Fishers by nature do not like open spaces and prefer tree cover or coniferous forests to dwell in. heavily wooded places like New England make an ideal habitat for Fisher cats.
New England Fisher cats are one of the largest members of the Mustelid family, which includes species like the mink, weasel, otter and skunk. These are noted nocturnal animals and therefore very hard to observe. They are however active during both daytime as ell as night time and that too, mostly during the time just before sunset and just before sunrise, when it mainly searches for food. Their cry is similar to that of a high pitched one of a child’s and therefore can sound very eerie in the nights.
The fisher cat second in size only to the river otter, and ranks amongst the largest members of the weasel family ever, to dwell in Massachusetts. These animals were displaced and their numbers dwindled many years ago, when the farmers cleared the forests and surrounding areas for agriculture. Fishers who are susceptible to trapping and logging were badly affected during this time and were forced to move out into other neighboring areas such as scattered locations in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Virginia. However due to their departure from the aforementioned area, the porcupine population started swelling; and in order to control this menace, the people of New England re-introduced the fishers to curb the porcupine numbers. Nowadays, fishers can be found in virtually all areas or communities in Massachusetts, with the exception of Cape Cod and the Islands.
Until very recently, only rare reports of fisher sightings have been reported by the Massachusetts Audubon Society; however, since 2000, these sightings have increased substantially in number especially in areas of eastern Massachusetts. Reasons for this increase in number have been attributed to reforestation of land, which was previously reserved for farming.
There have been many wildlife laws in place which dictate the manner in which these fishers are to be captured in required to control their numbers and humanely destroyed. These laws have helped keep a check on their habitat and numbers.
Fishers are reserved by nature and are solitary in their mannerisms. They are not known to hunt in groups and are only seen in groups during the mating season. These animals will never den near human dwellings and normally keep their distance from humans.
Even thought their numbers have increased in New England area in US, fishers are hardly a threat to humans even thought they are known carnivores. Fishers prefer snowshoe hares, mice shrews, carrion, etc, and have been known to eat fruit and berries too. It is one of the few animals, which can attack, kill and eat a porcupine!
The population density is known to be one per 2.6 – 7.5 sq. km, but can be as low as 1 per 200 sq. km. The daily movement is observed to be 1.5 to 3 km in a day, but this distance is known to vary given the weather conditions. Fishers walk on the soles of their feet and can climb and swim very well. The fisher paws, have, on its soles large surfaces to help it run on snow without sinking in easily. If its disturbed by any creature or anything, fisher cats tend to arch its back like a cat and is known to hiss, growl, snarl or spit as well as give off an offensive odor!
The fishers are known for their thick fur coats, which provide good insulation against the cold and inclement weather.
One of the users here commented that fisher cats make very little sound. I can see that you would definitely disagree with them on this argument.
We spotted a fisher in Centennial Park in Wellesley this week. Last night, the fisher was screaming for about 5 minutes and woke us up! Oct. 18, 2008
Saw a large one (over 3′) last night crawling over the stone wall into Blithewold in Bristol. This fisher has been patrolling our neighborhood for about 3 months and it has occasionally been in our backyard screeching. Our neighbors thought it was our baby. This one is huge and has a reddish hue. WE caught it in our headlights coming home last night , Halloween, a bit creepy. NO wonder it loves Blithewold.
I have two friends that have heard them screeching in thier backyard in the last two months. One lives in Duxbury and the other in Pembroke.
saw a large one in my back yard 8.am
mills ma .cat that lived in my barn has not been seen for soom time
We have a fisher living in the woods behind our home here in Truro, MA. We hear its scream usually from dusk throughout the evening. Prior to hearing him for the first time we had quite a colony of chipmunks in our yard. We’ve seen scarcely one since the fisher arrived. (One upside to this is that chipmunks would get into our attic winters past. None so far this year.)
have one living next to my house in a little wooded area …i had two cats disappear recently. i live in warwick R.I.
Does anyone know if these can be found in NE Pa. I suspect the answer is yes but just curious
I have strange foot prints in my woodland areas dropping and other signs that lead to fisher cats perhaps a female with babys too.
Saw one in our woods in Weston, MA, and have heard the screeches many times. We used to have a lot of chipmunks; not anymore.
I caught one on my wildlife camera last night in North Andover. Cool looking creatures!
I have not seen one yet…my husband has been noticing strange paw-prints…
We have a pretty open backyard, but very quite neighborhood, in Warwick. The back of the neighborhood is wooded and we have a small patch of heavily trees. Then my brother in-law said he saw the Fisher the other day and it hissed at him. Now my son’s girlfriend says they have seen them across the street from her house in the small patch of woods, also Warwick. Have not heard the screaming yet. I hope I don’t meet up with it walking to my car.
Had one of these behind our home last night in Southwick, MA. The screeching sounded like a cat’s voice superimposed over the voice of a child crying for help. .. The sound was disturbing. There are many food sources in the area. Have never seen a porcupine in Massachusetts.
Last night I spotted an animal larger than a cat, but smaller than a dog, trotting toward a wooded park at the end of my street in Maynard. Today my neighbor called to say that she was looking at what she thought was a fisher cat running through my backyard around 5pm today headed toward the direction of the wooded area.
My family saw a fisher cat wandering around our backyard in Coventry, CT. Once the creature heard us, it scooted away as fast as it could go.
I saw a fisher cat in a neighbor’s back yard around 4:30 today. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, and by the time I backed the car out and proceeded around the corner, it had crossed the street and was going up another driveway.
I live in Dedham, in a fairly heavily populated neighborhood, and have not seen one here before. I have seen one in the Blue Hills, which are not far from here. I have two small dogs, and will not be leaving them in my fenced-in yard unattended. I’m going to mention this to some of my neighbors.
Just witnessed fisher cat in my back yard on long pond in Dracut massachusetts …Please watch your animals..
I live in Holyoke, MA and we heard that distinct cry last week, on a couple of evenings, coming from the sparse woods behind our home. I really thought that a person was being hurt. My husband flashed around the mag lite and saw some reflective eyes peering back at him, but couldn’t make out a body in the dark. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for a decrease in other wildlife such as squirrels and birds which are usually plentiful in our yard.
This site fisher cat screech is really cool, I loved reading everyones stories. I listened to the sound videos and I think I definitely have a fisher cat in my back yard….it makes really freaky noises! I know fisher cats will eat cats and other small animals, but will really fisher cats go after humans? Just how dangerous are these noisy fisher cats?
i dont think fisher cats go after humans
Confirmed fisher cat on Acquidneck Island about noon prior to rainfall. The mature animal rambled rapidly out of a wooded area chasing and catching a mouse. It had a full black coat and was much bigger than a squirrel.
We have had a fisher cat around our home over the last few months. one morning a rabbit came running out from under a deck, we thought it was unusual but within a few seconds a fisher cat came running over the patio. It did not go in the didection of the rabbit but from the tracks and droppings it has been around alot. We saw it again out in the woods the other day. No sign of any rabbits around anymore.
Just this morning, I saw an animal, which after some research, I am pretty sure was a fisher, lope through our back yard. I only saw it for about 20 seconds or so. It looked to be about 30-36″ long, with the big bushy tail making up at least a third of the length. It was very dark in color, with no noticeable markings. The ears were close to the head, with a short muzzle. It ran differently that a cat or dog would, not level to the ground, but more like a hopping gait. The two front legs thrust forward, then the two rear legs catching up with the fronts. I have seen fox, both red and black in the yard, along with three coyote sightings, deer, turkey, skunk, groundhog, and porcupine. This is the first time I have seen an animal like this, near the house. So far, I don’t recall hearing anything like the screech type call attributed to them. I live in a semi-rural area of NY, just northwest of Schenectady.
At the end of last week one of our 10-month-old kittens came in stinking of something that was sort of skunky, but more like rank perspiration.Weird smell. We didn’t think anything more about it until another of the kittens vanished without a trace from the yard–within 15 feet of the back door–just at dark two days later–that was last Friday. Then, last evening–again, just at dark–the remaining two kittens and our 15-year-old cat were on the back patio (the light was on) when suddenly the little girl rocketed thru the cat flap, her fur standing totally on end. I grabbed the flashlight, flung the door open and yelled for the other kitten who, like his sister, burst from the barn door (our barn attaches to the house and the sliding door was open about 4 inches) some 10 feet away and flung himself thru the cat flap. Our two rat terriers came dashing out thru the flap and ran to the barn entry, barking and hopping mad, noses to the ground and hackles raised. One of them tracked into the barn where the kitten had been and stood there raving and snarling, then dashed out to the apron of the barn and both dogs tracked across the yard to the back fence. I guess the snarling let the old cat know that help was at hand because he crept out from a pile of lumber stacked at the end of the barn some 30 feet away and fled to me on the patio. All this took about 30 seconds. The same odor we had smelled on our boy kitten was very strong now around the barn door–and in another 20 seconds or so, I heard a fisher shriek about 150 yards away. This thing is hunting in my yard, fully aware that cats live here and we are really worried that it will come back during the daytime, which is the only time we will let the cats out now. And we’re not at all sure our dogs are safe, either. If fishers kill porcupines, then rat terriers aren’t likely to be much of a challenge.
Saw one this morning at 7AM in Uxbridge, MA. A very large male. Appropriately ran away when he noticed us 50 yards away.
I moved to Leominster, MA about 8 months ago and this is the first time I’ve heard of fisher cats. With the winter over (practically), I’ve been wanting to keep my two dogs (Bichon Frises) outside when I go to work for two reasons: they really enjoy being outside, and they are making too much of a mess in the room I’m currently keeping them in during the day (they’re litter trained and have a habit of playing with the liter and other contents despite the fact that they have plenty of toys to play with).
Anyway, I guess what I’d like to know is if anyone in Leominster has spotted fisher cats in the city. I live relative close to the downtown area and I’ve read that fishers try to stay away from humans. I’ve also read that they can be active during the day (mostly in winter) or at night (mostly during the summer). Although summer’s approaching and I live in a relatively populated residential area, should I still be weary of these creatures during the day?
Thanks in advance for any replies!
I had my parents over for dinner on Tuesday night and the dog went wild. Her hair stood up on her back, she was barking and growling. We looked outside and saw a small frame Weasel type animal in the tree about 75 feet from the house. It came down the tree and ran over to the neighbor’s house. A little while later we saw it again, but this time it looked much bigger. It went over by a big Pine Tree and just laid on the ground. I was able to go out onto the porch and take a few photos of it; we determined it was a Fisher. It has been around for 3 days. Tonight the dog keyed up again and there was the smaller fisher again. It ran up the Pine tree. I watched for about an hour. Never saw it return down the tree. I went out to the road. I looked back at the tree, I could see a hole about 40 feet up. I could see something has been climbing in and out of it. I have been watching for the past 2 hours now and it has not come down the tree. Jeff Gilford NH
Fisher cats have been seen to kill cats and small dogs, sometimes in front of their owners here in York County, Maine. I no longer let my cat out except in good weather on a leash and even then it makes me nervous. My vet assures me that no small pet could survive a fisher cat attack and that it is not wise to let them out off a leash where fishers are known to roam. We know when one is around because of the screeching.
March24 I saw a Fisher cat around noon time up in the woods here in Peabody. It was quite a big one and black looking. It went by twice the same trail. Dottie
Saw a fisher walking through my yard at 6 p.m., just 20 feet from the house (Weston, MA). We have lots of woods and have seen fishers in the past. Chipmunk and squirrel populations have disappeared over the last 2 years. We never see opossums, skunks, or raccoons the way we did when we lived in Brookline. My guess is that the fishers (yes, more than one as I’ve heard breeding squeals) do a number on the small woodland creatures around here.
I live in Ashburnham Ma. and i have a fishercat in my area, I have seen it in my yard and have had to chase it away when it was comming after my . now dont be mistaken a fishercat will attack a human or large dog if it feels threatened. my dog is a German Shorthaird Pointer, a good sized hunting dog , not a small terrier. the fisher cat in my area is very large (3-3.5 ft) and almost all black. thank god for my invisable fence or my dog would have been gone after the fisher.
Dont get me wrong, a fisher will not hunt humans, but if you stumble onto one it will attack even if you have a large dog with you. your best bet is to turn and run. they will chase you for a short distance but give up after a while. O and make sure you bring your dog with you .. even big dogs get torn up in a fight with a fisher, they are nasty animals.
