-2008 01:13
actually-that is a fisher. They don' all look the same-there is great variation in the appearnce of this animal. Some look like little blacks foxes, some look like miniature woverines, some look exactly like a big mink would, some have pointed snouts while others have blunt snouts-but that pic above is definetly a fisher and the fisher is a type of weasel btw

scaredee cat		25-Dec-2007 01:59
o my god i saw one of these in my yard,the scariest thing i didnt know what it was but now i do cause a searched weaslish squrriel and it was fisher cat.I was outside so i could'nt tell what it was,but these things are horrible and I hate them.my poor cat cant go outside anymore.But my dog will go out much often now(wink).

Daniel Keefe		09-Dec-2007 14:52
Note- This is indeed a Fisher and has been well identified as such by numerous sources. Weasels are much smaller. - Dan

Jane		09-Dec-2007 06:31
HI, I live in NH and have seen several Fisher cats stalking by in the middle of the night I live in the woods and have seen and heard them in the middle of the night. The pictures that you have at the feeder is not a fisher cat but much more likely a weasel. A fisher cat does not have the long snout their face is more squared snubbed nose and there ears are shorter and rounder. Almost like a small bears face. Except these animals I find extremely ugly not cute like a bear cub. There are some very good pictures on the net. Google: Fisher Cats.

Fisher LOVER		03-Dec-2007 00:39
I love Fisher Cats... My favorite baseball team is the New Hampshire Fisher Cats!!!

Tina		02-Dec-2007 04:32
All, My Mother lives in Scotland, CT and has told me that there have many sightings of Fisher Cats. People loosing their housecats, dogs, livestock, etc. I personally live in Norwich, CT. I bet these fisher cats would not have a problem climbing to our deck, which is on the second floor and getting on to the deck. We do have it screened in but by the sounds of things that surely doesnt matter. I leave our slider onto the deck open all the time during the summer months ~ beyond the slider is an open door to our home!! Now that's a scarey thought!!!!

Guest		30-Nov-2007 17:25
we have fisher cats here in southwick, ma also.... i have a chihuahua, since his fenced in area is only 3 ft high, i go out with him, and don't let him out after 4 or before 7. the fisher cats were here before we were, and they don't know the difference between a pet, or a wild animal.... all they see is lunch! so all of you who have lost your pets, i feel sorry for you, but remember, you have to respect wildlife. we have coyotes, turkey buzzards, and all kinds of animals dangerous to pets out here....

Guest		27-Nov-2007 13:44
COOL! I have never seen a Fisher Cat before! I live in Indiana where you can find pleanty of wildlifes in you backyard, like deer, rabbit,coyotes... I also grew up in Colorado where you see even more different knids of animals like mountain lions,bears, rattle snakes ect. These guys are cool and seems that they can be very dangerous like ANY other animal. I am going to go learn more about this illusive creature. b.cox

Jason Roberts		27-Nov-2007 04:39
Today was the first time seeing a fisher,first i taught it was a woverine.Man, those suckers are big,pretty though. I work for a oil and gas company, operating wells in the fort nelson area in northern british columbia and we have lots of wildlife,it sure was interesting watching this elussive creature.

Fisher HATER		25-Nov-2007 01:17
I have seen this one fisher cat in my grandfathers backyard, they are ugly vicious and just nasty. suddenly all the wood chucks are missing. also even the foxes stop coming to lake in the backyard. WIERD HUH!?

Notebook		24-Nov-2007 17:30
Thoes things are wild , dangerous ,and crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guest		24-Nov-2007 05:14
Guest I have ducks and geese. Three weeks ago some wild animal killed two ducks eating the head and neck on both. Another attack happened three days ago. Two more ducks killed in my penned in area.One duck had its breast meat ripped out plus some of its intestines. The other duck was minus its head and neck. The Dog Warden came to this gruesome site saying, '' It looks like the work of a Fisher Cat''. So here's the loss of Four breeder ducks. I surely would like to catch this troublesome animal and release it many miles away. Even out of state from Southington, Conn. 24-NOV-07

Chad		23-Nov-2007 01:14
I was playing golf yesterday in Middletown/Portsmouth RI and we believe what we saw was a fisher cat. 3 of us ran over towards it to take a look as it was comming down a tree and sat behind a stone wall in the brush staring at us...not scared, not running, just looking at us. However, it was small (baby?), no more than 10 lbs. We live on an island and have never heard of any fishers here, but you never know. There have been many reports only a few miles away of them. Anyone from the RI area have any idea?

JaneFonda		22-Nov-2007 03:02
You people in CT carry guns? Isn't that a capital offense in CT? I thought that was Chris Dodd country?!! What the heck is going on up there? Doesn't that border the People's Republic of Massachusetts? I hope PETA finds you and NOW gets your address and Hillary Clinton comes down on you for being such backwater redneck psychopaths. And I hope the Dept of the Interior lets loose a whole population of wolverines on your school playgrounds! Where's Howard Dean when we need him?

Louis Cypher		22-Nov-2007 02:55
We have fishers here in Chester, CT now. The once abundant turkeys are gone, and missing cat posters are beginning to appear frequently. My wife and neighbors have heard the blood-curdling screams at night, and one of my neighbors arrived in her kitchen to find a fisher attempting to gain access through her sliding glass doors. This is an interesting development indeed. I hope my terrier is quick enough to kill it. For those of you who are quick to badmouth this aggressive carnivore, you should remember that wolverines received an undeservedly bad reputation as well. As have coyotes. And mosquitoes. And the tse-tse fly. And the assassin beetle. And liver flukes. And staphylococcus aureus. And e-coli. Remember, these are all natural creatures whose environments we've invaded, not the other way around. They deserve to be left alone. Blah blah blah ...

Kenneth C.Fisher		21-Nov-2007 05:19
Near my house in Vernon, CT last night I heard my German Shepherd fighting with another animal. This animal made the demon screach of a fisher cat. What I could not believe was the size of this animal however, it was almost as tall as my German Shepherd, which is a 60 lbs dog. I have seen coyotes and foxes many times here but this was definitely a fisher cat. Finally the animal ran off but not before injuring my dog, he will be OK. I did get a good look and this fisher was definitely over 40 lbs, coloring and features very much like the pictures here. Does anyone know if there is a giant variety of fisher cat?

James		19-Nov-2007 13:52
Rick, you wouldnt have happened to be hunting on the power lines in Cairo NY were you? At 7:30am yesterday I saw a black fisher run under my tree stand... I've never seen a jet black one before. About an hour later I saw another, bigger one but it was the more normal brown color.

Fisher Lover		18-Nov-2007 21:51
Rick, how dare you speak of Fisher Cats with such disrespect? Your tale of your encounter was the lamest dramatization I have ever heard. You decide to invade the Fisher�s habitat to hunt and then claim to be scared of a Fisher �charging� you, when you even stated yourself that it didn�t even see you. You had a gun� what a pansy. These animals mean you no harm; they are an important part of the environment. I am glad the Fisher Cats are here and if they eat your pets it is your own problem for not keeping them on a leash. The Fisher Cats are native to this area, your cats and dogs are not. Maybe, If you let the Fisher Cats run-on like your sentences, you wouldn�t have such a problem Rick!! YAY FISHER CATS!!

rick		18-Nov-2007 16:56
I was deer hunting yesterday morning. At about 7:30 I heard something running toward me in the woods. In was sitting on a small hill in the forest. I could hear whatever it was, running very fast. Suddenly, I saw a black animal coming directly toward the hill I was on. I first thought it might be a fischer cat. The problem was the beast didn't see me, and was in my estimate, going to run right up on me. I was sitting on the side of the hill and slowly turned so my shotgun was in line with the approaching creature. The fischer saw the slight movement and ran about five feet up the side of a tree, only a dozen feet from me. Hidden from my veiw behind the large oak tree, the fischer peered with it's head around the trunk of the tree in a most sneaky manner.All the time, I had my gun pointed in the direction of this very scary animal. I estimate this "cat" weighed about ten to fifeteen pounds. I must admit, I was somewhat taken aback by this whole episode.I don't know if I could have shot this viscous looking canivore before it attacked me, as I presume it would have, if it had not seen me and stopped its course. I firmly believe, after reading stories about a fischer attacking a german shepard in Greenwich, RI, a women and her golden retriever,also in Greenwich, and a recent attack on a man and a horse in coastal NH, that I could have been in trouble with this horrible animal. I will not go into the woods without at least a handgun from now on. I personally don't care what the "experts" have to say on the subject of fishers, I saw one up close and personal, and it was to close for comfort in my opinion. I have lost two cats over the course of several years, and I have heard screeching outside late at night this past summer. The idea that these monsters are roaming our neighborhoods at night is a rather unpleasant one.Hunting season opens for fishers on december 1 until January 31. I for one, will try to dispatch as many of them as I can. Hopefully. this will save the lives of someones cat or dog. I don't feel safe walking at dusk near woodlands anymore, after hearing these stories.

Wilton, CT		17-Nov-2007 07:09
We heard the ungodly, super loud screem coming from the woods behind our house in August. A few weeks later, my husband heard something trying to chew its way into our attic through the screen below the eve. He went up to see what it was and saw a brown animal with sharp teeth trying to chew it's way in. He also saw a long bushy tail hanging down. Glad it hadn't gotten in before he went in the attic. That could have been a grusome scene!

Fisher Lover		17-Nov-2007 05:00
You can�t silence or censor me Robert. I LOVE FISHER CATS!!! I wish there were more fisher cats throughout New England, including Providence!!! Yay Fisher Cats!!!

Robert		15-Nov-2007 02:18
Hello again! I have again reviewed some more of these recent articles about how to deal with the fisher. I was out checking my traps today also spoke to area neighbors regards to their concern RELATED TO THEIR ENCOUNTERS WITH THE FISHER. AS I SPOKE TO ONE SPECIFIC PERSON I NOTICE A LARGE AREA OF WOODS behinde there house . ALSO OBSERVED THAT THEY HAD BIRD FEEDERS WITH SEED AND SEWET. ALSO TO OBSERVE THEIR PET CATS AND DOG ROAMING FREE. I DID EXPLAIN TO THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP THEIR PETS ON A LEASH .ALSO TO CONTROL AND CONTAIN ALL OR ANY FOOD SOURCES SUCH AS FOOD FOR PETS OR FEED FOR WILD BIRDs as well as keep the lid on your garbage. BECAUSE AS I MENTION BEFORE iT WILL ATTRACK OTHER WILD ANIMALS. THUS DRAWING OTHER WILD ANIMALS THAT PRAY ON THOSE ANIMALS THAT ARE DRAWN BY THESE FOOD SOURCES. Also if you hear unusual noises in your back yard, use caution when checking the area. Because you must remember that even know it is your back yard, IT IS THEIR HOME. And you may have what you call a close encounter Causing the animal to become defensive.Please keep in mind that any wild animal will react, to your actions triggering an animal to respond. and I don,t think you want to get bitten or scratched. And keep this in mind when you are dealing with stray cats.

graham		14-Nov-2007 18:54
Freeport, Maine: Lost in the area three cats(one ours last week)gone missing; a fourth cut to ribbons all within a half mile area near a stream. The once abundant turkeys are few and rare sightings now. Coy dogs are heard in the area at night and I have heard an occasional bloodcurdling sound on my nightly walks with our Lab. We thought the sound may have been a porcupine mating couple but now I am not so sure. Two carcasses are in the woods within a couple of hundred yards but since it is hunting season I am reluctant to try to identify the remains of what may have been housecats. Could be fishers.

