The following story and fisher cat pictures are from one of our website visitors in Andover, MA.
Our dog (Annie – Golden Retriever) was going crazy this morning (April 6, 2009) to get out into our (Andover, MA) backyard. My wife noticed something brown walking along the top rail of our chain link fence and recognized it as a Fisher Cat. When Annie ran out, the Fisher ran up a small pine tree. Not realizing it was on the other side of the fence, it nervously chattered at us while we took pictures of it. It eventually realized it was protected, climbed down the tree (only a few feet in front of me), leapt into the neighbor’s yard and ran off. Annie cornered one up a tree a couple years ago as well.
In the second photo, you can notice the blurred horizontal line toward the bottom. That’s the top rail of the chain link fence.
Video of the Fisher Cat
We are in the Catskill Mtns and have seen a fisher on our property. Yesterday afternoon we were out for an hour or so and returned to find our 3 week old kittens gone without a trace, all cat food gone and water knocked over. No prints. Is it possible that a fisher came in through an open window and did all of this???
Hi Liz,
I am in the Catskills also and I’ve seen these animals around.
Where was the mother cat when this happened, did she disappear also ?
From what I’ve read, the Fisher can prey on cats and small dogs,
I hope not, but unfortunately it seems that is what might have happened.
I have young 1/2 grown cats,
now that I know they can be dangerous for them, I will keep a closer eye out
and not encourage their presence!
Sorry that that happened to you
I live in east Mendocino county at 3500 feet and my very small dog chased a fisher cat up a dead pine tree. It was at noon and was realy neat!
I live in a wooded area near the mountains in NH. In the last week we have had two cats missing. One older cat and a 6 year old. The older one just never came home one night. Last Sunday, our 6 yr old cat was browsing the edge of our yard and went too far out. Next thing we hear is what sounded like a cat fight. My husband ran into the path to get our cat but nothing was there. Our cat was gone. We scoured the woods around our yard for over two hours. No trace of him. We think it was a fisher cat. Beware of your cats!
When you leave a domestic cat outside it becomes part of the food chain…….as far as I am concerned keep domestic aniamls indoors. Think about it this way…….When the Fisher cat eats a domestic cat it is no different then your domestic cat eating native wildlife……Just a thought
we live in a residential area in Rhode Island. Our 14 lb.English toy spaniel was side in a totally enclosed yard. as usual at 9:00in the evening. for less than 5 minutes. When she cam in she had a hole in her side which we thought was a tick or some insect bite. The vet cave us some pain meds and antibiotics The next morning.
the second morning she was paralyzed and died in my wife,s arms.
well, i have a outdoor cat and one night i heard a big scream.
i was really terrified because i thought that my cat was in a fight with another cat–we have cats in the woods– and my brother heard the same thing the next hour and it does sound like a screaming baby! the next mourning, i found my cat all scratched up and so on, soo i wonder maybe it was a fisher cat????
I saw one on Cape Cod, at the Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds golf course on June 19,2010. Had no idea what it was until hearing about fisher cats and looked online and sure in hell, I saw a fisher cat. I scared it as much as it scared me. It burrowed itself into the bushes and just stared at me as I BACKED away!
I live in Oro Medonte, Ontario, Canada. A month ago two of my cats vanished without a trace – two days apart, both at night. 3 nights ago another cat disappeared. I heard what I thought was a cat fight (rare but not impossible in this area). My cat hasn’t come back. I’m wondering if there are fishers in this part of central Ontario, Canada.