As for the person in leominster ya there is a real good chance that there are fishers in your area… maybe even the same one that spends time in my yard, I’m only 2 towns away.
I’m looking into try’n a live trap to relocate my fisher as i have 4 kids that play in my big yard surrounded by woods. I hear that they like liver..
o and by the way they love cats… yummy. if you have cats dissapearing in your town … theres a good chance you have a fisher..
Saw the fisher again yesterday in our backyard (Boxford, MA) around 10am. He’s quite large around 3-4 feet ihead to toe. This is the fourth siting in since last fall. I’m getting a little concerned because my daughter and her friends spotted him along a walk a couple of months ago and they said he approached within 20-30 feet. Now realizing that they may attack humans if they feel threatened this is not comforting news. By the way they were walking along the road not in the woods.
I live near the Boxford sighting. How can I keep a Fisher Cat out of my yard and away from my Papillon dog? He has a dog door and sometimes goes out at night. I hate to keep him in the house for the rest of his life. Thanks for any and all help.
Oh, to add to my previous posting the dog yard has a six foot wood fence with a wire fence nailed to the bottom of the fence down 12 inches into the dirt.
I was sitting on my back deck in Durham, CT at about 1:30 PM and saw a fisher cat come down the hill behind my house. I didn’t move and just watched it walk and explore all the large rocks that are about 50 feet away from where I was sitting. Wish I had a camera but I didn’t want to frighten it by moving. We’ve heard them scream at night but it was great to see one so close. It looked like a large male and was chestnut brown and black.
Just saw a fischer cat on my deck outside the kitchen in North Reading at dusk. My husband followed it as it ran into the woods and up a tree.
there was a large Fisher Cat in the back yard at 9:15pm on 4/26/09. we live at 1120 mammoth road. in Dracut ma. it was
screaming like a baby sounded like a small child. we ran out side with flashlights and spotted it sitting on the rocks along side of the house.
My son was just walking in our Groveland woods and spotted a fisher cat coming down a tree at around 7:30pm. Yes, lots of cats disappearing from the neighborhood. And, yes, they make a hair raising noise in the night!
4:00 a.m. just out for my morning walk…….heard the most haunting scream ………thought is was a child or woman……….neighbors also heard the screech……….very few squirrels in the area this spring which is unusual………..definitely a fisher cat!
Reading, MA
Saw a large fisher cat in my back yard in Smithfield RI this morning. Verified with animal control that there have been other sitings.
my loving cat did not come home last night- (she has been spayed). and I saw a fisher cat today on the road. I am heartbroken.
I’ve lost six cats in the 30 years I’ve lived in Vermont. I am quite sure it is Fishers, everyone else has lost cats also, but it is very difficult to keep a cat inside when it wants to go out. I now try to keep my cats in after dark, I hope that helps.
My wife spotted one walking through our yard. Our back yard is adjacent to a wet land (that’s not very wet, basically woods) and he was walking early a.m. from the neighborhood side of house to the woods. I knew we had them around because I have heard them calling before. We live in North Kingstown RI.
Here in Nahant, MA, a small town that is 1 square mile in size and 2 miles out in the ocean connected by a causway, there seems to have been 2 sightings of a fisher cat. One friend of mine leaves food out at night for ferral cats and skunks. She also feeds the birds. Last night she heard the screaching noises and went to the window and saw a large fisher cat running down the street. Another friend also hears schreaching outside her house at night from time to time. It is probably the same fisher cat as they live on the other side of the wooded area. How did the fisher cat get out to Nahant? Did someone drop it off out here? For years we have dealt with deer, fox and coyotes. Now a fisher cat. Geeeeeshh.. What’s next.
REST ASSURED…THE BABY LIKE SCREAMING IS WHEN THEIR FOOD SOURCE IS IN DANGER…OR WHEN MATING….THE MOST COMMON SOUND IS ALMOST LIKE ROLLING YOUR TONGUE AND MAKING A LOUD RATTLE SNAKE SOUND. NONTHELESS NOT HAPPY WITH ONE IN OUR YARD. YORK COUNTY MAINE
East Haddam, CT
Fisher cat ran in front of my car on back, dirt road from the woods into the woods. Seven month old kitten missing few days later. Beware fisher cat, I will find you……
I’ve seen one on two occasions in the past couple of weeks come over my rock wall in Naples, Maine. The first time I got my video camera and it actually let me get within 20 yards of it. Didnt care. I could not believe it. Tonight I didnt see it, but let me tell you I heard it. I called 911, then afterwards realized that it must have been the FisherCat and not a human….
Saw a fisher cat in Lincoln, MA today crossing the road in a residential, wooded area, about 300 yards from the Lincoln Public Schools and my son’s pre-school. He actually stopped in the road to scratch himself, so he didn’t seem too fearful. Yikes!!! I’ve only ever seen them in Lincoln; never in Sudbury where I live.
Saw a fisher cat today in Lincoln, MA near the Lincoln Public Schools. He was running across the street and then stopped in the middle of the road to scratch himself. Scary creature! This is the second or third time I’ve seen one in Lincoln. I’ve never seen one in Sudbury where I live.
I saw a fisher cat when I was working in Easthampton, MA at Arcadia (Mass Audubon) as a camp counselor a few years ago. I was taking the kids on a walk through the woods and one jumped from a limb on a tree and ran away from us! At the time, I had no idea what it was, but after describing it I was told it was a fisher cat.
I recently heard one in the woods behind my house in Atkinson, NH. I thought someone was being murdered… it was horrible! Then I remembered that fisher cats make scary noises and I saw my cat running back into the house. I wouldn’t mind never hearing that noise again!
Noticed that our cat Alvin was all atwitter on the screened -in porch this PM. Saw a what I think was a Fisher Cat go from under the car to edge of the wooded embankment behind the house, here in Agawam Ma.About 3ft. long, short legs, very furry, dark brown and heavy body. Small head and like a skunk; Cat like movements.
We have heard weird screeches (fox?) in the past at night, never thought it would be a Fisher until I heard the sound on-line at a website. Needless to say Alvin will be staying in the house. That thing could come through the screen after him! Noticed that the squirrels aren’t about today.
Broad Brook (East Windsor) Connecticut
We lost 2 cats over the winter. Had just heard from a neighbor that they also lost a cat and another neighbor had lost 2 more. A Fisher had been seen in the area. No kitties are safe around here.
We have had several cats missing in our rural neighborhood of Watertown, Ct. A Neighbor saw a fisher kill a mother fox and then go after all her kits. Another neighbor has reported strange sreaming in the night. Twice my cat has been attacked during the day. We thought it was probaly hawks.. How do you keep an outside cat (we rescued her) in?
I think that i have a fisher cat in my back yard. I hear its screech a lot and I’m worried that they will hurt my dogs. but i am hoping that they stay away from us.
Have been hearing them recently near our house in North Attleboro, MA. Heard one screeching just outside the bedroom window the other nite…pretty unsettling. We have a wooded area behind our house with some wetlands. Today just before 8PM, about 100 feet away I saw at least 2, maybe 3 fishers sitting on a large brush pile. I clapped loudly, they looked at me, one screeched at me and they ambled off. Haven’t seen too many squirrels lately come to think of it.
I’m down here in Springfield PA, about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, and I definitely think I have a fisher cat in the woods behind our house. There’s no mistaking that frightening screech. Based on the number of posts it looks like there are a lot of them out there….
hi I live in north Andover and saw a fearless fisher cat in my backyard. He was very close to the deck and finally ran away as we yelled. Anything we can do to keep them away?
We have at least 2 Fisher Cat’s living on my property, though have only seen them together one time. Nightly sightings are very common – expecially at sunset. Last seeing was last night.
where do you live?
I heard that bonechilling scream in the woods behind our suburban home this week. We live about an hour north west of Philadelphia in western Montgomery County, PA.
Heard one for the first time around 3am last night, creepy !!! I live in North Smithfield, RI
Around 9:15 P.M. driving on 6A towards Orleans, I spotted 3 fishers crossing
6A towards Robinwood (subdivision of homes). This is next to Nickerson St. Pk.
First I thought they were otters, but they could be Fishercats, both tend to
undulate as they run, they looked black from the glow of my head lights. Could
have been heading to the little pond (Owl Pond) or into the park.
Saw a black, large fisher in my backyard this morning. I came out on the deck, looked down and there it was, about to enter a wooded area on the property. It looked at me and ran away. Long black bush tail was sticking straight out behind it. I live across from a marsh and have small wooded areas in my neighborhood together with lots of rocks and ledge, in Gloucester, MA.
Heard and saw a fisher cat in our yard last night. Kept us up for about 45 minutes with its loud screaming noise. Caught various glimpses of it but it looked more like a fox than the internet pictures I’ve seen of the fisher cat. Anyone know if fox make that same screaming sound?
Our neighborhood has been kept up many nights by a fisher cat. Last night it screeched from 11:30pm until 6AM this morning! Not much sleeping going on around here! One night last week it was right under our bedroom window! I saw it one night last week about 9:30 pm as I was walking my dog. It was crossing the street, stopped and starred at me and I just ran back into the house with Jake… My husband saw it the next morning on his way to work at the end of the street…..It was noisy last year but now seems a little out of control. It is about 3 1/2 feet long including tail…….any ideas?
Plymouth, Mass.: Have fisher coming through my yard last year and now this year. Screamed this morning at 4am for bout an hour. Moves fast. Never let my little dog or cat out at night, and never alone.
First time we heard that scream, it woke the whole house up………creepy!
Now we’re used to it!
Just heard one screeching in the Fox Hill area of Holden tonite.
Saw a fisher this morning around 6 am in New Britain, CT. Have had several in my backyard looking for squirrels, but this one was brown and very large. He was running across a field, across the road and into the woods, but kept a very wary eye on me the whole time. This is my 4th sighting this year, but still haven’t heard the scream.
I saw a very large Fisher Cat on my farm in West Townsend, MA at 7:00 am this morning. I would say it was a male, because he was about 4 ft. long.
I saw my first large fisher cat last Friday on the hill behind my house (Sutton, NH, we just moved in) at 4 in the afternoon. I got several nice pictures of him as he walked down the hill screaming like crazy. This one was dark, with a silver stripe down his back and some red on his face–a beautiful creature. And no, it wasn’t a fox as we have those too. I showed the picture to my knowledgeable neighbors who identified it as a fisher cat, albeit with unusual markings. His scream was chilling. I’m glad I heard it in broad dayllight!
I’m a woodswalker but had never seen a fisher until last year. My adult daughter and I had been exploring Pierpoint Meadows in Dudley, MA and were walking back out on a narrow, wooded path. A large black fisher popped out onto the path about 50 feet ahead of us. He seemed very curious about us but not threatening. Before my daughter completely freaked, he leaped back into the brush. I realized what the weasel-looking creature was and grabbed a large stick from a pile that was on the side of the trail. We cautiously walked by were he had disappeared only to have him pop out again about the same distance ahead of us! I beat the the ground with the stick, which didn’t seem to faze him, but the fisher finally vanished back into the woods. We wasted no time and ran to the car. As we pulled out of the parking area, he came out of the woods on the opposite side of the road to see us off! I can’t say if it was the same fisher we saw all three times, but it was certainly inquisitive!
Found fresh fisher prints by by mom’s barn….her sheep and minature horse were attacked last night. Horrid claw marks and gashes under their bodies. The sheep is in rough condition. The horse did not make it. Fisher cats are serious predators and will take down livestock.
I just took the dog out for a short walk . It is 8:30 in Nahant, a small community on the ocean North of Logan airport. I have heard this scream, like a woman or a child crying and suspect it is a fisher. It is very disconcerting. How could a fisher get out here?
I live in Peabody Ma. in a pretty central location but do have woods in the back of my yard and boy last night I was woken by the sounds of the fisher! I really didn’t know what it was until now and I could hear it killing something which I think are the bunnies in my yard! So sad but is there anything we can do so that they will relocate?
I live in Chaplin, CT. I heard a fisher cat in the woods next to my house today at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Really eerie sound – I didn’t know what it was at first.
My four chickens were out of their pen and I only saw two hanging around the edge of the woods, which made me think I lost two. luckily I found them taking a dirt bath in the front garden.