Guest		11-Nov-2007 16:20
I spotted a Fisher this summer (2007) in the New Brunswick woods. Like all other woodland critters, they're harmless to people. As for those who feel the need to carry a gun and to shoot everything you come across - you will never have an affinity for nature as you're too fearful of it.

Guest		11-Nov-2007 04:47
ive heard them on many occasions. a few times when me n my friend used to camp at his moms in oxford ct, we heard this purely satanic scream coming not 30 feet away from us. then we heard multiple animals going nuts at all the houses around. we were both freaked out and i was shaking. another time we didnt hear a shriek but something ran next to my side of the tent and brushed along the side of the tent. i froze, my friend asked if i was playing tricks and i looked at him and said something along the lines of "weres that axe?!?" he grabbed an axe, i grabbed my gamo .22 breaker and we went outside to see something low to the ground advancing toward us from the woods (snow on the ground, sorta light out) i fired my one shot and made contact with its tail, then we trook off into his basement. the tent got ransacked early that morning. we lost a bag and a half of chips. i was so pissed. didnt ever get a clear look at it, but if my cat falls prey to them, its open season.

ROBERT		10-Nov-2007 14:40
Hello everybody! Well I would like to say that first of all the true terminology is Fisher. I also have had encounters with this specie because I trap them. Although I think it is important for people learn more by researching these magnificent animals. The male fischer weighs up to 15lbs on an average. The female up to 8lbs. Although this also depends on their diet. I reviewed other peoples encounters. Please keep in mind that we as humans play an important role. What I mean by this is a fisher is only doing what his instict tells him to do Such as hunt sleep and mate. We must under stand that we as humans have to be responsible if we do not want our domestic animals or pets to be prayed uppon. Keep cats and dogs on leashes when walking them. Do not let them run loose. Keep lids on garbage containers and beaware of what food that you put out for the other animals such as birds ,squirrels chipmunks, and rabbits. Because when you attracked these types of animals. You will also attracked coyote, fox, members of the weasle family as well as bears. so if you try to remember to obey these rules you should not have any problems. Although if you do encounter a problem contact the division of fiheries and wildlife in your area. And they will send out experienced people to trap and remove these animals. Also please keep in mind if you think you should trap and relocate animals Please! do not do this because this upsets the eeco system . Meaning that if you transport an animal to an other location. You could be spreading diseases to other animals in these new locations. Also it is against thelaw to transport any wild animal wothout a propergation permit. Than you Robert

David Johansen		09-Nov-2007 22:48
I live in Mystic, CT and the fisher cats are killing of the cats in this area. I walk my German Shepherds and I carry a gun when I do it. If a fisher cat or coyote makes the mistake of crossing our paths to the next life it goes. Some may not like that, oh well; my parent�s cat is dead as are several of my close friends' cats. If anyone knows of a way to deter them by other means, please let me know so I do not have to waste ammo on the varmints.

Noah Cameron		08-Nov-2007 01:15
I have also spotted a giant fisher. Last week I was walking in Black Rock State Park off route 6. I noticed an animal hiding in a little cave between 2 rocks. I got a close look before it began to make a noise and bear it's teeth. What a sight, I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw it. I would say it was at least the size of a German Shepherd.

Cathy Fisher		08-Nov-2007 00:57
i have read that fishers are found up to 20 lbs. but my encounter proved otherwise. I heard a noise one night outside my house in Terryville, CT. Sounded something like a deranged person screaming. The noise was coming from a short distance into the woods so I took a flash light and went outside to see what the commotion was about. At first I thought it must be a bobcat or a bear but by the noise noise and the fur I could tell it was neither. I flashed the light on the animal for a closer look but as I did the fisher attacked. Sprang at me and made it's snarling scream. I ducked into my house and shut the door just before the fisher could follow. The fisher rammed the door and leaving a dent in my metal door 4 ft. off the ground. It was difficult to estimate the exact weight but this animal was at least 3 ft. at the shoulder.

RIDE me		05-Nov-2007 01:29
WoW ThEm ThInGs ArE CrAzY LoOkInG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Erin		31-Oct-2007 16:44
My financee and I have been camping outside for the past month, the last week or so we've had two other friends staying with us. About a week or so ago, my financee and i were alone in the tent and were about to go to sleep when we heard this blood curdling scream. It scared the crap out of both of us. We've had bears in our sight but i know bears don't make that sound. I've been researching the fisher cat and that seems to be what it was. It mentions that they stalk their prey but do they stalk humans too? The only time we seem to hear noises from teh fisher cat is once we've all gone to bed. I heard the noise again last night, it sounded like a woman screaming, I tried waking up one of the guys that stays with us but he wouldn't wake up. I can't sleep at night knowing that there is one out there and it sounds so close to our tent. ~~Northampton, Ma

Guest		31-Oct-2007 13:58
I can say that I have had the pleasure to see one of these upclose. Last week I caught a fisher in a live trap. It had previously killed 14 of my chickens. As I approached it in the trap it didn't seem to be afraid of me. It simply hissed and opened its mouth, no lound screams. My neighbors friend, a farmer type, wanted to keep it in a pen, I guess to show it off. Two days later it had escaped before I could go take pictures of it. Well, the trap is set again lets see what happens. Travis - Ledyard, CT

Guest		31-Oct-2007 12:29
I was setting up a jack-o-lantern in the front of my house last night, we live next to about 65 acres of forest. As I placed the lit pumpkin on my porch step, I heard a scream diffrent than any fisher scream I have ever heard - it was of a higher pitch, directed directly at me. Strangely, though, it was accompanied by what sounded like a dying game bird. My wife and a friend were in the back of the property about 300 yards away and heard the sound clearly, thinking I was pulling an early Halloween prank of some sort. What we came up with after we disected the very different sounds was that the fisher must have had a fresh bird in its mouth, dropped it to scream and then the bird gave a yell of its own, followed by another Fisher scream. It was pretty intense, probably about 60 feet away or so. Simple concept, don't mess with the fisher cats...Tim, Andover, MA

please don't eat me...		30-Oct-2007 09:07
I don't know if it was a fisher cat for sure, but I was moving trucks around at work this evening and i heard someting shuffling through the leaves, and thinking that it was nothing more than a deer I ignored it. That is until I heard the most disturbing blood-curdling sound from within the woods, like that of a shrieking banshee. I had never heard anything like it until tonight, and judging by the previous shuffling in the leaves, it was deffinately within close proximity. When I finally made it indoors I immediately told my boss and she said it sounded as though I had a close encounter with one of these "feral beasts" (as I have come to call them). ~ George in East Lyme, CT

Guest		30-Oct-2007 02:06
wow haven't heard a fisher in awhile, this past summer maybe. was just out side watching the stars and what a god awful sound coming from the back woods. gives me the cold chills, i rememeber growing up in massachusetts as a kid and hearing them during the summer. i'm in northern vermont now, i guess they are following me. i hate that noise.

lisa		29-Oct-2007 16:46
Fishers are blamed for causing much more harm than they actually do. I have been told by more than one wildlife biologist that owls "take" (kill) a surprising number of house cats and that domestic animals fall prey to many types of wildlife other that fishers. Fishers are tenacious survivors but not evil. I have 'lost' pets in my life too - I don't know what killed them but I'm not about to retaliate against any wild animal trying to survive. I don't expect the world to be totally safe.

Sue		29-Oct-2007 00:00
We live in Norwood MA and have heard the horrific screams of the fisher in the recent past. However last night the scariest thing happened. We have INDOOR cats and one was sitting in the picture window watching the world series (go Sox!)with me. The next thing I know is that "something" attacked the window trying to get the cat. It scared the s**t out of both of us. I have no doubt that the "something" is a fisher. The scariest thing is how brazen it was. The window faces the street and the room was all lit up with the TV on. I'm very concerned, do I have to leave the windows closed during the summer? Will the fisher go through the screens trying to get the cats? What about the dog? We have a Lab who spends a lot of time in the back yard. Is he in danger?

leen		27-Oct-2007 12:34
where did they come from and who the hell created them it sure wasnt god

Guest		25-Oct-2007 23:51
Hey Mad in Duxbury, get real. Keep your cat indoors and teach your children to appreciate the wonderful and beautiful creatures that live in our world. They have just as much right to live (and shit) as you do. I don't want your cat hurt, but why kill a living being that is only trying to survive?

Mad in Duxbury		25-Oct-2007 23:40
hi, we live in duxbury,ma and the fisher cat, nasty ugly weasel had the nerve to defecate on our side deck, get onto our main deck and look into the family room where my son was watching TV one evening,a screen has been ripped on another door, and has been seen on our deck this past weekend in broad daylight stalking our cat, my son scared it off by screaming in hugefear, it has been seen all over our property now. We now know it has succcessfully attacked our cat since last night, probably in the early am. Our cat who is an outdoor cat and is 7 years old managed to escape with two huge fang bore holes in her backside with a huge skin chunk removed. We have just called the vet and need to place her on antibiotics immediately and will be taking her tonight. My daughter saw the wound as the cat has been under her bed all day hiding !!! My son has been hugely traumatized by the fisher cat fanglike face and that this creature has no fear and now that she knows a cat lives here, he ( we are scared) . The cat is now an indoor cat and we hope stays alive. I am going to get a trapper here as fast as possible. This thing has even scared the coyotes away from our land whom we now believe have not done half as much damage to the wildlife as they have been accused of. Lets bring back the trapping law, this is ridiculous, these preatory carnivores were trapped for a reason people,can the tree huggers get real and let us hunt these things down and get rid of them NOW. Lets get this on the ballot as fast as we can an protect our proerty and animals.

Halley		22-Oct-2007 02:43
Just a few weeks ago down my road a couple of farmers found 2!!! fisher cat caves tucked away in the back of the woods they just recently destroyed them, soo i guess now i know what has been killing all of the house pets around here. Also i was more then glad to here that the caves have now been destroyed as well, but im not positive if there still around, my guess is they probably are.

samantha		21-Oct-2007 00:41
Fishercats are evil. They ate two puppies in my nieborhood.

Guest		21-Oct-2007 00:40
I had 10 fishercats spoted in my area. There where two dogs and 3 cats missing at the time!!! And they have not been found.