I think it’s time to get a dog…
I live in Proctor, VT and about 15 minutes ago i was taking my dog out to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden i hear this loud screech so i told my dog to get back in the house. I ran in the house to get a flashlight to see what it was and it was a fisher cat right out back of my house with a black and white cat in its mouth…it scared the crap outta me after the dog started barking and made it run away. My boyfriends cousin lives up the street and has 2 cats and one of them is black and white. I talked to him and he said his cats werent inside so i was thinking that it possibly ate his cat…but then we have neighbors 2 houses away that have 3 black and white cats…this is the 4 time i have heard and seen the fisher cats out back of my house in almost 2 weeks…they are bad around here! My mom lost one of her cats like maybe a month ago from a fisher cat! And people wonder why i have a dog instead of a cat.
I live in Ft. Washington, MD and I was sitting outside late one night and I heard this sound like it was a little kid in the woods screaming. I jumped up to see what it was. I ran into the house to get a flashlight and the light hit its eyes…i wondered what it was. The next day, I was sitting on the swingset and looked up and noticed a big nest in the trees and this big otter looking thing in the trees. I ran into the house and googled what I saw and it came up “fishercats: and this was the same thing I saw. I’m in total shock…I have NEVER seen or heard about this species EVER. I can’t stop doing research on them. How in the world did they migrate to Maryland?!?!
I was in Essex Mass on July 4th and one suprisingly jumped in front of our car and walked down the street before scurrying under a fence. Of course it was the one time I didn’t have my camera…
Driving Rt. 18, Eastbound In South Weymouth (MA) this afternoon, I passed a dead Fisher Cat on the side of the road. I reported it to the police officer nearby. It was huge! May have been hit trying to cross Rt. 18. It confirmed my suspicion that an animal who rushed by me, hose in hand while in my backyard last August, was indeed a Fisher! It ran right by me, and under my deck! I opened both doors and let the hose rip! It was the scariest animal I’ve ever come that close to! Be careful, and if you care for your animals, keep them in after dusk.
I live on a lake in Smithfield, RI and all week we have heard screeching all night long from across the lake. Last night I heard it all night long,but this time it sounded closer, so I jumped out of bed, went out on my deck, and I heard screeching as well as growling and grunting like an angry bore. I couldn’t se him but I couljd a;mopst feel the steam an spit coming out of his mouth. I ran back in and locked my door…He probubly was under mu deck, and I wasn;’t taking any chances….
I’m in Madison, CT. About 6:30 this evening, saw what I first thought was a cat walking along the edge of the yard. It then ran, but had a more up and down movement, kinda like pouncing. Then noticed it had a longer body, almost like a ferret. It was black and I think it had some gold flecks in it. Could this have been a fisher cat??
We have had sightings of fishers around where i live. My father saw one down the road one time. a few years ago, we had a kitten disappear. Now i think it could hav ben a fisher.We have a watershed down the road, and recently walking to the bus stop i saw something that i thought was an otter in it. We went to the zoo today, and they had an interactive station and it had a print and picture of a fisher cat, and it looked like what i had seen in the watershed. i came home, and googld it, and this site said that they can swim, so i believe that that is what it was.
I just heard a bunch of eerie screeches in the backyard, thought it was a child screaming for help. Happened at regular intervals for a few minutes then stopped, and started up again. I live in Holliston……. and it’s about 2 AM, never heard this kind of thing before. Sounds like it could be a fisher cat, good thing I don’t have any small pets.
Just like Holliston, I have been hearing eerie screeches in the night. Thought it might be a fisher cat and listened to the sound on a website to verify. Also I smell a strong odor around the same time that I hear the screech. Last night it was very pungent. Is this the fisher cat too? I’m glad my cats come in at night. I live in Landaff, NH and the screeches are usually after midnight.
Here in Belchertown MA we are hearing the Fisher Cat everynight. They are about the creepiest thing to hear when you do not know what it is. They wake me up out of a deep sleep. We are finally just getting used to the blood curling high pitched scream-screech-bark.
We live in West Warwick, RI and have heard this ungodly screeching sound in the night for the past few weeks. One night it sounded like it was in our front yard under a bedroom window. We could not see it but it appeared by it’s screeching sound to be proceeding up the hill and across the street into the neighbors yards. We had a grey cat that had been coming by our house to see our indoor spayed female and for the past week or so he has not been coming around. My husband thought one night he heard a cat cry and then the screeching sound. The neighbor next door said it is a fisher cat and said he saw it in his back yard. Now I am more caucious getting in and out of my car now, especially at night for fear I will meet up with him. Interesting readings about this animal.
I have been re-searching fisher cats. What a great tool the web site is. I work in a group home in Old Lyme Ct and two of my co-workers saw a fisher cat in our yard while sitting on the raised deck. I have never heard of them before. But found them to be very interesting.Thanks for all the info and great pictures. I love nature and grew up on a farm in Minnesota and have seen and heard of many animals. I wonder do they stay in one area during there life-span.
We live in VT and have been having fisher cat sighting up and down our road all summer. Yesterday, a large fisher came out of the woods and attacked a huge wild turkey in our yard…in broad daylight. My dog went crazy and the fisher ran off. About 20 minutes later, it crept out of the weeds and grabbed the dead turkey by the head and dragged it into the woods. We can still hear the fisher growling and screaching just at the border of the trees.
My husband and I saw one slip into the bushes by the Charles River near Soldiers Field Road near Harvard Square. Weird looking beast. I had no idea they were so numerous and so near cities.
I think we have been up all night due to a Fisher Cat now that I am reading this blog. We live in an area of Sutton MA where cats have been going missing all summer. I was awoken by our dog going crazy. I heard the shrill shrieking and wouldn’t let her out. It continued for over an hour. I got online to research, and I found this blog. It explains everything! Yikes.
I had a fisher cat run across my front yard in Glastonbury, CT this past weekend. There is noticable decline in the number of squirrels and chipmonks around lately. I haven’t heard any sounds from the fisher cat. It was the first time that I had seen it around.
Beware East Longmeadow, Ma. They are out there! My girlfriend saw one walking in our backyard walking,then climbing a tree. Our neighbor just lost his cat. The cat would stay out late at night but would never leave the front yard. This is in the area of Fernwood Drive.
My sweet, gentle kitty has been missing since mid-June. I’d tried so hard to keep him in, but he got out and did not return.
I postered the neighborhood, walked all over, trying to locate him.
Yesterday I spied a large black squirrel-like form loping across my neighbor’s back yard. I’d never seen one before , but I knew instantly that it was a fisher.
I hope my sweet boy died quickly. I know now that he’ll never be coming home.
I had never thought that a fisher would live in a suburban neighborhood. But there are woods across the street. I guess that’s all it takes.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT FISHER CATS BEFORE UNTILL RECENTLY. ON CAPE COD YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT, THERE AROUND. WE HAVE HEARD THE CAT FIGHTING SOUNDS IN THE NIGHT. MY HUSBAND WAS WATERING THE LAWN AT DUSK WHEN HE SAID THE CREATURE HE SAW WAS ALL FURRY WALKING LIKE ON HIS FOREARMS, LONG SNOUT, SMALL EYES,AND LONG TAIL SLINKING ACROSS OUR SMALL NEIGBHORHOOD INTO THE SMALL WOODEN AREA ACROSS THE ROAD.WE HAVE AN OLDER CAT THAT WILL NOT COME INSIDE AT NIGHT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. HE RUNS AWAY AND WE ARE IN OUR MID-AGES. OLDER CATS LIVE IN OUR NEIGBHORHOOD WITH OUR NEIGBHORS NERVOUS ALREADY ABOUT COYOTE, FOXES, AND SKUNKS. LOAST ONE TO A COYOTE ATTACK, ANOTHER CARRYING BABIES THAT NEVER RETURNNED, AND ONE WHO SEEMS TO BE WILD IN A SENSE BUT WE JUST HEAR ABOUT HER.
WE HAD RECENTLY BENN TOLD FROM WHERE OUR DAUGHTER LIVES IN BREWSTER AREA THAT A FISHER CAT LIVES IN THE NEIGBHORHOOD AND HAVE TO KEEP YOUR PETS INSIDE AT NIGHT. BUT, IF THEY ARE ACTIVE IN WITER DAYTIME, THAT DOESN’T MAKE US ANYMORE AT EASE. SHE HAS HAD HER CAT WITH US FOR A FEW YEARS AND SHE HAS A CHANCE TO TAKE HER CAT, YET WITH THESE CREATURES ABOUT, IT’S AN STICKY SITUATION. HE HAS BEEN LATELY THAT WE WANT HIM GONE. HE NEEDS TO LIVE SOMEWHERELSE AND SHE CAN TAKE HIM. I DO NOT WANT HIM DEAD WHEN HERE! IT’S SO UPSETTING.
We lost a cat to a fisher two years ago, and now have two indoor cats. however, the fishers are driving us nuts every night between 3 and 4 a.m., and they seem to know there are cats at our house – maybe because they sometimes sit on window sills behind our screens.
One of our neighbors has shot and killed two fisher cats after one of his cats was killed. Rather than open fire, I have called Division of Wildlife, DEM, pest control companies, etc. and have found that NO ONE can help us. We live in an area where the neighbors are willing to get together and have traps set on their properties – hoping to reduce the number of fishers somewhat. No way can I find someone to set the traps – they all say they won’t mess with this animal because it is so vicious.
If anyone has any ideas, pls share. We have a rather large black lab who seems to get agitated when he goes out at night – we think he smells the fisher, but we’re worried he might be attacked, too. Tired of living this way!
A neighbor in Adams MA saw one this past week. At least the mountain lion has company!
I live in Vermont and I lost my beautiful siamese cat to a fisher last week. The other neighbors are reporting lost cats as well. My kitties like to go outside and have a cat door but it was always closed after the cats were brought in just before dusk, so I thought they’d be safe. I was wrong. I have a large dog that keeps an eye on my free range chickens, and they haven’t been bothered at all. I guess fishers think kitties taste better than chickens . I am prepared to shoot the damned thing or things if I ever see them.
we had a outdoor cat disappear without a trace a year and a half ago. our beloved cat mango disappeared six days ago. our community has lost a few cats. the suspect is: a fisher. this was our favorite cat in the world. we live in turner maine and we live at the end of a street. the area we live in is heavily wooded. i wish i had a gps on mango so i could at least know what to tell my wife……RIP MANGO ..you will not be forgotten and i wish you could have been here to see our two babies grow up.
we love you mango. you are the best can i hope you come home.
my boyfriend and i were driving home last night and one came out of a bush right next to our car we thought it was a cat, but it had to long of a tail and then we thought it was a racoon but it was most deff a fisher. Two of my cats have died too.
Recently a Fishr cat was seen in New York State in Vestal Center. It chased a squirrel up a tree and caught it, broke its neck and ran down the tree with it and snapped its neck again. Vestal Center is on the border of Pennsylvania not far from Binghamton, NY.
We don’t know how many of them are in this area but we are concerned as we feed squirrels and homeless cats.
I tend to agree w/ you about the visious but efficient way they feed.Our neighbor created a ferrel cat colony,after many months and calls to the board of health, I barrowed a backhoe and removed 6 1/2 cu.yds of ferrel crap and urine filled soil.To stop the health risk to my kids,the D.E.P.brought in a Fisher Cat! In 3 months we’re down from 19 cats to 3.We are also cat lovers(indoors) we had them all a very long time.22yrs-17yrsand China is14yrs we don’t hate cats just ones that wreck property .Before such extreme measures were taken a man from a local shelter helped me trap,spay and nueter them hoping they would pick up roots and move. DON’T FEED THE CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Live in Southwick, MA & My pug Raisin was attached by a Fisher Cat on 8/29/2009. I spent the light at the Emergency room getting her neck stapled. The sound it made will haunt me and my dog for a life time. She will not go out side now with out being forced because shes scared shi* less! Why would they re introduce this savage back into the wild is beyond me? Kids were attacked by a fisher in W.Springfield MA, while waiting for the bus, so yes they will attack humans big and small for no reason day or night!
Dalton, MA here (the Berkshires)… we had a pair of them screeching in the field & woods behind our neighborhood last night–scared the bejesus out of everyone! We didn’t know what they were, but after listening to the sounds on this site we now know it was definitely a couple of fishers. (We know there were at least two because the screeches were coming from different parts of the neighborhood.) Heard one again a little while ago. What a horrible sound!
Westfield, MA. Just a few minutes ago a Fisher ran through the yard, Our next door neighbor has a cat and small dog which makes me wonder if this isn’t why it is around.
I also live in Peabody abutting conservation land. I have heard the fisher cats scream since moving here back in 02 and have had a few sitings one of them when it was hunting a rabbit. Last night I heard noise in my garbage can and assuming it was a raccoon went outside to scare it away. There was giant fisher cat sitting on top of the garbage can reaching in for food. It was at least 4 feet long, dark brown fur and not the least bit scared of me. It hopped down and casually walked back inot the woods. It’s a beautiful animal.
In Millis Ma. I’ve seen one in my back yard (the wetlands) usually in the rotted trees digging in a nest or something in the early morning. Once about a month ago I saw what looked to be a rabid one wondering in the middle of the road .
it looked confused, but continued in the middle of the road for a quarter mile .
I have had 2 close encounters with them in my back-yard last night, and the night before.
I have a telescope mounted on a pier at the back of my tree-screened yard, along a rock wall. 2 days ago, I was out looking at stars, and crouched over when I heard a loud rustle in the woods that sort of sounded like a deer. How nice, I thought. Then I heard the wierd high pitched “barking” sound, that was repeated. I pointed a bright flashlight at the source, and there was a fisher standing about 15-20 feet away! Scared the bejeezus out of me!
I quickly walked toward the house keeping the light on him. He didn’t move.
Same thing happened again last night. This time there was no noise until I heard the bark. When I shined the light, and 2 beady green eyes lit right up. As I got back to the deck and was going in the house, he sort of turned and melted into the underbrush over by the woodpile and was gone.
He’s not afraid of me- he definately is willing to stand and wait for me to play the next card.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to scare them away in such standoffs? (Clapping my hands and making barking noises back didn’t seem to impress him… 🙂 )
We spotted a fishercat crossing a wooded road in Gilford, NH around 9 a.m. on 9/16/2009. I had never seen one before but after looking at these pictures I’m sure that’s what it was.
I think we have a fisher or two here in Portland, CT. Lately my dog has been going crazy at night, she growls and barks and won’t stop. Two of my cats have disappeared over the past weeks and my neighbors have lost theirs as well. It makes me sick to think of my cats dying this way. One was very old and never usually went out. It was a sunny day and he was laying on the deck enjoying the sun. Never came in 🙁
Anything we can do to scare these creatures away?
Seen one a few years ago on Pelham rd. in Dracut, MA
I recall growing up in NH we always had outdoor pets and never had a problem at all. Now my old neighbors have lost 20 pussy cats to fishers. It is awful to think of pets dying that way. Condolences to those who have lost furbabies.
I saw one this morning in S. Walpole, MA, it walked across the backyard. It was quite big and all black with a very long tail. It was a little spooky, because I didn’t know what it was until I found the pictures on the web. About a month ago I noticed what I thought was either droppings or something had thrown up on the walkway to the garden. When I attempted to hose it off, I noticed fur and bones. It was either a squirrel or a rabbit. Is this sighting something that should be reported to the town
I saw one yesterday in my front yard crossing the street. Same description as everyone else. Billerica Ma
September 2009
Well we found a dead fisher cat under some brush that we cleared and haven’t picked up yet. Two days prior we were awakend by a dog bark at 4:00am. With reason to believe a coyote killed it. In the winter of 2009 taking care of feral cats for a neighbor we found a dead cat with the belly missing and the ground around the kill all torn up with larger foot prints as if it had chased the cat for a long period of time.
Preston,CT
Saw one this morning 8am in Warwick RI by Brushneck Cove. It was running along a seawall by the water. We have coyotes too. My cats are going to lose this battle.
i was wondering if you could maybe help me figure out what a fisher cat’s niche is.
These animals are nasty, they aren’t as afraid of you as one might think. They’ll attack dogs, cats, even humans given the chance. We had one a few years ago that was attacking someone’s animals and the police had to take care of it….
early yesterday morning just before sunrise i heard what sounded like a conversation that i could not understand so i listened nervously thinking someone was in my backyard the noise stopped and was replaced with the sound of a child or female whimpering like it was hurt followed by a screech that would send shivers up your spine, looked on line up came Fisher cat I called animal control and sure enough they have come to marshfield ma as well as duxbury ma and i’m sure many other towns in my area why are we not being informed that we have new animals around us that could possibly kill your kid or dog.
I left a blog earlier this morning and have since read some of the blogs posted earlier, one blogger had said she was happy she had dogs and not cats, we have both. I wanted to let that blogger know that fisher cats have been known to attack and kill animals as large as full grown deer and coyotes. The animal control officer in the next town said my dogs, Labrador retrievers would not stand a chance against a fisher cat. So now I not only have to worry about my kids but my dogs and my outdoor/indoor cat. Watch your animals never send your dog out to scare off a fisher cat because your dog, no matter how big, could be the fisher cats next meal!!! Be careful they are opportunistic hunters, and do not discriminate based on your animals size. they will take anything on, even you!!!!!
My comment earlier was to the idiot that thought it was funny that fisher cats kill possums and cats, dogs, etc… One attacked a 6 year old child, who was with his mother and another child at a bus stop.
Keep your animals in at night. Don’t let them out once it is dusk, and not until after sunrise. Coyotes are out in abundance too. These predators will take small dogs right off of your deck as well.
Many cats and smaller dogs are missing in the Worcester/Sturbridge/Southbridge areas. The only way to control the fisher is to shoot them. Oh yeh, that’s illegal.
This morning while fishing the 5 Mile River near rt 44 in Putnam CT a Fisher Cat appeared and did its foraging in and around the trees and shrubs on the river bank scarcely a few feet away. It showed no fear of me as I fished from the middle of the river in waders and the whole event took several minutes before the cat left my vicinity. What strikes me is its size. My guess puts it way over the states estimated size and weight. On-line there are some confirmed reports of these animals weighing over 25 pounds and in excess of 35-40 inches. Now all we need is the mountain lion and the wolf to expand south and it wont just be our pets that have to be careful.
The video that shows a dog attacking a young fisher cat is disturbing, and I would like to say to the owner of that dog, that you could not love your pet very much. If my dogs came into to contact with a fisher cat, large or small I would do everything to protect my animals first and the fisher cat second, and not encourage a fight. Its videos like yours that organizations like PETA are formed. While I agree that PETA is extreme and their views do not reflect my own, I can see why they exist after viewing your gross video. Please remove it from viewing it does not reflect most peoples feelings toward the fisher cat, if anything it makes us feel sad that people like you exist out here in this day and age that would think it funny to kill a wild animal for no reason. I hope you are not from Massachusetts. .
Saw my first Fisher Cat today in Wellfleet Ma. Who said they were no longer on the Cape! When we mentioned our experience to friends many of them have also spotted Fishers in Truro Ma. Could it be the famed Pamet Puma???
I have no doubts that you have fisher cats on the cape because we have them in Marshfield. We are about 20 miles north of the bridge and I know that the Duxbury Animal control Officer has seen them in my neighboring town. There was a special on Chronicle a couple years ago about whether fishers are on the cape. Its funny that you thought it was a puma because when I heard one last week my first thought was a bobcat. Be careful they can be vicious. The Duxbury Animal Control as well as Marshfiled Animal Control told me they have been known, under the right circumstances to kill animals as big as deer and coyotes, so your cat or dog could potentially be on the menu.
I saw a fisher cat this Summer in my backyard. I was in my sailboat working on it when this weird looking animal came walking through the woods. It looked at me and I watched it and it just mosied along. The animal was about 12 feet away and was not scared of me in the least. Bigger than a cat with a big bushy tail and a weasel looking face. Looked up video on Youtube of Fisher Cats and that’s definately what it was.
My husband was chopping wood and about 20 feet away from him he saw a Fisher Cat. They both stared at each other. My husband wasn’t fazed by this as he did have a chain saw in his hand in case it decided to attack.
I heard a God awful scream the other night. It continued for about 5 minutes. I came to the conclusion that it was indeed a Fisher Cat after I went on this website and heard the audio of the scream.
We have a pond in our backyard and we have fishers that come to swim and eat. Yesterday they were out there all day eating. Today we have not seen any. They must be sleeping off their banquet from yesterday. There was a pair of them running and sliding on the ice like kids. They were really fun to watch. Also we saw a larger ones during the day also eating. They are really stocking up.
Sorry I forgot to say where we are located in the earlier post. We have lots of wild life around here.
There absolutely are Fishers in NEPA. There’s one in my back yard – we border a private hunting club. We have someone trapping foxes for us on our property because we thought they were what had been attacking bunnies, etc. and we were worried about our cats. This afternoon the trapper knocked on the door and told us there were LOTS of fisher tracks, some only a hour old. We’re at Lake Wallenpaupack in PA. That explains the horrible screams I heard over the summer at night.
A friend of mine called me after seeing a Fisher Cat leaving his property. His description was right on and he is missing a couple of Barn Cats as well as kittens. It sounds to me like other stories here. im just kinda suprised being that we are talking about the end of Long Island. I mean what did it do? , hop the Orient Ferry.? Orient is off the beaten path for sure i guess they could have been out here for many years in next to non existent #s and maybe theyre coming back now. Any Thoughts ?
Husband saw a fisher cat walk through our yard (there is a wooded hole next to our house). He couldn’t believe the strange noise! Have to keep an eye on my beagles who are not as big as the fisher he saw!
I had my third sighting of a large fisher this am. Concerned because it didn’t flinch. He sat and stared at my dog (boxer puppy) and I. I had seen one in the same area a few months back, but it ran off when it saw me with my then large male german shepherd. My second sighting I was with my husband and it also ran from us. This time, I yelled to try and scare it, when it didn’t move I backed up and returned the same way I came. It did not approach or follow. Hence, I am looking on the net to see if they attack people/large dogs. We live in Madison, CT.
I saw a fisher this morning at 11:30 AM on crossing Rt.122 at the Athol/Petersham line. Looked like a male as it was pretty big. I stopped my trcuk and watched it on the snow cover for several minutes.
We spotted one in Madison, CT yesterday around 4:00. We live about 50 yards from the highway and the fisher cat was hoping around in the woods between our house and the highway. Luckily we do not have any animals but I hope that all of the neighbors animals are safe inside their houses!
As we were rolling down 123 in Abington a little past Midway Auto, I noticed a large, dark, dead mammal “tits up”, so to speak, on the side of the road. Much to the dismay of morning commuters, we stopped back by the site later when we headed back that direction. I had called it earlier, it was a fisher. I snapped a couple real good pics on my phone, but I need to extract them and post it on this site. I am 32, lived in South Shore of Mass lifelong, and this is the first time I have seen a fisher up close, dead or alive. They look like they could tear sh** up, what with the sharp claws and teeth. They sort of remind me of a mini-wolverine, another really cool animal. My parents house used to be on the edge of Ames Nowell State forest. I remember hearing weird shreiks and noises but never like the one in the audio on this site. Stay tune for the road kill pics!
I live in Marion, MA. Yesterday morning at 8:30, I watched a fisher cat pounce across my backyard and off into the woods. I’m now wondering if what we thought were some pretty unusual coyote or fox calls was actually the fisher cat! I’m very glad we have an indoor cat!
Have been hearing a Fisher Cat for about three weeks now, here in Wyoming, RI. The horses get a little nervous when it starts calling out. Then everybody settles in. I have seen footprints in the snow, near a little wet area downhill. Walking across some snowy ice. It must travel some distance, because it is not nightly that I hear it, and it always is in the wee hours.
I saw one in my neighborhood this morning in West Springfield, MA.
We saw one walk through out backyard this morning in Sudbury, MA. It was very black.
I just, a few minutes ago while sitting at the PC with a window right by it, saw a large dark weasel type animal jump up on the fir treed berm which we have along our front drive. It ran all along the berm which is about 60 feet long then down across our driveway to the wooded edge which goes down the behind our house. It stopped right beside the house, faced the house and sniffed the air for quite a while, then continued down into the woods and out of sight.
I love wildlife and thought it was a fisher but wasn’t sure so got on Google and did a search. Found some photos and knew it was a fisher, then found this site. Wish I had time to snap a photo but even though I have a good camera because of the screens on the windows they never come out good.