Jake		18-Oct-2007 00:30
I live in Tenn. and i have been hearing the ungoddliest sound behind my house. I think it is one of those fishers. How could I know for sure?

guest trapper		15-Oct-2007 11:00
this is a reply to guest from western mass the fisher is a fed animal like the otter and bobcat and we have trapping seasons for them you just can not set traps for them at anytime if you are have a problem with them call your masswildlife dist office and get names of trappers that may help you and yes we can only use cage traps ,

Guest		14-Oct-2007 23:17
- I often walk on the paths near the Quinebaug Valley Trout Hatchery. Fisher cats are not shy, as this morning I saw one near the entrance road approx. 20 feet away, and it was not at all concerned that I was watching it until it disappeared into the woods. 10/14/07

Halley		13-Oct-2007 00:32
I must admit that those pic.'s are great but my family and i have recently lost 2 of our own cats as well i can understand the fact that fisher cats kill anything that comes there way, but what i cant seem to get is why mainly they seem to be going after just cats mostly, if they are into killing anything that crosses them then how come they insist on killing more cats then other wildlife animals?

Sarah		08-Oct-2007 23:36
I'm in the "quiet corner" of CT and have heard quite a bit about these fisher cats lately. They are scary looking and my father in law is a taxidermist and from what I hear, they can easily tear any animal that they come into contact with apart. The turkeys here are abundant too so I'm not quite sure what the fisher cats original role was. That scream they make is unforgettable though.

Fred		08-Oct-2007 20:17
Lost our outdoor cat to one of these guys. No natural predators....huh. Well they have one now.

tracy		07-Oct-2007 15:15
well it looked like something from the devil

tracy		07-Oct-2007 15:13
i saw a diferent looking fishercat in haverhill massachuesetts

haley		04-Oct-2007 21:06
a better picure

Guest		01-Oct-2007 18:36
I read so many who say to Kill Fisher Cats as they are killing so much wildlife and the countless domestic cats. Question I have is that how many of the ignorant domestic cat owners really have a handle on how much devistation your sweet feline is causing to your local wildlife population. Between birds, mammals, insects and reptiles I would have to say that no critter that moves is safe from your sweet pet. While I sympathize with those who have lost pets I have to wonder why owners are not so dilligent when their cat is the hunter and not the hunted. Fisher cats are clearly doing local wildlife populations a favor in some regard. Just because you feed your cat twice a day does not keep them from killing anything that gets their attention - and cats kill to kill - not to eat. I see my neighbors cat every day at my bird feeder - hunting birds and squirrels. Every time he is there he stays till he kills something. And he is soon back. My neigbor complains that the cat brings back rabbit and squirrel carcasses and leaves them as presents - he still feeds the cat every day. And this is a cat that lives beside a state forest. Clearly they have no regard for wildlife. While I like their cat I love my wildlife better. (Yes - I know of 3 fisher cats on my property in Southern CT). While Fisher cats may be a menace - your domestic cat is a bigger menace to the wildlife and has less right to be there in the first place. Do society a favor and keep your cats indoors - if a fisher cat gets your cat it will be a tragedy that could have been avoided and is no fault of the fisher cat.

TC		30-Sep-2007 21:03
I can't help but note all the concerned citizens worried about thier pets. We live alongside the woods harboring fishers,fox,mink,coyote, and numerous other animals. My bird dog and my indoor/outdoor cat have had no trouble with any encounters as long as they keep close to home. People overlook that hawks,cars,injury, and vandals take more domestic cats than any wild lurking beast.

TC		30-Sep-2007 13:43
I have the same question as the last "Guest's" posting. We have abundant fisher here in southern Maine, and I've seen a few. But recently I saw an animal that was a buff, tawny color resembling a fisher. I don't believe we have the type of forests to support Pine Martens. Another fisher color phase, perhaps? And contrary to their ferocious reputation, I do think they are very cute. My dog has "treed" several. Therese

Guest		30-Sep-2007 13:42
I have the same question as the last "Guest's" posting. We have abundant fisher here in southern Maine, and I've seen a few. But recently I saw an animal that was a buff, tawny color resembling a fisher. I don't believe we have the type of forests to support Pine Martens. Another fisher color phase, perhaps? And contrary to their ferocious reputation, I do think they are very cute. My dog has "treed" several. Therese

Guest		28-Sep-2007 04:35
Could someone tell me if Fisher Cats are only brown' because I have horrible screams ready to call police , thought that a girl was being attacted.....tonight I got out of my car and saw a strange animal it hair was cream color and looked straggly , long legs, bushy striped tail and a cat like of face, Iwas afraid to walk my puppy !

germaine		28-Sep-2007 04:00
Millie Can't believe all these stories of fisher cats.Last week-end had some leftover pancakes from breakfast and didn't want them to go to waste so I put a pancake out for the birds and all of a sudden out from the forestin( in Becket Mass.on Oct. mountain )came a slender catlike animal with a long tail black in color mink like fur and pointy nose pick up cake go back into the forest then come out to grab another had no idea what animal it was...........Now that we do,we won't be feeding this thing anymore and will watch out for the grandchild outside and also my small grand-dog.we need some kind of control of these animals........

Doug		26-Sep-2007 21:34
For about 2 years I have been hearing an occasional horrible scream, always at night, from the woods surrounding my house in central New Jersey. I suspected it was a death scream of some animal dying, but couldn't speculate beyond that. More recently, I heard the awful scream during daylight house, probably originating several hundred yards from the house. Then last week at 7 A.M. when standing outside the house, my wife and I heard the horrible scream. It was so close we had trouble determining where it originated. My wife pointed in the direction she thought it came from. Shortly before hearing the scream this morning, our local paper did an article on Fisher Cats. This article immediately came to mind, and I was determined to get closer. Grabbing a broom for "protection, " I moved closer to where the sound was coming from. Suddenly, in front of me, a local cat that roams in our area dropped from a tree and tore through the woods away from the sound. I continued closer to the sound, which was now occasional, lower pitched screams. Abruptly it stopped and in front of me, about 50-70 feet away, the creature raised its head from the brush, and stared at me, for about 5 seconds. Then it dropped to the ground, and moved deeper into the brush. I inspected the area where it had appeared, to see if there was any sign of some poor creature's death. There wasn't a thing. The creature was identical to the photo in the newspaper article, and the same as those I found later on websites. I felt privileged to see the little creature, but now I will be accompanying my small, elderly and blind dog, when she goes out at night for her toilet trip. I'm sure a smart Fisher Cat could quickly determine that she is vulnerable. Thanks for all the above, informative entries.

nate		26-Sep-2007 20:11
that shit is really scary i got atacked by a fisher cat before he riped me apart ilost one finger from that mo fo

Carmen		25-Sep-2007 22:47
Hello there, I am so glad I found you. My little Hickery female cat is recovering from a massive crunch to the hip by fisher cat. Her hip was badly broken. She had wondered and had been gone for almost a week. I thought I lost her and to my suprise she was at the bottom of my stairs on Monday morning. I had the door partially open and heard a faint sound. It was her and she could not climb the stairs. Oh did I cry. I was so happy to see her. She comes home tomorrow from the vets. I am not far from you, Chichester NH.

Denise Bak		19-Sep-2007 00:08
Suffield, CT. Well I don't know about Fisher cats . . . but @ 5 weeks ago my husband & I witnessed a remarkable site in our backyard! (our property backs up to woods @ 1 or more miles deep) It was a Mountain Lion!!! Strolling along the edge of the woods - as it approached the next yard it chased (just like a domestic cat) after a brown rabbit!!! Poor little thing - didn't have a chance and didn't fill that mountain lions stomach! Another neighbor had met up with it 3 weeks later putting out her trash as it was crossing her front yard!!!! We realize now that we have NOT heard a coyote at ALL this summer and rabbits, squirrel, possum, etc. are very scarce this year! Haven't seen any wild turkey or deer either! My son, who ran on a mountain lion reserve in the Monterey area of CA (so he did a lot of study on them, as he ran into them a lot on the trails) said there is something wrong with this one we are seeing! Because they are usually afraid of people! And this one has been seen @ 4 times in the last 6 weeks! Has he run out of wild game to eat and now looking desperately for domestic pets???? HELP. Denise

Jane		17-Sep-2007 13:19
Your pictures are great, thats so cute working on the bird suet! We have seen some Fishers up by our house in Maine. They have quite an odor too! One day we were sitting on our porch and 2 juvinile Fishers were playing right out in the open, they had no idea we were looking at them from above. My pictures didnt come out very well though. But it was fun watching them, they were playing like puppies. They looked like my friend's ferrets, especially the way they tumbled over and over while playing.

Rick		17-Sep-2007 04:43
I saw what I believe to be a Fisher in Stamford at the beginning of the Summer. The descriptions say it has a dark brown coat. This one had a brownish gray coat. It was not like any other critter I have seen before in the Stamford area. It had a weasel like body but was 30-40 inches long.

Jeff B at Home		16-Sep-2007 22:31
Hi. I wrote a while back about our female cat that was bitten but got away from a fisher. Well now a neighbor actually saw a fisher chasing the brother of the female cat that was bitten. He got away too. I called the dog officer to see if they did anything about these animals. No, was the answer. He then went on to say, without me asking, that the explosion of fishers is due precisely to the relatively new anti-trapping law here in Massachusetts. Nuff said.

Jeff B at Home		16-Sep-2007 22:31
Hi. I wrote a while back about our female cat that was bitten but got away from a fisher. Well now a neighbor actually saw a fisher chasing the brother of the female cat that was bitten. He got away too. I called the dog officer to see if they did anything about these animals. No, was the answer. He then went on to say, without me asking, that the explosion of fishers is due precisely to the relatively new anti-trapping law here in Massachusetts. Nuff said.

Confused in Haddam		16-Sep-2007 02:31
Hi I'm writing from Haddam, CT where I sighted a Fisher crossing the road in front of my car not too far from my house. Several neighbors have seen it too and no surprise, cat and dog missing signs are all over the message board in town, we have seen NO foxes this summer, my neighbor has lost 4 cats and saw the fisher trying to take down a small deer! So I heard this morning that an old timer in town caught the thing eating his favorite peacock, so he shot it! I guess that State got wind of this and wasn't too happy. I realize they are protected, but I think it is very irresponsible of the State to "introduce" them to control turkeys. The only thing we still have around here are the turkeys. Go figure.

fred		16-Sep-2007 02:28
I live adjacent to lighthouse park in new haven, ct. and the first time i heard that god awful scream was last year during the middle of the night. I actually grabbed my gun. It was right outside my window. I have heard it several times this year also. It scared the crap out of me when I heard it the first time. I also believe that I saw it in the back of my yard crawling under my fence and running back into the woods in the early morning just before the sun was coming up. Creepy. I did'nt know what it was until I described the sound to a guy I know who comes from new hampshire.