Anyway it made my day almost as much the bear I met nose to nose through my screen porch door, and the moose I watched drinking out of our small manmade pond right across from the front door.
Grantham, NH
We just saw a Fisher in Poestenkill, NY… Just east of Albany. We had no idea what it was and were just positive it wasn’t a House Cat. It was really big.. I’d guess more than 10 pounds…
We were able to search the web and figure it out… the pics were spot on and the web posts here are an eyeopener…
Last week while taking our white miniture french bulldog for her morning walk I spotted a large cat-like animal walking in the field across the road from our home. When I stopped short to get a better look, the animal also stopped short and just stared at me and the dog. It was a dark colored cat about 3′ in length with a long bushy tail, ears close to the head with a dark muzzle around the base of the head. I did not know what it was, and it ran into the woods when I started to walk closer. Last night, when my wife and I arrived home, there was something very large climbing our blue spruce tree in the front of our yard. I could tell it was quite large because of the crackling and moving branches in the lower section of the tree. When I got my flash light and shined it into the tree, it became very still and quiet. I thought it might have been a black bear because we live in a wooded area where they are. When looking online for noctural animals, I found this site about fisher cats. When I read the descriptions of the sightings, I realized immediately that the animal I had seen last week was, indeed, a fisher cat. My wife and I have heard what sounded like a baby crying in the wooded area several times before, and didn’t know what it was. We know now and will warn our neighbors who let their cats out at night.
Rutland Town, VT
I saw one walking trough my back yard woods yesterday. In Luther forest Malta, NY
I saw one about 4:30 pm in my backyard on Fernwood Drive in East Longmeadow, Mass on the 4th. It was very dark in color and it came from under a large brush pile near the edge of our woods and ran into a hole in a stone wall. It was very sleek, fast, and low to the ground, as it climbed around a tree before jumping back to the ground. The fisher was spotted in the same area as last year. We’ve had a few cats disappear in the neighborhood, and our cat had to be put to sleep last year because it was severely attacked. Keep your pets inside. I never expected to see one only 40 feet from our home, but all the houses in the area border the woods.
I was walking my Redbone Coonhound in Ravenswood in Gloucester at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday when my dog took off on a scent. Several minutes later he was baying frantically. I followed his voice and found him about a hundred yards from the trail. He’d treed a fisher cat. The weasel didn’t seem frightened or hostile. It just stared at us from the safety of the branch above. A few years ago our tough and hardy in door / out door cat went missing. I suspect a fisher took him down.
Saw something unusual in the woods behind my house in Ellington, Ct. the other night. Had just let the dog (Black Lab) out for the last time that night and she began barking (very unusual). She refused to go into the woods and stood at the path barking and directing her gaze into the woods. I grabbed a light and shone it into the direction she was looking at and immediately picked up the return glare of a pair of yellow/green eyes. The animal was ducking down and then looking up again at the light. It then moved back and forth parallel to my yard, but never totally revealing itself. The only time I got a glimpse of its body was when it raised itself up to look at me. It was about 18″ in height and close to 2′ in lenght. Coat blended in with the dark night and woodland background. It eventually took off and I haven’t seen it again. On subsequent walks in the woods I’ve noticed areas around fallen trees and other rooted trees that have been violently excavated. Dirt thrown everywhere. Only paw prints that I’ve noticed in the area seem to be dog like, large pads and definate nail imprints. Roots and small branches around the dug up areas noted to be severely shredded and broken. Last night I went out with my dog around 10PM and she constantly looked up into the tree tops. Heard nothing and saw nothing. Quite scary to be out there and knowing that something might be lurking in the shawdows. I never considered that it might be a Fisher Cat, but I am now reconsidering. Is this a possibility?
two nights age the screeming sound of a fishercat was heard in the middle of the night in my back yard. It kept my girlfriend up but I didn’t. After letting her hear the sound it makes she says that was the sound she heard. Living in Marshfield on the Duxbury line. We have the south river up stream from chandlers pond as our boundery. Plenty of wild life around, now something new and a bit cocerning . We breed and raise dogs in this area.
I spotted a small fisher cat @ Marsh creek state park, Southeastern pennsylvania. I was about to go for a jog as I looked at the lake I noticed a small black object moving. when I turned around to focus I noticed that it was a fisher cat. I watched for about 5 minutes before it noticed me because I stepped onto some crunchy dead leaves. It ran to the waters edge, and disappeared into a pile of old gray stone in a cluster of trees. Well, that fisher cat will live and eat very well in this area. There are woodlands and open fields for miles with plenty of small wildlife.
My husband and I saw a fisher walk through our backyard and into the woods behind at 7:20 this morning.
Heard them last night in our woods. A very eerie sounding scream. sounded almost sounded like someone being attacked in the woods.
They seem to be all through Rhode Island, and taking out domestic cats at will. I was told by someone that the the RI DEM introduced them in to RI years ago to control the wild turkey population. Don’t know it that’s true or not, but they are definitely everywhere here.
It is curious, these mean little predators. I caught a fox going after my cat, luckily it was a baby it didnt get very far with her. However, a friend’s friend has a big cat that essentially goes after fisher cats, never seen anything like it before. Fisher cats will go after small cats with a vengance, but usually not big cats. I think in very remote areas fisher cats get very big and can take out just about anything.
Don’t have a problem with anyone killing one. They may be indigenous but oh well, not my problem. One thing for sure, no one complains about fisher cats disappearing lol.
Heard a fisher cat notight. Screeching scared the living hell out of me until I finally looked it up. Knowing what the hell is making that sound is so much better! I recal seeing an odd cat-like creature a couple years back, figure it was that, but I didn’t heard it or see it after that. Must have moved back in!! I’ll look for prints or even it in the mornng.
Woke up this morning (Maine) at 1:30 to a screeching sound outside. The first thing I thought was “fisher cat” and all my chickens. I took a flashlight and went out side following the sound. I saw it’s reflecting eyes looking at me and then it took off. It left a very skunky odor behind.
Connecticut is in the midst of a budget problem, yet they let the turkeys @ DEP play god by buying (I can just imagine the cost) and distributing fisher cats throughout the state “to control turkey population” . Now the domestic cat and fowl population is down dramatically, and its only the beginning. Wait until small children are attacked. Great job Governor Rell
I saw and heard a fisher cat in Burlington, ma today Sunday April 15th as i was letting out my dog and i had to run out and crab my dog because the fisher cat was right across the street from my house and i was afraid my dog would be carried away or eaten. There screech is very scary and i would not want to be around one, there very scaring looking like a rat type face, there screech sounds like an older woman getting murdered kind of like a crying scared women. PLEASE KEEP YOUR ANIMALS AWAY FROM THEM AND IF YOU SEE OR HERE ONE PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THEM. TRY NOT TO LET YOUR CHILDREN NEAR THEM EITHER OR HAS THERE BEEN INCIDENTS OF LITTLE CHILDREN BEEN HURT BY THIS FISHER CAT. THANKS
has anyone ever seen a fisher live in a den? I thought they holed up in trees only We have 3 huge holes in our backyard in the woods. There has been squirrel goose, and turkey carcass. Help?!
There’s a big fisher cat that has been around in Southern Somerset, MA eating our chickens and Koi in the fish Pond. Not too afraid of people.
Father-in-law said he had seen a black mink in our back woods. I just saw it today while I was on my deck and figured out it was a fisher. I saw it walk straight up a large oak tree and climb back down head first. We have tons of chipmunks around, so I’m wondering if he is feeding on them. We also have a swamp in our back woods.
Braintree, MA
I walk my sons dog in the 16 ac. wood lot next door ! Yesterday about 7:30 AM the dog barked and bolted down the trail 15 feet ,I dident know what was happening and then i saw a large black , bushey tailed Ferrit type animal run up a large tree about 6 feet . It than pered out from behind the tree at us , no one moved for at least 4 min. then it droped to the ground and ran the other way . This animal was very dark brown allmost black , short legs ,small round head with round ears close to its head ,it carried in its mouth something lighter in color i could see no features to what it carried , it looked like a large egg . This all hapened 24 feet away so i got a VERY good look at it . I’ve heard of fisher cat’s in the area and now i know why the absence of squirrels
I live in Worcester, MA and one has been killing the cat’s in the neighborhood. I had no idea what was making the cat’s go missing until I heard it last night screaming in my yard for a long time, along with screaming from whatever it was attacking. It was the most horrible thing I have heard. Woke up the whole house out of a sound sleep. This is now the 5th cat from the neighborhood that has gone missing. Yikes these things scare me.
Heard a Fishercat the other night in Shrewsbury off Oak St, went in the woods behind the house last evening and found two dead cats, wish the squirrels we’re being taken instead of cats.
Saw a pair running along the Conn. River on the Agawam, MA side of river at 12 noon on 4.3.2010. I was out on the river in a canoe, otherwise I would never have seen them.
I’m just finding this site tonight, but my husbnd and I heard a fisher cat for the first time last November (09) while we were walking our golden retriever one night. It was around 7:30pm, and we were walking in a residential area that was bordered by woods, the same stretch of woods that are at the end of our street. We suddenly heard this very loud screech/cry which to us sounded like a child or woman crying/screaming for help. It’s the most god-awful sound we’ve ever heard. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and gave me the chills. It sounded like it was not too far away from us, as the woods were about maybe 50 ft. from where we were walking. Of course, the dog wanted to go check it out and became very excited. We cut the walk short, turned around and headed for home. We have not heard this sound again since that night, but I know it wasn’t a fox. We have lots of them in the area and we know their calls/cries very well. This in no way was a fox! We are very vigilant now when we walk our dog, and I am thankful that it stays lighter later.
Lori in Enfield, CT
Night before last ,my husband says I woke him up screaming. We sleep with our sliding glass door opened and this screeching sound which continued for about 10 minutes was the cause. It sounded as if animals were fighting. Today my neighbor said she heard the screech and got up to close the windows as her dog was crazy. She saw what she said was a fischer car sitting near her mailbox which left and went toward the swamp.
Several days ago, I discovered large (inch and a half) five-toed footprints all over my truck. Have never seen a Fisher, but believe this is the animal that’s been hanging around our neighborhood!
I was in Gloucester this weekend and by the artist colony I saw a hole in an eve and as we were walking past one fell out and the other ones faces were looking out of the hole . I never saw or hear dof them until now
Saw two baby fisher cats in the rocks between the path and the water around 1:15pm on the Cape side of the canal. Down near the power plant
I saw one yesterday run across 130 in Cotuit. It was around 6:30 pm. It was heading down to the Santuit River. Positive it was a Fisher as they have such a unique profile unlike the other rascals we have here on the cape.
Otto and myself saw another Fisher this morning! About 35 ft behind the garage 10 ft in front of us, ofcorse Otto saw it first . This was a different fisher , it was smaller and the tail had less hair . It carried a squirrel in its mouth . This all happend about 7:30 AM
I looked out the window yeaterday and saw a fisher 3 feet apart from our cat in a face off. Luckily we ran out and the fisher ran away. Close call !! Will this fisher hang around with a potential food source?? I heard they like stone walls, we just hasd one made. this was about 10 Am, overcast skies.
I looked out the window yeaterday and saw a fisher 3 feet apart from our cat in a face off. Luckily we ran out and the fisher ran away. Close call !! Will this fisher hang around with a potential food source?? I heard they like stone walls, we just hasd one made. this was about 10 Am, overcast skies.
For the people out there that are worried about fishercats killing their pet cats,maybe if there were’nt so many people that leave their pets out this wouldn’t be such an issue..It’s a cryin shame that there is not more fishercats in the wild..wait till the coyotes come,then you’ll have something to cry about…damn treehuggers……………..
I am with my friends (Logan) (Lyric) and we were in kinda brackish water and we happened to see a fisher jumping to rock to rock then Lyric clearly notified us by liping.
“What the heck is that?”
We were confused to watch she was saying and then Logan said
“Oh my god, It’s a fisher!”
and than I said ” Freaking run!”
and we need to know what to do if we see one! Please tell us!
We live in New Hampshire for the summer months, in a camp ground in Winchester. Last night I saw my first fisher cat and it scared me half to death. While walking my mini dacshund, on his leash, I heard a chilling noise. Up ahead on the trail I saw something about 3-4 ft long scurry up a large pine tree. It was almost dusk and at first I thought it was just a big raccoon. The thing went up the tree so fast I could hardly believe my eyes. My dog started barking and pulling. About that time the fisher cat started down the tree trunk. I started walking slowly back towards our home keeping him in my vision while he stood his ground at the base of the tree. I honestly thought he was coming after me and my dog. My husband keeps telling me I don’t need to walk after dark, now I know why! That thing really frightened me!
I saw 5 fishers out my window at around 7 pm last night. they were all in a dead tree about 10 ft from my apartment. They did not seem to frightened I was feeding a deer from my window and they didnt move until after the deer left. they took their time leaving. Amazing never have seen one before let alone 5. from what I read they are loners, maybe they were babies with their mom. I live in storrs ct.
I first saw a fisher cat in Dedham, Ma, a couple of years ago in Dedham, MA.
I was looking out my window into back yard last evening when one ran out of the
small strip of trees and greenery, Mansfield, Ma.
The one I saw last evening was tan in color with a brown of black tail. The one I saw in Dedham was all black.
After seein one, you know when you have seen one again.
New Albany, Indiana…i Saw one near the woods by a neighborhood park ! ive never was one before or after that though never even heard of it til i googled it .
We have had what we believe to be fishers in our upstate New York (Delmar) neighborhood the last few weeks. Their sound is very unsettling, especially when it wakes you from a dead sleep in the middle if the night.
me and my friend were hanging outside of my house and i saw a fisher cat staring right at us i was scared shitless
I think I just saw a fisher cat! I came home early in the morning to see this animal carrying it’s prey, a squirrel, across my yard to my back woods, it hurried but by no means ran away from me.. it was all black, the size of a good sized house cat except short hair and skinny very much the shape of a ferret but too big to be one, does this sound like a fisher cat or another species of weasel?
I heard one for the first time last night. I’ve lived in New Hampshire my whole life is this is the first time I’ve ever heard one. I think they’re fairly new to the area. I hope their population won’t start increasing!
Live in Gilford NH and have a large fisher cat living in the woods behind the house. Loud screeching several nights a week. Keeping my chihaua and cat close to home now.
Matt, in reply to your question, the description does in fact sound like it was a Fisher. The only other animal that can remotely be confused with a Fisher Cat would be a Mink, but is smaller is stature. Mink are opportunistic predators but a Squirrel would have a fairly good chance of getting away. However, Fishers are excellent tree climbers and commonly prey on Squirrels. What state do you live in? In Maine, there is another species of weasel called a Pine Marten. Smaller than the Fisher, but tremendous tree climbers as well. They have not been documented in Mass. for quite some time.
I would definitely keep small pets indoors from dusk til dawn. Obviously, everyone knows how agile and quick cats are and still they are caught by these weasels. Keep in mind a lot of pets have been taken by Fox and Coyote only to be blamed by the Fisher Cat. Someone mentioned about kids possibly getting attacked. Only happened once here in Mass. Just tell your kids to not play in the woods. Animals should be the least of your worries…there are other predators out there if you know what I mean.
I came home late one night to Wareham ,MA and thought I heard a woman crying/screaming in the woods behind my house. I listened for a few minutes and thought it was a pack of coyotes back there. Until, my step son told me about the fishers coming around the neighborhood I had never even heard of these fishers! I guess it was’nt the coyotes afterall!!! I hate rodents types! Id’ rather the coyotes.
I heard my first fisher cat tonight ! That is a creepy sound. Very distinct sound…I googled fisher cat sounds and yup definately a fisher cat !! Now i guess we’ll keep an eye out for it ! -Wellington, Maine
I live in Southborough, MA and heard a Fisher cry for the firt time last night and thought it was a child or someone crying for help. We have several neighbors who have cats as pets, hope they take them in at night.
This morning my husband looked out in the backyard over the fenced in garden and there is a den dug in an old Wood Check hole. We live in a fairly close neighborhood and I’m surprised it would pick this area to make its den.
I thinik I will look twice when I come home late at night.
Yes, the Fisher has made it to the cape. I saw one last week, right in Provincetown, Ma off of Commercial street near the boatslip at about 2.30 in the morning.
Just saw my first Fisher yesterday while walking my three dogs in Thornton, NH. There is logging going on, I’m assuming it’s moving around in daylight due to the machinery invading it’s home. Of course all three of my dogs wanted to chase.
My dogs are 120 lbs, 130 lbs and 50 lbs, should I worry it will confront/stalk/attack us?
I just saw a fisher cat tis afternoon around 4pm. My husband and I were not even sure of what it was, so we just looked up various “catlike” creatures on line and we both identified it as the Fisher cat. The one I saw was larger than a cat, but smaller than an adult cyotte. It was all black, but it had 3 brown stripes or rings on it’s tail. The stripes on the tail threw me off a little, but after seeing pics, I am sure that I saw a fisher cat here in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
the fisher is alive and well in provincetown and has attacked a local domestic cat so much for not being seen on the cape.taxi driver also told me they spotted one on rt 6 near truro
I live in Warwick, RI and have not seen, however heard very “eerie” baby-like crys the past several nights btwn 2-4 am…Does anyone know how to keep them off or away from the property ??
I live in Middleboro near Rochester Mass. We raise chickens and were late locking them up for the night. I walked into the chicken coop as a fisher grabbed a young chicken by the neck and tried to take off with it. This one fisher managed to kill 2 large hens a bantam hen and 4 of her chicks. All while the other chickens were fast asleep. We never found five of them. This fisher was smaller than a cat and jet black. The scary thing is we never heard anything but a rustle in the coop with all the windows open in the house. Very disturbing as these are our pets. We also have cats and dogs and small children-We can’t go outside because the mosquito and deer ticks will kill us and now our animals have to be protected from these awful creatures.
I live in West Boylston, MA near the Wachusett reservoir and have grown up listening to fisher cats. They sometimes make a sound similiar to cats fighting, but they usually sound like a baby or a woman crying out loud. I’ve never had a problem with them as I know to keep my distance and keep pets inside at night. Use common sense and good judgement whenever you walk in the woods.
Live in Woonsocket, Rhode Island but backyard borders Massachusetts and heard the fisher cat today in broad daylight – other times only during the night. It is an awful screech. I fear for our small dog at times when she is out in the yard.
On Sunday morning Sept.26 I was a fishercat run acoss the side yard. It went down a banking then came back up and ran into the woods. The people across the street have cats and the fishercat was after them. The neighborhood has lost 7 or 8 cats this past year. This was at 10:00 in the morning. This is the first time we have ever seen a fishercat. This is in Maine.
For all of you complaining about the dangers to cats from fisher cats, keep your domestic cats indoors where they belong, try being a responsible pet owner for once in your life, it might save a domestic cat’s life!
Somerset MA. Last fall I saw what looked like a cute little black mink running across my Taunton River back yard. Unfortunately this year it appears to be a good size fisher cat. Just 2 nights ago we heard this awful screeching and my overweight cat is gone. Afterwards we saw only some white and gray hair and fisher cat paw prints on the dew covered deck. My cats were on the deck just outside the bedroom door. The others made it.
I am missing two cats, neighbors are missing two cats, my daughter in law is missing a cat and saw a fisher in her yard, right across the street from an elementary school! How much territory would one fisher cover? We’ve tried to trap it, no luck any ideas?
in Maine…..
If there was an ax murderer loose in your city, what would you do? I think I would keep my children inside or monitor their activites in the backyard while they play.
If there is a fisher who is looking for food in your area, keep your kitties INSIDE. Safety first!
really? so you wouldn’t try to catch the axe murderer? dumb response. outdoor cats need to be outside, and it’s impossible to monitor a cat when it’s outside. you can’t tell your cat to stay in the back yard. really dumb response.
Cats should not be outdoors.If they are pets! There are enough wild ones out there.Don’t contribute to the problem!
outdoor cats are not a problem dumb@$$ u cant just say well i know ur an outdoor cat but u can never go outside again just go online n order urself sum wolf urine wen u get it spray it aroun th edges of ur yard it will keep em away
I have two little barn kittens and we heard a fisher screech in the night. A fisher killed 7 of my friends cats and mauled one. I’m really worried for my kitties, what should I do?
We have a fisher cat that comes around in the autumn to hunt in our yard. I have had many encounters with it. We have the evergreen trees with the red berries that they love. I also have a plank bird feeder where it eats from. I can tell when he is around because you can smell a faint skunk smell. My dog has chased it up our pine trees on many occassions. It runs from our dog but I am concerned will it attack our dog eventually is my question. It is definately a fisher cat because I have seen it at least twice and have smelled it many many times.
Trapping Fishers: try using beef suet as bait
I’ve lived in Harpswell Maine for six years and never saw or heard from fishers until this year. Over the course of one week I observed two in broad daylight. I worry about these animals as we have two small (11 lbs) dogs which we let out regularly to ‘do their business’. We used to allow the dogs to wander around our thickly wooded property without a worry (they are smart dogs that never wander off). No more. We stand by the door and/or walk out into the yard with them now. We’re not taking any chances.
I have a suggestion on trapping: try baiting with beef suet. I came across Internet pictures of a fisher raiding a suet filled bird feeder. We used to have these feeders all around our property. No more. Occassionally the feeders would be torn out of the trees and found empty in the woods. I always figured it was the raccoons, but now I wonder. Also, since fishers eat rodents of all sorts, perhaps eliminating seed filled bird feeders will reduce the local population of chipmunks, mice and other moochers which attract the fishers to some properties.
Can Fischer cats bite rottweillers?
A rotti would kick it’s ass
I’m glad this site is here. However, Fisher are not second only to River Otter in size. Tayra, Wolvrine, Sea Otter, and Giant River Otter all commonly outweigh the Fisher.
There’s enough mis-information from the eager contributors in the comments section.
I live in North Grafton, MA. Yesterday afternoon around 3:30, a fisher ran out right in front of me while I was driving home on Wesson Street. It turned and walked quickly back down to the creek/woods. I pulled over to try to figure out what it was, because at first I thought it could be a raccoon, but it’s head was shaped like a weasel. It turned and stared at me before I drove on. It was suggested that it was a fisher, and after seeing the picture, I have no doubt at all that’s what it was.
I saw one this past weekend, coming out of a heavily wooded area. My reaction was the same as yours – what is that? I saw it on my way home, very near my
home in Thompson, CT on the Massachusetts state line. I looked it up and it
is a fisher cat that I saw.
we have spotted a fisher cat behind are neighborhood in a area of wet lands very heavily wooded lot of pine trees and water the scream it makes wow. who should we contact to have it trapped. we have seen it once but have herd it more than once probably 8 to 10 times through the summer at night. just spotted today 12/15/2010 thanks for any answers. we have 2 small dog should we not let them out in the yard unattended any more?
I saw my first fisher cat a couple of weeks ago in Quincy, crossing the Quincy Shore Drive and then lounging on the boardwalk of Wollaston Yacht Club (Wollaston beach). It was black, about a little over two feet long, long tail, and had a slender body like a weasel. I identified it by how it ran across the street and its slender body similar to a ferret. I tried to get close to it but noticed it didn’t fear me. Instead it looked more curious as it lifted it’s legs. I then backed off a bit, as I tried to get a video which was difficult due to the poor lighting on the beach at night. Eventually it jumped off the boardwalk and ran across the sand towards the water (perhaps looking for a treat). I was more surprised than anything to believe that such a reclusive creature like a fisher cat could inhabit a city beach with no forest regions in site. Has anyone else seen a fisher cat within this area or in a city like Quincy?
I’m sorry to hear about all the pet losses. I recently learned that there is a fisher cat in my area and my only consolation is that I keep my pets STRICTLY indoors, no matter what. I live in a wooded area and besides the fisher cat, there are are hawks and coyotes; I cannot imagine letting any of my pets outside. If you have a famliy pet, please keep them indoors or let them out only when you can be there and supervise. My condolences to all that have lost pets.
Cheryl, Eastern Mass
We lost 3 cats a rabbit and a large dog. But to be fair to the dog, it only had three legs and couldn’t defend itself well. I hate thinking of him hopping around for all he was worth right at the end…We shouldn’t have left tem unattended in fisher cat territory. We’re sorry Buttercup, Mittens, Miss Picklesworth, Fluffy, and Sparky. We also lost my uncle Henry but I guess I can’t blame that on the fisher cat.