Bob H		06-Sep-2007 02:58
Bob H I went out behind our house in Mystic, CT at 9:00 pm tonight looking for one of our cats that was playing in the yard while I did chores. I thought I saw him run across the yard so I clapped my hands and walked to a nearby stone wall. About ten yards away were two sets of eyes moving back and forth; the animals made a growling/barking noise. I got a bit nervous when the animals didn't run when I clapped my hands so I grabbed a couple of rocks and threw them near the animals and they dissappered. Luckily, we found our cat in the front yard playing in the bushes. Our cats will only be going outside for brief outtings during mid-day when we are out in the yard.

Judy		06-Sep-2007 01:35
I live in Ellington, CT, on a dead end street. Several months ago, I woke up to an unusual sound, it was an awful noise and didn't know what it was. Today I learned that the neighbors are starting to hear the noise, and found out it is a fisher cat. I have a cat I usually keep inside, but my mother likes to put him out during the day, and doesn't stay out with the cat. When I found this out, I've been telling my mother to keep the cat in, but she doesn't. My father has been telling her also. If she doesn't listen to us, we will probably be losing my cat. Just have to say this

Felicia Dorste		05-Sep-2007 13:36
I just moved into a summer home in Becket Ma. My husband saw some weird animal in the woods near the house looked like a cat, but he is sure it was not domestic. I have 3 small dogs I only put them out in a fenced area, however, we saw that something was digging, like a dog does, to get into the fenced area. I also saw that something had urinated in my garden quate a lot just before we arrived up to the house this past week end.It was about 9am or so.I was warned about these animals. How do we protect the dogs? Can anyone out there give me some advise so I can keep the dogs safe. We have some 2 1/3 acres of property and a lake in the back of the house.

Johnny mustang		05-Sep-2007 01:44
I am sitting here reading all the stories about cats and small dog's disaapearing and the screams people hear late at night. I have a true story to tell you beleive it or not it's your right. I was living in Paxton Ma. at the time and in broad daylight shooting my compound bow getting ready for deer season,I was in my own yard with a nieghbor's house across the street and a repair facility across rte. (122). My target was full of holes and my last shot went thru the target toward a little creak that ran under a road along the property and there it was(a fisher cat) in the pipe hissing and growling, I almost soiled my new shorts this was about 20lbs. and pissed off. It chased me about 100 ft from the creak to my side door of the house. I do not know how I out ran it or do not care I'm telling you now THEY FEAR NOTHING AND DO NOT ASK ONE TO PROOVE IT. Mothballs ,flood lights,fences or water will not keep it away. It was here first leave the animal alone it is not prejudice it want's to survive like anything or anyone. Only the strong survive KEEP YOUR CATS,DOGS,RABBITS AND CHILD IN CLOSE EAR SHOT OR ATTENDED. I admit I was lucky. You need to be smart don't look for trouble or give trouble a reason to find you. Oh by the way at that time I weighed 165 lbs. and stood 5ft. 8 inche's. I still hunt and have come across one or two since.

Lori		03-Sep-2007 20:07
East Greenwich R. I. I have lost my 22lb bengal tiger named Ceasar. I love this cat and I know it is to a Fisher it actually came through my screen to get to my cat. Something has to be done. I am calling a trapper to have this dangerous animal moved the State of Rhode Island needs to relocate these menances. I see why they were almost extinct and I wish I could get rid of all of them. Bring your pets in.. and call your local authorities to get rid of these murderous creatures. Lori

Guest		03-Sep-2007 11:26
My mother in laws neighborhood has lost 6 cats in the past three weeks here in Old Lyme,CT. What is really revolting is that this animal leaves the remains of it's kill spread over the lawn of the pet owners. We have found heads,paws, etc.Don't tell me that it is just a simple matter of keeping your cat inside. If your cat is anything like the indoor cats I have had over the years, they are always attempting to get outside and once they run out an open dooor as you are trying to bring in groceries and such , it is almost impossible to get them back in until They are READY! Up until recently it has only been cars that we had to worry about. Adult Fisher have NO natural preditors!!!! How is this ecologically sound???

Patrick Drake		02-Sep-2007 16:09
I found a dead Fisher cat on Shaker Road in Enfield yesterday morning. It had no tiremarks on it but did have a massive bruise on its backside. It weighed between 15-20 lbs. It had a really beautiful fur coat so I called my exwife and asked her if she wanted it (she is into taxidermy and fur). She said absolutely - so now it is a fur pelt :O).I have never seen one before but, know now that I heard one before approximately 23 years ago in Westfield MA when I was 16 years old. It was the worst bloodcurdling scream I have ever heard (sounded like a woman being killed). My father told me that what I probably heard was a screachowl. I later heard a screachowl and knew it wasnt one. Now I know it was a fishercat. I wonder what is causing them to have such a population boom? Patrick

Guest		02-Sep-2007 14:58
I live in Springfield MA and my ex-husband still lives with me but he works in Enfield CT. He called me up yesterday morning telling me there was a dead animal infront of the shop and it was the weirdest, coolest thing he ever saw and he said he put it in a trash bag to bring home to show me. Great, I get a dead animal instead of flowers but I have to admit I was curious to see what this thing looked like. When he dumped it on the driveway, it looked like it had mink fur, almost exactly like mink fur. My ex said his partner said it was a Fisher Cat so I looked it up and found this site, it's definately a Fisher. I have never seen a live one but at least I saw a real one LOL...I have 5 cats, good thing they are housecats from what I am reading, these things have a taste for pets.

Tanya		02-Sep-2007 02:09
Tanya We just saw three fishers going down our driveway towards a pond across the street. We are concerned since we walk our dog early in the a.m. We will notify the Dept. of Environmental Management since there are many small pets that are walked by their owners. Warwick, RI (Cowesett area)

IAN		02-Sep-2007 00:51
IAN I HAVE ONE IN MY BACK YARD AND IT ATE MY CAT. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

guest		30-Aug-2007 11:44
We live in the "Quiet Corner"Northeast CT the noise we have heard woke us with what sounded like a women screams. We have lost 3 cats to coyotes and now a rabbit in its hutch custom built to have perches to get up into a safe area. The fishercat "walked" up the side when we shined a flashlight on it our family pet was screaming and had tear wounds on its belly and left front foot. The birds are scarse now and we need to somehow catch and return all these menesing animals back to the area they are wanted.good riddens

Heather		28-Aug-2007 13:29
Tolland CT - I recently moved to Tolland from the Vernon area. I grew up in Ashford my whole life and always had numerous cats outdoors. Not until now have I lost a cat to wild animals. In the past 2 weeks, we lost 3 of our 4 cats. And they always stayed in our yard too. Two of the three were seasoned outdoor cats, tough and smart. And it didn't make a difference. We have one cat left and are trying like hell to keep her inside now, but she misses the great outdoors a lot. We believe either a fisher or a coyote got them.

kit henningsen		27-Aug-2007 16:13
I saw a fisher cat in July on Leetes Island Road in Stony Creek, CT - didn't know what it was but when I saw a picture online there was no question that is exactly what it was. I didn't think we had any around here but it makes sense because we have lots of wild turkeys.

Ed		26-Aug-2007 19:43
We learned last year that the screams at night were the fishercat. They migrate through our area a couple of times per year. They have been in our area for the past two weeks and the neighborhood is missing 10+ cats. Westchester end of Colchester, CT near Salmon River State Park.

Guest		23-Aug-2007 22:34
Working on a clients house today, I saw what I now believe to be a fisher cat about 4-5 ft long. This thing was huge. Working in the Highlands, Ledyard, CT. Watch your pets. 8/23/07

Tolland, Ct		23-Aug-2007 00:38
Well a new rash of "missing pet posters" (dogs & cats) tacked all over town. The turkeys are completely gone from our area, as well as the stray cats, and most domestic cats. I believe the Fishers are after bigger prey rather than rodents as we now have infestations of field mice. Plus there are no domestic cats to control the mice. If enough "connected" people lose their family pets, maybe the state or towns will be forced to control the Fishers. I am 55 and prior to 5 years ago, I never heard of a fisher before. So this is not a situation of "us" intruding on nature, rather some sort of drastic increase in fisher populations. I feel it is only a matter of time before a toddler or infant is involved, especially when their food sources rapidly dwindle in the very near future. As far as keeping cats/dogs indoors at night? Some cats/dogs catch on to that routine, and manage to elude the owners at dusk...plus there is a daytime risk as well.

Wrentham MA		22-Aug-2007 01:15
I had to put my 13 lb. male cat down this afternoon after it was attacked by a fisher today. I keep the cats in at night but this beast hunts by day, too. My other cat will now be kept inside (although she'll hate it!). I haven't seen any turkeys in my yard lately and our pheasants have been gone for a couple of years. Any ideas for getting rid of fishers? I'm welcome to all ideas - I'm out for blood at this point.

guest		21-Aug-2007 13:12
Do fisher cats also make a back of the throat trilling similar to loud puring? Last night my yard was again, full of this sound, along with gentler screaming. Almost like a mother teaching and talking to her kids. When I made noise in the house trying to see out, they shut up and disappeared, another lesson learned.

Laura		20-Aug-2007 18:03
Domestic cats and dogs are not part of the natural environment, fishers are part of the natural order, they were plentiful in the past and were killed off by overhunting. I live in a rural area and have domestic pets and love animals but also respect nature. Outside cats have decimated songbird populations in many areas and do not belong outside, their health and welfare is jeopardized when permitted to roam. If you so called pet lovers allow your beloved pets to roam outside, you are to blame when something like a fisher or coyote or car or any disease kills them. Keep your pets protected. It is unfair to the environment, not your cats, to allow them to roam free. Take responsiblity for them. Personally, I am glad to see the outside cat population in my area being reduced by the fishers, it will restore some natural balance and get rid of an unatural predator, domestic cats.

Rutland, Ma		20-Aug-2007 00:05
Just went on line to look at at picture of a fisher cat , to make sure what I was seeing was one. Sure enough, this is the second time I have seen this animal. The first time was this week coming down the drive way and the second time it went under the tree...still in daylight....scarey, Any knowledge of what they would do to humans? We live in Rutland, Ma.

Belinda		17-Aug-2007 16:40
I was sitting outside on my porch at 4am this morning. We heard the worst sound I've ever heard in my life. The first thing I thought of was a girl being raped. Now I know what it was. My heart pounds when I think about it. I have (or had) a cat and I haven't seen him. Can anyone tell me where to find the audio? The one on here didn't really fit. This sound was way worse than that.

guest		14-Aug-2007 14:32
Western MA As usual, the states overstepped by introducing these killers, solving one problem by creating a bigger one. I've set out traps, but haven't had any luck. We've seen it 2x on our deck! since our cat disappeared. By all means, kill them.

Pintopony		13-Aug-2007 16:05
Checking in from Deerfield,NH. My blind Jack Russell got out of the house several nights ago and all we found of him was a collar chewed in half and some fur. He was a scrappy old fellow and probably heard something outside that prompted him to push through a piece of foam board that was blocking an under construction doorway. I suspect a fisher nabbed him. I saw two of them during the day only last week. They were large and very reddish in color, but, definitely NOT foxes. My neighbor is missing three cats in one week. I am making certain my animals are securely contained and prompt others to do the same. As territories are squeezed we will have to learn to deal with predators living closer and closer to our back doors.