I saw one the other day. It ran across the road in front of my car, went up a steep snow covered bank, and stopped to look back. It was fast but low to the ground. Its eyes gave an eerie reflection and there seemed to be blood smeared around his muzzle. Had it just eaten somebody else’s beloved pet? It looked evil and gave me chills as I drove off.
I’m taking no more chances. I park a little closer to the house and try only to go to and from the car during daylight hours. I also leave an extremely bright spotlight on for the occasion that I do arrive home after dark. The pepper spray also gives me an added sense of security.
So far my requests to the Department of Fish and Wildlife to have an open hunting season on fisher cats has fallen on def ears. How many more innocent lives will be lost before they see?
fishers are killing off lynx in maine at a rapid pace also bob cats look it up there a real pain and there numbers need to be reduced by any means
I’ve seen fisher cats from a distance only two times . I’m in Charlton and there’s fisher cat paw prints that I noticed today in my backyard and up my driveway. Its very easy to track today because of the snow, it had also urinated near a canoe I have in the back yard. I’m thinking it is either a fisher cat or a bob cat because of the similar paw prints left in the snow. My only concern is I have a small child ( who would never be outside alone) and my neighbor has 2-3 big outdoor cats. Does anyone want to trap it for me and bring it home? 🙂
I made a cat enclosure around my ground level deck last summer. Plastic poultry fencing, wire fencing, stockade fence on one side, special “pet grade” screen on the porch portion with wildlife netting over the top…all to keep my cats safe while enjoying the fresh air. It was meant to keep the cat’s in but I’m not sure if it will keep the fisher out. Last night I let the cat’s out. They like to sit on a shelf by the screened window of the porch. Right there sitting on the edge of the outside sill was a fisher! It seemed he was waiting for the cats to come out. He was not afraid of me at all. I was a foot away from him. He seemed almost cunning…that was the scary part. He did not attempt to strike the cat through the screen.He did not hiss or arch his back. He was just looking at us. I got a broom and pushed him off the edge of the window. He seemed to know exactly where the cat would be.Obviously he has been around and not noticed by me. I live in a very populated beach area in Niantic CT, however there are 35 acres of woods behind me. I’m wondering if that is the closest a human has ever gotten to a fisher. The site says they won’t dwell near humans, but he seemed rather comfortable with my presence, as if he already knew my smell. Pretty creepy if he has been lurking around. There is a german shephard next door who was tied out at the time. It wasn’t bothered by that either. Needless to say, the cats are not going out until spring when I can beef up the enclosure and put a more secure top on it. Does Will they dig under the part that is on the actual ground?
Good daylight Fisher siting in Foxboro, MA by person familiar with species. Noted dark brown/black, 18″ body with 18″ bushy tail, short legs did not sink into snow, no tracks visible. Was carrying furry object in its mouth. Siting verified by Wikipedia photograph.
House cats kill millions of song birds and other wild animals every year.
If you don’t want your cat or small dog to be eaten. KEEP THEM INSIDE!
It is a a gift to have wild animals around and see them. Truly exciting. Why is there the need to kill or trap? Trust me human beings have the market cornered in this country! And these few Fishers are not going to attack and kill anybody.
you’re a moron.
Trap them to relocate them!! I sure as hell don’t want one hanging around in my back yard! They are dangerous and I for one wouldn’t take a chance on being attacked while my dog is on a leash that is in my hand!
My house cat is about 20 lbs and about 3 feet long with very sharp claws. He is not fat at all, but very muscular. I feed him raw food. Anyway, I let him out and I stay with him. The other day about dusk I opened my front door and did not notice the fisher cat in my bushes, but my cat sensed him. The two of them went at it immediately and I am proud to say my cat fought off that fisher and kicked his butt. The fisher ran off howling in pain from the scratches and bites my cat inflicted on him.
When I was a kid, I had a fisher living in my tree house. That was in the middle of Manchester, NH; with only a few trees here and there!
I haven’t seen another since until tonight. I’m now in Camden Maine, I’ve only seen skunks and a few raccoon in my yard. It’s too bad that fishers are so vicious because they’re so cute!! I would totally have one as a pet.
We have also lost our 10 year old out door cat. He wasn’t happy in doors. I believe in the circle of life, but these coyotes and Fishers are becoming over populated. Why can’t we shoot them if on our property? While driving through Sudbury Ma into framingham 2/10/11 a large fisher cat ran in front of our car crossed the road it turned and gawked at us while showing some nasty teeth. I wonder how many there are in this area.
I live in Framingham and can hear these things screaching at night in the summer as i have a semi-wooded area in my backyard and lots of squirrells (s/p) for them to eat. never knew what they were until a few days ago, the noise used to creep ,e out as it sounds like a screaming child in the woods. and you cant shoot them in MA because the liberals will hang you out to dry.
5:00 pm – just saw a large fisher cat trot thru out backyard. We have seen many different prints on our walks in the woods. Thought they might be bobcats, but they could have possibly been the fisher. Standish, Maine
Recently my suet feeder disappeared. Then over the last 2 weeks, I’ve seen a fisher cat rambling through the woods in back of the house. And here I was blaming racoons (which I’ve never seen in the yard or woods). Waterford CT
Saw a fisher for the first time in our backyard this morning. Our neighborhood is full of dogs so I was surprised that it seemed so comfortable wandering through. We don’t get much wildlife in our neighborhood due to the large dog population on my street. My cats stay indoors but I’m concerned that it may attack my dog when she goes out. Any idea on how big an animal the fisher will attack? Charlton, MA
I took my dog out at midnight the other night and heard a strange screech from the woods. My first thought was maybe it was some sort of owl or bird , a few minutes later another screech began further out in the woods and the two were going back and forth . My dog , a pyrennes , is always barking at everything, I was surprised that this time he just stood there at attention , no barking at all , listening to these strange noises coming from the woods , perhaps as curious and puzzled as I was..
My Neighbor saw a fisher yesterday. Scared the crap out of him. We both have small dogs, so we are on the lookout. I know I am probably my own worst enemy, but I have suet feeders out and seed feeders. I will protect my pet as always. They never go out alone. But I do hope I see one. Maybe they will cut down on the squirrel population and save me on bird seed cost. Sorry to the people that have lost pets, But they are part of nature and should be protected. Living near the ocean, I find it kind of cool that they are here.
I was just wondering…is it possible for these animals to be in California? I have a neighbor and her husband who swear one was on their porch just the other night. I live in Trinity County (Lewiston, California) and as far as I know these creatures are not native to this area. (Or am I wrong?)
My Dog treed a Fisher on March 17th in Sudbury, MA. My dog was off leash in a wooded area where many people walk their dogs. The Fischer ran way up (about 50 feet) into a pine tree; thankfully, since I have no doubt that my dog would not have won any fight. This made me wonder if Fishers are as bold as the other postings say, why don’t they attack more often. Are they scared of people? My dog is 65 lbs but clearly not a threat to a wild cat with claws.
Also,this happened about 10:30 in the morning so I’m not sure I believe that Fishers are really nocturnal.
It’s a little before 9 AM, and I just saw a fisher cat cross the width of my backyard (there is a vernal pool/pond along the edge), go over the stone bridge & off through the woods. We have mallards that come every spring, and it looked like they were chasing the fisher cat b/c they swam after him in the water as he went on land! Too early for the ducks to have a nest with eggs yet.
Btw, I live in Mendon, MA.
I live in CT. last year my 4 lb yorkie ran outside with my other two small yorkies and ran behind the chicken coop. I bearly had my slippers on from the porch when I heard a horrible barking sound I moved closer to the coop and called my dogs to come back. I saw what looked like a fisher cat take off. My yorkie was gone and there is no other evidence that she was on my property. Fisher cats or horrible and I was told they will attach a human if your in their path. They dont have any natural preditors here in conn but I understand the state let loose four sets of mountain lion to take care of that. Wow they love to eat people!!!!
I live in Avon, Ct and went to let my dog out this morning, he is a shih-tsu, the neighbors cat was outside so I brought out some cat food, and then I saw what I thought might be a raccoon run across the street out of the woods and up a tree, he stayed there for a minute so I could now see that it was not a raccoon, the dog didn’t even notice, but the cat took off like a rocket after the fisher cat, luckily the fisher cat ran down the tree and back across the street into the woods, needless to say I will be telling my neighbor to keep her cats in the house for a while and will call Animal Control just to let them know there is a fisher cat in the area.
I drove past a fisher cat that had been struck off of 495 North from Lowell to Andover. I didn’t recognize it until one of my friends in work suggested it might be a fisher cat, and after looking it up, I can say yes it is. I believe it is close to Tewksbury.
We have seen a large fisher very close to our house the last four days. It appeared around 10:30 a.m. walking across our field. It then came right up to our house and hung out while our two cairn terriers barked at it madly from inside. It eventually slinked away but clearly was not at all put off by our dogs. Since that night I have seen it at 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.. I cannot keep our dogs inside all the time but I am not letting them out of my sight. I am very concerned for their safety as they only weigh about 18 pounds and being terriers will go after anything (even the coyotes that hang around here) not realizing the great danger they are in.
We believe we lost a Giant Peekin duck our pets for 4 years… yesterday to a fisher cat, it wounded one and the other just Disapeared. We have lost three cats in the past two years and just thought they wondered off…. I think we now know . My daughter his the large drainage pipe that drains under the road to our property, where we found all the feathers. and something echo….. growling from the pipe…. scared the pants off of her. Now she wont walk the dog after dark… Please can they be caught and how…. and is it legal to kill them in Massachusetts?
WE SAW THE FISHER CAT AND THE WORST THING HAPPENED THIS MORNING …MY DOG ALWAYS GOES IN THE MORNING AND SHE DOES HER BUSINESS AND ONE DAY SHE WENT TO THE WOODS AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK TWENTY MINUTES LATER SHE HAD A BITE ON HER LEG. WE TOOK HER TO THE VET AND THE LADY SAID SHE GOT BITTEN BY THE FISHER CAT:(…
5-9-11 We just saw a baby fisher that was on our back patio right close to the house. It ran along our house – it was so cute!!! We’ve seen larger fishers but I think what saw was a very rare sighting – especially right on our back door step.
May 14, 2011
7:30 pm
Just got back from walking my dog on a side road toward the beach in Madison, CT and what I thought was a muskrat crossed our path. My dog tried to run toward it and but the animal took off…thankfully. I came home and my wife suggested that maybe it was a fisher cat. Sure enough, we looked up pictures of fisher cats online and it was most definitely a fisher cat. Another neighbor had reported seeing one in our neighborhood last year about this time.
Fisher cat sighted in Thompson, CT on the MA state line this weekend, coming from a heavily wooded area, headed toward (my!) house.
I live in Asheville NC. I saw 2 fisher cats in large suburb near a busy street and several schools. There are no woods nearby, this is a heavily populated area. We were woken up at 5am from what we thought was a woman screaming in the front yard, but it was 2 fishers walking in the street out in the open with no woods nearby screeching. Our cat has very large puncture wounds in his head from an unknown attack. Originally we suspected it was a fight from another cat but now we are wondering of these animals had something to do with it. I had no idea that these fishers even existed until this siting. We had to look it up on the internet to find out what we were seeing. These animals are very scary and I am curious to know why they are so far down south if they are native to the northern part of the US and Canada. They are apparently breeding since there are 2 and seen together. Anyone ever seen one this far south?
Is anything out there to keep Fisher Cats away? Once source told me to sprinkle human hair around your property. My Salon is collecting it for me now. I was also wondering (sounds sick) if human urine would work. Will have to hire some men to do their business in my back yard. Do they bottle Dog Urine?
If you do not own a hunting rifle, and want to get rid of a fisher, consider buying yourself one. Any animal that causes damage to your property or threatens the lives of your pets is legal to kill as long as it is not a protected species. Trapping is an option.
Just spotted one in my yard in Chester, Ct
We just saw a fisher crossing Prospect street in Frankin. There are lots of woods here. We’ll be keeping the cat indoors at night for now.