Fern		07-Aug-2007 13:24
Those are great pictures! I've been reading alot of these posts about people fearing the fisher cat will take their domestic cats and dogs and how people just want to kill these animals. I really have to disagree with killing these animals. Yes, they may have a bad reputation, but they are WILD animals. People are constantly intruding on their territory building houses upon houses on their woodlands and then expect the fisher cats to go away? No, that just doesn't happen. You complain about the fishers taking your pets, keep the pets INDOORS at night! Yes, it's a pain in the butt to keep a cat who is used to going outside indoors but if you value your pet's life then do it that favor. Would you rather deal with the cat aggrivating you because it wants to go out or would you rather just have the cat be killed by the fisher? People want to live out in the rural areas and the woods but don't want to deal with the wildlife that comes with living in the woods. Isn't that why you moved out there in the first place? To be around nature? If you just respect the animal and leave it alone it won't bother you. Now if you go poking around to get a closer look, then yeah, it may attack, but what do you expect? It's just so annoying to see that many people's answer to the problem is to kill the animal, which by the way, it is protected so you CAN'T kill it. Those animals have been around alot longer than alot of the houses you people live in so just leave them alone. All you can do is keep an eye out for them, keep your small dogs on a leash and keep your cats indoors at night. There is nothing you can do to get rid of the fisher cat population. Sorry to come off as harsh but I'm just so sick of people wanting to kill animals as they please just because they are a nuisense.

run351		29-Jul-2007 00:49
I was sitting in a chair near my home,in Norwich CT,just after sunset and I see a large weasel like animal moving accross my rockwall. At first I thought it was a large racoon but it was dark and had a very long body. I called my wife and moved to get a better look. It did not run, just moved into the woods as it sniffed the ground, stop and move,stop and moved. I had no idea we had animals like this in our neighborhood. I told my wife, I have not seen a stray cat in sometime and the dogs seem to be barking at nothing. lately it must be bothering the local neighorhood stunk because he has been spraying at night. Is there something we can put down (scent) that will make this animal move on? thanks

Guest		22-Jul-2007 20:26
I was sitting on my porch last night and saw what I thought was MY cat about 10 yards away. I sat there calling "kitty...kitty..." and then went inside to get a flashlight to follow him. Thank goodness I didn't go down the walk to try to catch him....because when I went inside my cat was waiting for me. PA imported many fisher's to keep the rodent population down, but those of us in the rural parts have a had alot of problems.

Joe		16-Jul-2007 11:37
I live in Paxton, Mass, and had a family barbecue last night. My property borders deep woods, so this is no surprise but there was a hissing sound coming from the woods and a shed where I keep my grill. The smell of barbecued ribs and chicken lured them from the deep forestation? It must have been 2 Fisher's with what sounded like a deep inhalng hissing sound. Freaky. And I saw a family of Fisher's in Uxbridge, MA last week cross a road. Very swift, very sleek.

Jeff B at Home		14-Jul-2007 05:21
>> RE: Cats don't stand a chance Well, maybe house cats don't stand a GOOD chance against a fisher, but they are not just plain doomed in all cases of fisher attack. We have a 10 lb female cat who was attacked and bitten by a fisher but still managed to get away. Vet said the teeth marks were right for a fisher and we found fisher tracks. Still, it's probably a good idea to bring the kitties in at night.....

guest		07-Jul-2007 22:41
Lowell MA, IS there anything i can put on my lawn to get raid of a fisher cat??I need help!!!!!

Guest		06-Jul-2007 12:19
MEP (CT) I hope the person who did the story about Minnie the Moocher has taken her in so that she is safe and sound with good loving owners. I think if you took her in, the "owners" altimately would not care too much. Especially, if they are still letting her out. I was reading the story to my boyfriend over the weekend and while reading it I starting balling. I too have a "Minnie" of my own and she is the love of my life! She is an indoor cat but I fear that if she gets out (which would only be by accident) she could get terrible massacred by a fisher cat (or even a coyote, et al.). With others spotting these fisher cats, close to our home, we are very fearful fisher cat. A close by merchant advised that a baby dear that was born in her back yard was recently torn apart by another animal. Fisher Cat?? So sad.

Guest		05-Jul-2007 20:22
Just saw a small fisher, swam past me up our brook. About 11" long not including tail, wasn't afraid of me at all, its 4pm. I've seen this before, and DEFINITELY heard the horrible screams at night. Gales Ferry CT

Guest		05-Jul-2007 13:44
Oops. Never mind, I found the link in Docwatson_236's post below. Thanks !

Guest		05-Jul-2007 13:39
Michael T - North Wales, PA (Philadelphia suburb) We've heard the Fisher Cat several times. Usually in the wee hours of the morning. Can anyone post a link to an audio file of the Fisher Cat's cry ? We found it on the internet last night but cannot locate the site today. It was definitely what we hear at night....

Barbara		05-Jul-2007 00:24
We live in Westfield, MA and a few days ago a neighbor said he heard this loud noise in his backyard and his cat was outside at night. He said it never returned the next morning as usual and he thought it probably was a fisher cat. He still has not seen his Maine coon cat. So keep your cats inside at night.

Guest		04-Jul-2007 07:03
Weare, NH again... I came to this site because of the cries in the woods, and they were getting closer so I could hear it from inside the house with the TV on. I played the audio from downthread, pretty loudly as it turned out. When I took the dogs out maybe 1/2 hr later, they picked up a scent right at the foot of the stairs and went bolting towards the woods, with me chasing after them yelling "Hold it, Stop", which they did at the edge of the woods. Spaniel brains!! I did scan the area by myself before they went out, but still... So anyway, I'd bet the fisher cat outside the house heard the recording I played on the computer! And he did seem to leave immediately. So maybe they're territorial and the fisher cat "in the house" got him to leave. Then again, if it's a male/female thing, maybe it'll be back. Hmmm... Hope that recording isn't some sort of mating call...

Guest		04-Jul-2007 06:05
I live in Weare, NH, and there's one on my property right now. Pulled up the audio, and sure enough, that's it! And I have two fluffy little dogs - they aren't going out right now! Weird freakin' noise, and LOUD!

Guest		02-Jul-2007 23:26
Hi, I'm in Tolland Ct. We have had missing pet notices all around town for 2-3 years. Our fiesty 4 yr old cat who is used to the woods met his match last November around an hour after dark. It sounded like a normal loud cat fight so we did not go out with a light like usual. He was never seen since. Prior to that I saw a daytime glimpse out of the corner of my vision, of a low slung animal with a long fluffy tail. I thought it maybe was a stray cat, maybe an angora cat. I just saw my first Fisher right at my house 2 months ago about 10 am. It passed by the birdfeeding area, and paused as it maybe had my scent. It didn't spook at all as I got a little closer to the door; I just was unsure what it would do. It was a HUGE nursing female with a very large udder if that's the term. I could not tell how many teats it had so now I wonder what size of a litter they have? This one would make that one in the above pics look like baby, it was very large and well fed. After reading the posts here, DuH, I realized all of our local wild turkeys are just about gone! I am an animal lover and don't even kill mice, but I don't see any chance of these animals being controlled my nature. Sure they could overpopulate and end up with disease that way, but I can assure you that they will not run out of food. My friend who is an avid outdoorsman & hunter has seen fishers run down a grey squirrel in a tree! Cats don't stand a chance, nor small dogs. After seeing that one in daytime I would never leave a baby or toddler out of my sight outdoors. My friend allowed a licensed trapper on his land recently and he got one large one and one smaller one.

Guest		01-Jul-2007 22:06
I live in New Ipswich, NH. For three nights this week I have awakened to the screams of at least two Fisher Cats in my yard. What a dreadful heart pounding sound. It is very eerie to listen to them screeching as they move off down the road. Excellent photos by the way. He obviously saw you. Most creatures would bolt but he doesn't seem the least bit intimidated.

docwatson_236		27-Jun-2007 19:23
Hi, I came cross this online recording of a mysterious scream at night and it's exactly what I heard last night (I live in the Maine woods.) I think it's a fisher cat. Anyone confirm this for me? http://waldo.jaquith.org/audio/mystery-animal.mp3

Alton, NH		25-Jun-2007 22:16
Well, I found this site by doing a google search on Fisher Cat sounds. Last night, around 4am or so - I woke to the most insane sound I have EVER heard in my life. I tried waking my husband but he sleeps through anything. It was this absolutely LOUD, squealing/screeching, high pitched noise that went on for a minute or two. I had no idea how to describe it to him (later this morning) other than what I just told you all. It sounded like a big animal in serious trouble, even like a wild hog being tortured - it was absolutely terrifying! I am shocked to learn it was a Fisher Cat. I live in Alton, NH... so for those in this area - PLEASE take caution. I am by Roberts Cove Rd - by the lake, in an association - so there are woods but not heavily wooded! PLEASE everyone - I am a HUGE advocate for keeping your cats indoors. I read through some of these comments and one inparticular stuck out, someone claiming they hate to have to keep their cat indoors, that it's not fair to them. You couldn't be more wrong - IMO! I have 11 indoor cats, mostly rescues/ferals I've taken in. I would NEVER allow them outdoors and after hearing that Fisher for the first time, I am sooo thankful I care enough to keep them indoors and only wish so many more would consider this. You wouldn't let your children go play in traffic just because they begged you and you felt bad saying no - it's no different w/ your animals! Our pets are not supposed to be part of the "food chain" that some have insinuated. Anyhow, just thought I'd add my experience. BTW, I do agree with a post made awhile back regarding the student from a University in CT. It's true that when we enter "their" territory, we need to respect them. However, when they are a threat to our children and homes, there's got to be a point where we implement some sort of plan to protect our families (incl. our family pets). :)

Guest		24-Jun-2007 11:52
Had an animal run swiftly from my side yard across our large open front year. Looked it up and found it was a Fisher Cat. Have heard about sitings in neighboring towns. We have a home on pond in Clinton CT. It is a residential area-homes close by. We are set back from the road. He ran across the yard-across the street. Our 25 lb dog barked and started to chase it, but stopped. Our cat usually spends the nights out. Has not come in as of yet. Obviously very worried. Once they show up do they tend to stay in the area?

Guest		24-Jun-2007 02:25
A friend of mine found a dead Fisher today on the side of the road in Topsfield, Ma. It must have been hit today or last night. It seems to weigh about 15-20 lbs. A car must have hit her as there was some visible (not too obvious) trauma to the head. I feel fortunate to physically see and hold a Fisher from the tail (under these circumstances only). We took some photos of the poor thing. In addition we saw another Fisher in Amesbury, Ma less than a month ago trot across the road away from the Merrimac River and into the woods.

Guest		21-Jun-2007 18:11
I live on the Vernon side of Ellington and heard a fisher cat around 3 this morning. I heard a fisher cat may nights last year and was hoping they wouldn't be back this year. They sound like a woman screaming and it is a horrible noise!

Guest		21-Jun-2007 13:22
Ashford, CT.....Yesterday morning we spotted a fisher cat in the herb garden in the backyard.I looked outside this morning around 8:30 and saw 4 fisher cats in my backyard. They were running around and sniffing in the grass. They looked like they were playing and jumping around each other. Then they ran up my cherry tree and devoured many cherries before I went out with 2 pans and banged a few minutes until they left. Cute but vicious??? Don't want them in my yard.

Christine		20-Jun-2007 03:39
Was awoken last night at 3 AM by what I thought was a women in the woods screaming �HELP�. Almost called 911, but waited, not too long to hear it again. It wasn�t a person, it was an animal. It gave me chills! It woke my husband and my dog. The dog just barked, but my husband responded with � What the �f� is that�. We were both completely freaked out by it. Then we saw THEM! They were in our front yard and they move so quickly and rapidly. Don�t think I�ll be outside after dark now�..Thanks allot Fishercat!

Guest		19-Jun-2007 06:37
i live in hudson, ma and one day my doge, a large german shepard, was barking up a tree. when i went out to see what he was barking at i saw a ferret like animal and looked it up realizing it was a fisher cat in broad daylight. tonight i heard it for the first time and it was the worst noise ive ever heard it sounded like a baby crying and being hurt. i really fear for all of the anmials out there especially my dog and cat because apparently they arent scared of anything

Guest		14-Jun-2007 01:24
Hi, Some house cats disappeared last year and since neighbours have begun to see fishers in the area (Eastern Ontario Canada) this year, we believe the fishers killed the cats. Does anyone know of a way to repel the fishers so they'll leave the area...does anyone know if mothballs would work?

Guest		13-Jun-2007 20:52
We live in Storrs, CT and I saw a fisher cat once in our backyard. The past three nights we have heard them and last night was horrible with screams. I believe it was killing one of the wild turkeys in our area but could not confirm any of this. My understanding is that they actively prey on wild turkeys. They obviously are quite nocturnal and fear very litttle.

Guest		12-Jun-2007 18:13
I live in Waltham, MA and one night last week we heard and awful screech when my cat was outside, but when we called Rocco in we didn't see another animal. However, two nights later we heard the same thing and the back of an animal going into the conservation land which abuts our property. After research, we realized it was a fisher cat. My cat, which weighs 25 pounds, came sauntering in the house. But we are now keeping him in at night. We have lived in this house for 15 years and this is the first time we have encountered this animal.

Guest		08-Jun-2007 04:50
I live in Topsfield, MA and I'm pretty sure I heard a Fisher tonight. My cat was outside, it was about 11 o'clock and I was calling him to come in. Not long after I called him I heard an awful cry, which I could tell by the sound that it was a housecat. After that, I heard the horrific screaching coming from what I think was a Fisher cat. I was shaking inside, wondering if my cat was falling victim to this thing, but luckily I heard his sweet little meow at the back door a few minutes later. Although, I do think someone's cat was the Fisher's prey tonight so if you live around Topsfield, keep your pets inside!!

Guest		07-Jun-2007 20:09
I live in a rural area in Maryland and I was awaken last night by the most awful noise I've ever heard. I thought I was dreaming about a baby crying or someone being hurt, but when I woke up, I realized I wasn't dreaming. My husband described the animal as having a square head and a tail like a cat. I don't know if all the talk is true as to how vicious the Fisher cat is but I certainly have no desire to find out.

Guest		05-Jun-2007 01:47
This morning in Groton, CT I saw a large animal about 10 pounds resembling a ferret running across the highway my daughter thought it was a wild ferret so she looked it up but could not find anything on all black ferret. we had heard about the fisher cats so decided to look them up and shure enough it was exsacly what we saw. Its the first one we've heard of this close to our home. its kind of mind boggilng. I still can't believe that they are here in my home town. I would never want to be face to face with one.

Guest		02-Jun-2007 00:40
I live in Ipswich MA. last year I heard the sound everyone mentions a mixture of a baby/woman being murdered. The first two times I heard it my partner didn't and told me to stop taking Ambien. Ambien does on things but the sounds were real. For the past 3 weeks anywhere from 11 pm to about 4am you can hear it. my partner has now heard it as well. First time freaked him out, so I had the last laugh. I have also looked everywhere for an audio file for the sound but nothing. Also during my search the Boston Globe has an article from last year on the Fisher cats. If you google fisher cat boston globe it should come up.

Guest		29-May-2007 12:31
I was on my way home today in cranston on Phenix ave near Cranston rink at about 6 am and saw a Fisher running across the street big male about 10lbs. Please keep your pets inside!

GANDAS		28-May-2007 16:04
We saw a fisher 2 weeks ago right in our backyard (East Hampton, CT) against the tree line. Around 9pm, my husband was calling one of our cats inside when he saw 2 sets of eyes reflecting back at him. One was our cat KC and he thought the other might be another neighborhood cat or raccoon. It was walking back and forth and side to side about 10 feet further into the woods than KC. My husband ran in to grab a flashlight and when he returned, KC was gone and the fisher had climbed a tree. My husband heard a rustling in the leaves and looked down to se KC who he immediately scooped up and put him safely in the house. At this point, my husband and I both returned to the tree and when we shined the flashlight up, it was as if there was a cute, almost koala bear face looking down at us. We couldn't identify this creature and wondered what could be out here in our woods that resembls a large ferret? It was approximately 6 pounds and my husband heard it make an undescribeable call. We have been looking online for video or audio without success. It would be helpful for me to know what this creature sounds like. My husband says that he can't explain it other than it didn't sound like anthing he's ever heard before. If anyone has audio or video w/ sound - please post the location. I am frustrated to learn that CT "reintroduced" the fisher our state in the late 80's. Both my husband and I are animal lovers and respect nature but I am very disappointed in the state of CT. We are terrified of letting our cats outside now which is certainly unfair to them. I will be outreaching to our local authorities to learn about any available humane options to capture or deter this allegedly ferocious animal from coming near our beloved pets.

S		25-May-2007 14:21
Fisher cats heard in Lebanon CT on 5/20/07. Screaming lasted for about half hour about 50 feet from house in large maple trees. They (double trouble) were seen by next door neighbor slinking around backyard. Will try to keep cats in at night but they want out bad. I thought North Granby had problems with wolves, bear and whatnot but these things are fearsome.

Dave		24-May-2007 00:43
Last night is the first time my wife has heard the a fisher cat, it's scream woke her up from a dead sleep. In the past 3 years I have spoted 20 fisher cat and have seen 8 dead in the road the largest at the lake. Saw one ripping apart a new born white tail. "Thanks Ct DEP"

Katie		16-May-2007 19:19
I am in central NJ and heard my first Fisher cat cry on Saturday morning @ 5am. A friend had told me she saw one by her house a week or two earlier and I had never heard of them. AT 5am the next morning I thought I was dreaming when I heard a sound similar to a woman screaming for her dear life. It cried 4 times, I yelled out the window, and then it stopped. It sure did send chills down my spine. You'll know it when you hear it. I promise.

Guest		15-May-2007 03:55
I was hiking in Chester,MA at Sanderson Falls. I came upon what I think may have been a fisher cat on the trail. It was walking towards me and not backing off at all. It just lumbered along. It made me nervous that it didn't take off after seeing a human so I walked down the bank of the brook and walked down the brook on the rocks sometimes catching sight of the animal just walking on the trail and not even looking back. It was about 20lbs. As I hike alone I didn't want to tangle with it but did have my pepper spray ready to go.

AB		09-May-2007 12:32
The other day a friend called me with some sad news. He found only bits of his cat in his backyard. When he called the local authorities describing of what was left of his cat, they told him a fisher cat was probably the killer. The town is having a serious problem with them taking animals right out of yards and even taking one small dog off a leash in a park. I worry everyday about my little dog fearing he will be taken. I have seen one at night running accross the street and bounding into a tree at a very quick speed. This one was quite large and must have been an older male. I know just by the size that this animal could easily take anything 20 pounds and under. Even fox, raccoon, and other predatory wildlife are not so bold as a fisher cat. They are blood thirsty and unafraid of humans.

Robert		03-May-2007 00:44
May 2, 2007. I come home and what do I see coming across my drive way on the move, your right a fisher cat durning the day. The next thing my neighbors cat came running with the fisher right on its' tail. I blew the horn in my car and it took off. A close call for the cat. I'm sure I will get my turn. Bob

Jeanne Cormier		28-Apr-2007 00:01
HI. I have never seen one, don't really want to either. I do think, however, that I have heard one. Anything I have read said it is the most awful sound ever to be heard. Does anyone know of a web site I can go to listen to their sound?

Krys		25-Apr-2007 19:00
I live in a rural area of Southern Maine. Do a cat or a dog a favor, and those families that love them...kill the next one you see. Whoever posted that they won't take anything larger than a squirrel has misinformation, because that is NOT true. I am prevented from posting a hyperlink, but if you add the http and www to it, it will bring you to the story...keepmecurrent.com/news/Print.cfm?StoryID=26969 This fisher took a 30 pound dog off of a tie out on a paved driveway!!! They are NOT scared of people, and if threatened by a person, and while they generally dont attack, I have heard they will be vicious to people to if you try to interrupt their 'kill'. Yesterday a fisher walked right up on my sister-in-laws porch going after her cat. The cat made it inside, thankfully. Some cats cannot be kept inside no matter what you do. We have a barn, and stupid people drop feral cats off thinking they can survive on their own...instead they turn into fisher food if we can't trap them soon enough. I LOVE animals. I won't even kill spiders..but I would kill a fisher as soon as look at one!!!!

Robert		25-Apr-2007 13:32
My little girl kitty. (Sammy)or(Sam Sam) A sweet loveable cat. Taken by a fisher cat. Durning the day. Fisher cat was spotted maybe a week before it took my cat from me. Came through my backyard, they move very fast. One vicious animal. This was in Norwichtown, CT. April 20,2007. Protect your pets. God I miss that little girl. Bob

MATT		24-Apr-2007 04:48
matt HI I LIVE IN WESTERN CRANSTON AND HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A FEMALE SCREAMING FOR HELP. THIS WAS NO FEMALE IT WAS A LARGE FISHER CAT THAT I SAW RUNNING THROUGH MY NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY. i HEARD ABOUT THEM BUT NEVER SAW THEM BEFORE AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.

Tannya		12-Apr-2007 16:02
Hi I live in North Smithfield, RI. Two years ago, after a snow storm we noticed tracks in the snow that seemed unusual. It was sets of prints with what seemed like a drag line in between. We were completly baffled and thought it was some poor animal taken as a coyotes dinner. The next morning we were startled awake by horrible screeches. It sounded like something or someone was being tortured. Our house was built at the bottom of a cul-de-sac with nearly 700 acres of woods behind us and to the side of us. We have 4 dogs who started freaking out running scared(lap dogs). When we found the source we saw an animal, later verified as a fisher cat,that was confronting the parents of two newborn red foxes. The standoff was a scary sight. We were trying to coax it away from the den by making noise,clapping our hands, banging rocks,throwing sticks, even making threatening advances without getting too close. IT WAS COMPLETELY UNSCATHED BY US!! It continued to make attempts to get the pups. The fox mother went head on with the fisher cat and it eventually continued on its way elsewhere. They travel at a very fast pace so watch your animals! For the last two weeks, the fisher cat's been stalking outside our backdoor(taking turns with the coyotes)My dad has been shooting into the woods with a paintball gun. It has killed MANY cats, kittens and small animals in our neighborhod. We actually hvae fenced off under our deck and put baby gates at the exits of the deck. We do one dog at a time to go out because the coyotes have stalked us while we would take our dogs for a walk. Be careful Everyone!

Jen		10-Apr-2007 16:40
We live in New Boston, NH and I have just seen my 2nd sighting of a fisher in 2-3 weeks time! Both times on my property, in my back "yard!" (we have a wooded lot). Today's sighting was amazing... this cool looking thing was only 20 feet away if that, munching on bread I had out near my bird feeder! I got at least 3 solid minutes of video footage very up close... the claws on this thing is amazing!!! I was totally excited and freaked out since we have 3 very young children and since my kids play outside unattended often... and since my feeder is right next to my hammock, where I lounge quietly pretty often! EEEKKKK! Time to bring the bird feeder in and time to stop tossing bread out to the birds, too!!!

RHEA		10-Apr-2007 15:29
I just read today that these have been seen in the Boston area, where I live. Yow!!

Guest		26-Mar-2007 16:58
Dee: I live in Southern NH. I've heard these vile beasts scream, but never saw one up close until saturday. My cat was outdoors, when I spot a dark animal trekking thru the woods in the snow. Then, I saw the tail. Holy crap, a fisher, making its way toward my beloved cat. I grabbed my .40 cal and ran downstairs to protect my cat, who was totally locked in on the fisher and never reacted to me running right next to her. The fisher passed about 25 feet away, and kept walking. So I never had to fire, though I was tempted. These damned things are territorial. So now, I will be hunting that damn fisher down with my .22LR rifle.

Yvette		24-Mar-2007 05:16
We just moved to North Scituate, RI and I heard the fisher cat screams at night for the first time. Scary enough to keep me indoors. I have to let my 8lb Pomeranian out late at nite for his last squirt of the day - I keep the leash close to me and just go out a few feet from the door. We're going to put a floodlight outside to light up the woods surrounding our house. Every time I go out with the dog I worry about a fisher coming out of the woods and grabbing him. Anyone here have any advice they could give me? Do you think the light will scare them off? So much for my thoughts about letting the dog run around on the deck this summer while we're out there grillin and chillin. I didn't know these things were expert climbers. I'd appreciate any suggestions!!! Thanks.

Julie Gross		21-Mar-2007 17:32
Today I saw a fisher lope across the wooded area behind my house in Ellington CT. I was somewhat stunned because I live in fairly large development, although all the yards have wooded areas and there are large tracts of wooded land nearby, including the Shenipsit forest. It had a shape similar to a large otter, was very dark in color, had a loping sort of gait, and was really too large to be anything else (and the tail is a give-away.) I had seen one a few months ago in Tolland in the early morning, crossing a country road in a wooded area. Makes me glad I fenced our yard for our dog, otherwise he would tussle with such a creature! Julie Gross

Robert L		21-Mar-2007 14:33
I live in a very residential area of Newington, CT. In fact my back yard is the West Hartford line and I can see downtown Hartford from my deck. Last night a fisher cat came out of a small wooded area next to my yard, cut across my son's play area and then down to the street. About a week ago I had found a frozen squirrel in my sons play area. The face on the squirrel was chewed off, which I thought was done by my Golden Retriever. At first I did not know what the animal was, yet after seeing the pictures on this web site, I am confident it was a fisher. Unfortunately I did not get a picture and the snow was too hard for tracks. In the pictures, the fisher is going after something in the cage. Is it meat? I would like to set something up in my yard so I can actually get a picture. Does anyone have any ideas?

Robert L		21-Mar-2007 12:22
I live in a very residential area of Newington, CT. In fact my back yard is the West Hartford line and I can see downtown Hartford from my deck. Last night a fisher cat came out of a small wooded area next to my yard, cut across my son's play area and then down to the street. About a week ago I had found a frozen squirrel in my sons play area. The face on the squirrel was chewed off, which I thought was done by my Golden Retriever. At first I did not know what the animal was, yet after seeing the pictures on this web site, I am confident it was a fisher. Unfortunately I did not get a picture and the snow was too hard for tracks. In the pictures, the fisher is going after something in the cage. Is it meat? I would like to set something up in my yard so I can actually get a picture. Does anyone have any ideas?

Howie Z		21-Mar-2007 01:26
I live in CT, I was driving on Mile Hill Rd in Coventry at 6:50 am on 03-20-07. From a distance I thought I saw a large cat crossing the road. I noted it oddly jumped the guard rail, as I came closer I slowed down and clearly spotted a fisher cat. It was running parallel to the road, and he lumbered as he ran into the woods. I heard of fisher cats, and I thought I spotted one in Lebanon CT in Nov. of 2006, but it was late and too dark to be sure...

Patricia DiLauria		18-Mar-2007 23:27
I just saw a fisher cat in Colchester on Chestnut Hill Road 7:00 PM Sun March 18, 2007 It was totally black and, after doing research, by it's size, I believe it was a male. Astonishing!

jim		17-Mar-2007 13:27
I live in Hebron Ct. 2 nights ago my motion light went on and my wife saw a strange cat in the back yard. it was long and had a pointed nose and short legs and a long body I saw it myself and as we don,t have any cats in our neighborhood I looked more closely and I think it was a fisher . the only question I have is it had a lot of white on it's middle . any comments

Lance		14-Mar-2007 18:17
A fisher attacked my two jack russel terriors and I havent seen them for 6 hours. I think the evil fisher killed them. I don't see why the game commission lets these things go to kill our beloved pets.

Dean		17-Feb-2007 03:03
I live in Saratoga County, NY where the Fishers are coming back like gangbusters. And yes,missing cats are no myth, as one bold Fisher was seen snatching a family pet right off of their porch. Last week, a coworker of my wife had her 70# dog attacked by a Fisher. We own a Shitzu and a West Highland Terrier, and even though we have a fenced in area for them (it's only 3 feet high since they are small dogs) we no longer feel comfortable letting them outside unescorted. We have an automatic dog door (solopetdoors.com) that made owning dogs virtually carefree, as they could come in and go out at will in their fenced in yard area. So much for utopia. I am back to stopping in during my workday to walk them, keeping a wary eye out for the Fishers. We live on 40 acres, in a 3 acre clearing in the middle of the woods. A great spot, but now we have to learn to survive with natures food chain. Based on tracks in the snow this week, I would estimate that we have 3 to 4 separate animals criss crossing the property. Aside from the paw prints, you can see a smooth depression in the snow about 3 to 4" across made by their tail as it occasionally glides through the snow behind them. If anyone knows of a repellent that would fend off a Fisher, Please let me know!

James		17-Feb-2007 00:46
Well, I am sure we should be out of the Fishercat loop in East Tennessee. But we are not. We are in Apison, a burb of Chattanooga. A neighbor just recently lost two (2) of his prized dogs to this killer. All of the animals we normally see, Raccoon, Skunk, and Oposum are suddenly all missing along with a sizeable flock of Guine Hens. Distressing to see all of the fun creatures dissapear that my 8 yr Daughter enjoys so much. Now we are worried about our two (2) cats.

ira		03-Feb-2007 20:05
I lived in Coventry, CT while attending the University of Connecticut. I spent a lot of time hiking the trails out behind horse barn hill road with my hound dog puppy, I think he was approximately 5 months old at the time, and could not have weighed more than 20 lbs... We did the majority of our training out there, that particular snowy afternoon we were working on his recall. In reality I was working on it, and he had no interest, so after a little while, I put him back on leash. Approximatly 5 minutes after I put him on the leash and started walking, I saw this large black animal with a bushy tail and short legs( a fisher). At the time I had no idea what it was until I started researching it online, all I knew was that puppys make great snacks, and hound dogs love to follow their nose. Between the two, I decided, regardless of how badly he innocently wanted to run up and say " hello, will you be my friend" it was probably not in our best interest, so we stood there and watched it, it didnt seem to be too bothered by us or too interest in us, so we just hung out and watched, and the fisher went on its way. I have had a lot of different reactions to this story, ranging from your lucky to be alive to wow you actually saw one, but thats not the point. What the point I am getting at is, is that we should consider ourselves lucky that we have these animals to contribute to the biodiversity of our forrests and that when we (and our domesticated animals)enter those areas we are just visiting and we should be aware that when visiting an area in which we have no real control, we are essentially taking our chances. therefore we should respect their area. On another note, the life expectancy of an outdoor cat is approx. 4-5 years, if you want to lengthen it, try keeping them inside, at least for the night time portion of the day. Most game predators are nocturnal, that might help with the odds i suppose, but lets not forget all of the other threats, like cars, are you willing to get rid of them to ensure the saftey of your cat? no probably not. and whys that? because cars are something that you think you need and something you can control, wildlife, while you may feel you need it, you certainly can not control it. so if you have a problem with the lack of control, either destroy their habitat, or better yet, respect it and leave it alone.

mister_j		02-Feb-2007 20:06
I live in the sticks of western Massachusetts and have seen these guys. No bad rap for them, they're vicious little killers who have earned their reputation. Ours has killed 5 cats between mine and my neighbor's house, with more missing, their pics posted on trees and telephone poles right up into town. Everyone keeps their cats in at night now, but the dogs pretty much run around unbothered...one small dog that I know of missing but no real way to tell why. Since the fisher appeared last year, all of the many turkeys have disappeared, not by coincidence I think. I've read about fishers killing cats and small dogs in a number of places, and there one report I found on line of one attacking a Fish and Game Officer, who had to kill it. The first time I saw our fisher, we suprised each other from a distance of about 4 feet. It was the first wild animal I ever saw, including coyotes, that didn't bolt right away, but stood his ground. He sized me up pretty well, but unlike coyotes who do their casing quickly, he didn't take off even after I let him hear my voice. He just kind of turned, looked back at me a couple times, and trotted slowly off along the edge of a pond. Gotta live with 'em, for better or worse...a match made in hell.

Gunny		27-Dec-2006 23:56
I was hunting a swamp thicket today and a Fishercat ran by. I had an idea what it was and needed to check online to be sure. It was most surely a Fishercat. I had heard all the talk about how ferocious they are and a threat to the feline population. Much the way I am a threat to the deer population. I was amused by the little fellow. He appeared to be a much better hunter than I am or will ever hope to be. Based on his hunting skill I know that I will be keeping my cat in at night from now on. I used to worry about the coyote (pronounced "Ki-oat"), but from here on it's the dreaded Fishercat that will haunt my dreams. But in the event that I lose my little black man-beast (aka.Spook) to a Fishercat I know that it will have been one hell of a way to go for him, as he is a warrior who has felled an enormous number of winged, furry, slithering, crawling and hopping beasts. He fears no Man or Fishercat....Semper-Meow!!!!

Bob and daughter		22-Oct-2006 05:36
My daughter and I are up late tonight reading about the Fisher cat problem. She thinks Jim, who finds them interesting, is wrong. We lost our beloved "figaro" the cat, to this bloodthirsty animal. My daughter, who loves animals, thinks that they "suck". That's her word, which is a good word for them, even though I teach her not to say it. We just can't wait till we get our hands on the one that killed our 14 year old family member (cat). This just happened 2 days ago. Do wildlife a favor, kill a Fishercat, save 25 cats, and other house pets a week, and broken hearts too.

CHuny		29-Sep-2006 00:29
We just recently moved to Coventry Ct. I thought I was just seeing some racoons or "something" I wasn;t sure of. This morning around 4 30 am, I was on my back porch and saw something black the size of a med sized dog scuttle up along our drive. As we are in a very rural part of Coventry, I thought maybe it was a coyote or fox moving. I searched the internet and someone mentioned Fisher Cat. I had never heard of one before, lo and behold, when I saw the pictures posted online, there it was. However, we have never heard any screams. We have 2 dogs a shepard and dalmation so there is no worry that it may run off with one of them. From what Ive researched, it is very rare to even see one and that they are not aggressive. The one I saw seemed much bigger than any posted pictures so Im guessing it was an older male. I have two teenaged sons and they are constantly in our woods here. They have spotted turkey vultures (yes, we didn't know what those were either LOL) on our property as well. A mom a dad and the baby, still white non flying and hissing at us from its nest between some rocks. We watch bats at dusk clear out all the bugs and then the deer shows that start at dark. We wanted to move to an area like this, yes there are alot of animals and things that we have never seen or heard of before, some things we will have to get used to, somethings that may be scarey to see at first, but nothing seems to stalk any of us or our pets. We are living with the creatures that belong here. We feel happy that we can expierence these things. Don't believe everything you hear, most "wild animals" are just living as they should and unless they are rabid, they will usually leave before you notice them.

mhs		19-Sep-2006 05:44
Every day and every night, whenever my husband Glen and I are outside enjoying coffee on the porch, we hear a loud maaaiooow and then Minnie the Calico comes bounding up the steps, waiting to eat the can of Purina she knows will be waiting for her. We don't know her real name, but we named her Minnie from "Minnie the Moocher." See, Minnie is always hungry, and when we first met her last year, we weren't even sure she wasn't a stray until we realized that though skinny, she wasn't starving, was pretty clean and later on, showed up with a new flea collar---one I loosened to make it more comfortable. We later learned she lived two doors down, belonging to a markedly unfriendly woman who asked that we didn't feed her wet food because this young and healthy cat was supposedly on a "special diet." She also insisted, when Glen informed her that the cat is always crying and begging for food at all hours of the night, that Minnie had a "curfew." Minnie is out all night and all day, as we sometimes sit outside at four in the morning; if Minnie has a curfew at all, then it must be five minutes in duration. We think the woman is a liar, embarassed at having a hungry cat roaming the neighborhood. The cat is always at our house, she is always outside---even during the winter months-- and is obviously neglected. I love Minnie. She sits on my lap and purrs and sleeps after I feed her and she walks on my shoulders, rubbing her face against my hair after she eats. Then she sleeps contentedly on our laps or at our feet. She can get annoying, as she doesn't often leave the property and is sometimes under Glen's feet when he's working, and when you don't feed her right away she'll cry until you do...but I love her and have become very protective of her. And angry at the woman who neglects her. After a friend told me a story of how she recently saved her cat from a Fisher, I looked up Fishers on the 'net and read about them. I remembered that they make a haunting noise that is unmistakeable: it sounds like a cross between the howl of a cat and a long drawn out cry from a baby. People wrote that when you hear it once, you never forget it. Tonight, Glen and I were on the back porch drinking coffee and we heard a long, mournful wail that made our hair stand up on end. I jumped up and told Glen I thought it might be a Fisher. Suddenly I panicked. "Minnie!" I yelled for her, and Glen got up and ran to the end of the porch. Right after that, another, horrible noise: a terrified scream from a cat. Glen said he saw Minnie laying near a tree. Not moving. He also saw the Fisher nearby, he said he remembered the picture of the long snout and the black fur I showed him from the web. He quickly turned the bright porch light on, and it lit up the Fisher, who scuttled away. Minnie was stretched out, clearly dead, and I screamed and moaned and went hysterical. Suddenly, Minnie got up and bounded up on the porch, clearly scared and upset, but fine and unharmed. It seems she had played dead, doing it so well she even convinced Glen. That and the light scared the Fisher away. I grabbed Minnie in my arms and ran with her through the house and took her out front, where I held her and fed her and cried from relief and anger. Glen marched over to the neighor's house and told her there was a Fisher in the area, and that her cat had almost died tonight. She stared at him as if he were crazy, saying nothing. Then he got angry and said, "if you want a dead cat, keep letting your cat out at night." And stomped away. I don't know what to do. I want to take the cat in, but Glen says I can't, it's not our cat. Should we call the ASPCA? What can be done? I am absolutely petrified that Minnie is in danger and I can't protect her.

Bob		18-Sep-2006 12:06
Bob Personally, I enjoy all animals. If in fact the Fisher Cat has actually killed all the house cats they're accused of killing, then I have a question. Why let the house cat outside at all? I have a dog and I would no more let my dog loose in the neighborhood than fly to the moon. Domestic animals should ALL be leashed when ouotside. There are house cats that roam all through my neighborhood chasing and catching birds we try to feed, sitting on our deck teasing our dog, sitting on newly washed cars, and digging in the flower beds. So my friends, if you really value and love your pets, cats, dogs, etc., then for goodness sake be more watchful and protective of them. As I said my wife and I enjoy all animals, even deer and the Fisher Cat. They certainly shouldn't be blamed for the death of every animal that doesn't come home. Bob, East Lyme, CT

Lee		17-Sep-2006 01:06
Sarah is correct... our domestic animals have more to fear from the coyote than the fisher(cat). I live in an extremely rural area of central Vermont. Two days ago my "neighbors" saw a bear and a large coyote in close proximity to one another (there were two deer present, as well). This afternoon, while walking my small dog and crazy cat, I spied a jet-black fisher on the hill behind my house. I had recently brush-hogged that area, so it stood out very clearly from approximately 150 meters. For those of you who have never seen a fisher...(and have an active imagination)... picture a huge, dark, squirrel bounding along. Of course, up close you would notice the large claws and toothy grin. The specimen I encountered was too large for a female, but it had the uniform color of one. Make a nice muffler! I'll leave my cat in tonight... but as long as she sticks close to home,(and she does), I doubt the critter will attempt it. Besides... there are freaking turkeys EVERYWHERE around here so I don't think they are starving. The one I saw was robust and spry enough. Oh well, gotta live with 'em or shoot 'em, your choice... at least in VT.

Larry		15-Sep-2006 23:18
This is in response to "Jim" who finds the fisher cat "interesting" and feels "lucky" to live in an area in which these vicious predators live. I don't think you'd feel that way if you lost your beloved cat or better yet 2 beloved cats in one summer. I'm still devastated by the senselss loss. I feel these ugly, disgusting creatures should not be protected by conservationalists. What has to happen? ALL of our domestic pets become endangered species but the fishers are protected. GET RID OF THESE DEVILS!!!! Let's think of our beloved pets before these useless, evil critters. By the way, I have all the respect in the world for wildlife but these "things" must go. Who are we to protect: FISHER CATS OR DOMESTIC CATS & DOGS???? Jim, I truly hope you finally get to see a Fisher Cat real soon! Hope you're able to protect yourself. Larry, Pawcatuck, CT

Jim		06-Sep-2006 13:54
The Fisher Cat is a very interesting animal that has gotten a bad rap. For some reason people want to villianize this aniaml as a mad killer, don't believe the hype. They are not considered a threat to anything larger than a squirrel. Be careful when your cats go outside, but accept the fact that wildlife is an important part of your surroundings. I feel lucky to live in an area that can support Fisher Cat and hope to catch a glimpse of one someday soon. JS, (SE CT)

Sarah		13-Aug-2006 02:11
I live in Old Lyme, CT; I was walking my dog this morning around 8:45 am and saw a fisher cat clinging to a tree in the wooded area right beside the road in a private development. For all the hype they get, let me tell you this - NOT SCARY. I would imagine these little things would have to be absolutely starving to attack anything bigger than a squirrel. We lost a cat last year, but certainly not to a fisher - the coyotes in the woods these days are the bigger danger to cats and small dogs, and we have at least one pack in our woods.

Jay Brenowitz		04-Apr-2006 15:42
Last year we were awoken in the middle of the night to a horrible screaming sounds coming from our backyard, it sounded like a baby screaming, it made the hair on your arms standup.We looked around in the yard the next day and found nothing, but the screaming sound was something i'll never forget.

Aubree Gonzalez		16-Mar-2006 17:24
We just found out that we have these fisher cats also and we live around Cherryhill N.J. You can hear the horrible screaming..You think that someone is being killed!! They are pretty scary!!

Treese		14-Mar-2006 00:00
Great pictures! Is that why the suet goes so fast? :-) I saw a fisher cat today running along the shore at the Nashua River near the Hollis/Nashua line. This one looked black from heat to foot, and was a little guy. I suppose that's why I haven't seen the ducks on shore recently.

Sarah Monroe		03-Dec-2005 02:57
I just found out that we have a fisher cat in my neighbor hood because my neighbor was walking his dog in the woods and saw one. He said it was jumping trees near him. im was saprised to hear that it didnt attack him. He asked us we had seen any squarels latly and i said now that i think of it no i havent seen any. And i have a small dog he weighs about 20lbs and im scared hes going to kill him. Im even scared to go out side now. It just scared me so much. i dont no wat to do i just wish it ould go back to where itcame from.My parents say that it wont go near you but i now thats not true. Im scared they are going to kill me and i dont thiink that theres anything that we can do about it because no one want to get any where near it.ahh im so fustrated. and i live in CT. so they shouldnt be here.iu just want them gone.

Lynne		05-Dec-2004 01:17
Great pictures! I was wondering what part of Durham you live in. We live near Packers Falls and Mill Road and have lost two cats personally and know of two others in just the last few weeks, probably to a fisher cat.

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