I’d never heard of an animal called a Fisher until today. This morning, just at dawn, I was walking our new 5lb rescue poodle (who apparently can’t wait until daylight to go), and came within ten feet of this weird, scary looking brown animal low to the ground. It was still quite dark outside that I was walking down to the part of the street that had streetlights and fortunately I noticed it. Later this morning I searched the web and recognize the pictures on Wikipedia. Even though it was a small animal it actually frightened me by the way it was just looking at me like it was trying to decide if it should attack us. I pulled back the dog (who hadn’t even noticed it) and walked away as fast as I could, turning back to watch it. It stayed there for awhile, never taking its eyes off us, then finally went into the woods. Our street runs along the Farmington River and a bike trail so there’s quite a bit of surrounding woods where we live (Farmington, CT). I’m definitely calling Animal Control next just to report the sighting. And I’m not going to walk the dog in such low-light, predawn conditions. By the way, for those of you who’ve commented on how to get rid of the Fishers in your area, we just ordered a product called “The Guardian” – it’s a product that uses high pitched sound frequency to discourage outside pests. Supposedly you can set the frequency to a certain range to ward off certain pests/animals. We’re buying it to try and discourage the squirrels from the yard, but perhaps it can be “set” for Fisher!
seen 2 nights in a row a fisher cat right on water street… my cat was guarding the property! it mustve been a you ng fisher cat as my cat survived this but again another night the fisher came back now i think my cats are beeing stalked as well as my property.. any suggestions on how to get rid of them how big of trap do i get? thanks
sorry in wakefield
Heard a fisher cat screeching out front tonight in my berry bushes around dusk, didn’t know what the heck was making that sound, so I got in there with him and my cat comes running out stinking to high heaven! He’s played with the red foxes in the back yard, and got them barking at him, but this thing scares me. Now I know why all my wild turkeys are gone…
p.s. this is in Plymouth CT
My lovely cat got eaten by a fisher cat. My son discovered the body. We burried her in our yard. We know it was a fisher cat because my husband saw one a couple of months back and I smelled this musky skunk smell the previous day in the early morning. My chickens were making a racket at dawn, I went out with my dog to scare whatever was making them make such a noise away and smelled what I thought was a beginning of a skunk smell. I called my dog in (she was very interested in something) and hoped she did not get sprayed. I didn’t realize my wonderful cat was out.
Now we are left with the thought that that thing is out there. My chickens, dog and other (inside) cat are not as safe, as I once thought. We like to let our chickens out into a pen with our dog guarding. Our cat also enjoys going out sometimes while I am gardening. She stays relatively near me and always comes in when I am ready.
There are no squirrels or bunnies can be seen or heard any more. It just doesn’t seem right.
Diana…. You are in Wakefield? We are neighbors. I ….we, are considering our options here, too. Lost our girl only this week.
I live in Stephentown, NY right along the Berkshires so I am used to seeing weird animals or evidence that animals have been around. I hike my dogs every morning along a path through dense woods and was caught off guard when I saw a Fisher cat this morning. My dogs immediately ran it up a tree and it stayed up there looking down at us. I think he was more scared of us than anything else. Earlier this year my dogs had to get porcupine quills pulled out of their muzzles, so if the Fisher eats the porcupine and is scared of the dogs, hopefully we can all coexist happily.
you can order wolf urine online if you do spray it on outside edges of your yard and it should keep the fisher cats away your cats might smell this as well and they might not stray as far out if you do in fact have outside cats…good luck hope it works for you and keeps your animals safe
New Milford, CT. My wife woke up to horrible screeching months back and then we both woke up at 3 am this morning to it. It was right out back of our house and while I can’t see the animal, hearing clips of a fisher cat makes me believe that was it. We have a 90 pound dog, who is not left outside unattended, and I always go outside with my dog at night for the final pit stop of the night so am not too worried about any encounters there but what a way to wake up! They certainly make a horrific sound! Sorry to read about all of your losses and hope to not hear of any others…
Came home one night last week from work to twelve dead chickens scattered all over the yard first thought was a coyote cause the coupe was all tore up but freinds insisted it was a fisher cause the coyote would hae eaten the chickens ,ollie our Rooster survived this terrible battle .
Most of the sounds I’ve heard attributed to fisher cats are actually those of a red fox. Check out this YouTube video of a red fox making just those screeching calls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1mAd77Hr4 Also, I used to raise ducks and although fishers were possibly one of the culprits who decimated my flock of ducks, the majority of my ducks were taken by foxes and raccoons and also sometimes opossums. Raccoons will kill the chickens or ducks, eviscerate them and just leave the carcasses — fishers, foxes or coyotes wouldn’t do that. They take their kill away with them. Fishers also prefer to live in the woods, where there’s lots of cover, so I tend to think that they get blamed for many domestic animal kills that are really attributable to foxes or coyotes. Also, if you are in great horned owl territory and your cats are out at night – those owls have been known to take cats, too. And just because an animal is elusive and secretive (such as the fisher or a great horned owl) doesn’t make it “evil” and in need to be killed. Come on! We humans are wrecking the planet and killing off animal species, not the fisher cats!
Thank you Tina. You said what I was about to. A great Horned Owl ate one of my neighbor’s terriers. This think was a good 3 feet tall! When people think they are hearing fishers scream, they are actually hearing their VICTIMS, usually in those cases foxes, screaming. Think about it. Who has more reason to scream? Predator or prey… #exactly
While mountain biking in F gilbert Hills IN foxboroug Sunday morning around 8am my brother and friend and I saw a fisher it was the first time I’ve seen one was not surewhat is was at first it was pretty big cool to see.
I recenly lost my cat of 6 years. I was dead sure when I found his fur up the street in a nabiors front yard, that a coyote got him. They have dens close to our house and they walk in packs right down the street infront of your face. Although, when I found my cats back leg and head half barried down a path into the woods behind the nabiors house. I relized living on cape cod mass my whole life that a coyote would never leave anything behind. Hear you guys says whole chickens were left and reading the info on fisher cats really makes me think thats the animal that cought him. My cat did not diserve to die like that and any advice or info anyone has for me, I would really love to make sure it was indeed a fisher cat and next I need to find out how to kill it before it gets the last two cats I have out of 8. 🙁 HELP!!!!!!
How about you stop being selfish and leaving the natural wildlife alone! You are right your cat didn’t deserve to die in violence. How are you any better saying you want to kill an animal for doing only what it knows to do? Take better care of your animals and take some responsibility before starting a witch hunt for wildlife that belongs here!
Hi,
I’ve had cats all my life and lived in wooded areas of CT, never had a problem with a cat going missing because they are INDOOR all the time. Easy solution to your problem. Keeps your cats safe healthy and clean, keeps the cats from killing song birds (big problem in song bird numbers declining) and keeps our last few prdators safe from irate pet owners 🙂
Keeping cats inside away from fishers is a great idea- but I have chickens, ducks, turkeys, pheasants and peacocks and this morning there were two fishers in my barnyard. in the fenced in area. They dug a hole under my fence. Gone before I could get out there but if I see them again, they will be destroyed. Sorry to offend anyone but these animals are aggressive towards humans as well. I’m not keeping my family locked in the house on our 115 acre farm.
I totally agree with you, Janice. They are badgers and kill everything they can. They creep me out and I am frightened to death of them. I had one in my back yard, 12 miles west of Boston. They are ugly and I wish they would all go live in the Rocky Mountains where they belong.
well Kristina if you continue to let your cats outside ,coyote, fisher cats, cars and people will kill them. I don’t care if you are on large amounts of acres they are prey to both coyotes and fisher cats. Coyotes like to eat their prey alive, usually by breaking a cats back legs so it can’t run or it will shake it and break it’s neck. Do right by your cats and keep them indoors, I have 5 and I do no problem. Only two left out of eight…why do you keep letting them out??????
A coyote would never leave anything behind? Absolutely not so. We have had coyotes prey on our sheep. I have seen dead sheep with nothing but their udders and bellies ripped open, and the entire rest of the carcass left.
First, you’re messing with wildlife. You are killing birds and these fishers are doing what evolution is telling them to do. Stop being so selfish. And fishers aren’t vicious Janice. I get that they are attacking your animals so replace the fences and make sure they go at least a foot deep. And I live right next to a greenbelt with a stream and a forest and we have had fishers for years. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, turkeys by the dozen and a great habitat for them. We have not had any problems. My neighbors teacup chihuahua is walked off leash in the woods for years. I go down there so many days I can’t count and haven’t even seen them. They aren’t a problem so let them live. You are a selfish, uneducated fool if you think that they are a threat.
I live in Conn and I was told that there is fisher cats out here. But I have not seen one yet. I want to know is will a fisher cat eat my small dogs. and I’m not that good with the computer so I don’t know the website. Griswold conn.
Yes ! Do not let your dog out without being on a leash.
A great Horned Owl will for sure. As a snack! Keep the dogs in between dusk and dawn! I have a neighbor who lost a dog to one. The hunt in monogamous pairs.
+they, sorry.
Did they have spelling in your school. Buy the way killing is what this animal does so how can you blame the animal for doing what it does naturally. Now you want to kill it. How does that make you different from the animal you want to kill?
Grammar in your school?
Fishers prefer to live in the woods, where there’s lots of cover, so I tend to think that they get blamed for many domestic animal kills that are really attributable to foxes or coyotes (who love to eat cats). Also, if you are in great horned owl territory and your cats are out at night – those big owls have been known to take cats, too. And just because an animal is elusive and secretive (such as the fisher or a great horned owl) doesn’t make it “evil” and in need to be killed. Come on! We humans are wrecking the planet and killing off animal species, not the fisher cats!
Best advice? Keep your animals inside at the very least, at night.
Its not the first time to see them in Middlefield Connecticut. This morning was right next to my patio, I thought he came for my 2 little cat but no. there still here
We live on an island in maine. I went to your website because a neighbor has recently seen a fisher cat. I’ll add my story to your collection. About 5 years ago, at 3:00am, I was awakened by the blood-curdling scream of a woman being murdered downstairs in the living room. I sat bolt-upright in bed. I’m sure my hair was standing on end. My heart was pounding and I figured I was the next victim to be killed. A few seconds later the scream happened again. That time I could tell that it was outside, not in, and on my back porch. It screamed every 15-20 seconds as it made it’s way down the yard to the beach. The next day someone suggested that it may have been a fisher. What a terrifying experience! I hope I never see the creature that made that noise. It was louder and more human-like than the examples on your website. It is reassuring to know that I’m not the only person to hear the horrible cry of the fisher. It was in April.
Great story and a great image in my had of a woman sitting straight up in bed at the sound of the cries downstairs. When I lived in Maine (Mount Desert Island), I used to hear them too. Creepy. Also had a Bobcat walk through the yard, right on the beach, damn near had a heart attack. Wicked frightening. I hope you are sleeping better these summer nights.
Sure it wasn’t the animal actually being killed that was doing the blood curdling screaming? Honestly, wouldn’t THAT make just a bit more sense?
There is pair of Fishers that I’ve seen and that make themselves heard daily around the house here in central KY. They’re not the first seen in Shelby Co. When I first heard them I thought it sounded like a sasquatch getting raped. Just thought I’d toss in this note, seeing as it seems to be a little out of their reported range. btw- Nice page ya got here.
Im curious to know how you would know what a sasquatch getting raped sounds like! lol
Saw my first fisher walking atop one of the stone walls that border my property in High Falls, N.Y. It was about 11:30 am and his/her coat was stunning!
last night ( march 25 2012 ) as i was laying in bed around 11:30 p.m. i heard this blood curdling scream comming from my neighbors back yard. it sounded like a smaller animal ( maybe a rabbit ) and it was screaming like it was in severe pain, and i also heard another animals sound that sounded like it was growling and it snorted also. it was going on for at least 7 min. and so i opened my window and made a very loud sound and all of a sudden i didn’t hear any noises. it was so loud, i was so creeped out that it was hard to sleep. so the next morning, i looked over into my neighbors yard and didn’t see anything, but couldn’t see the whole yard either.
i saw a fisher cat in maine in somebody backyard. it was walking toward the woods and when it looked at me it had really sharp teeth…….then i ran for my life.
Well for the last week, I have been hearing screeching noises and told my husband that it must be the foxes out again. But he just told me that guys from work said it is more like a fisher cat out there. I am freaked out because a lot of ppl in my neighborhood have small dogs and there are stray cats roaming around at night and I fear for them. Hoping the cats find a good hiding place and not get caught. I don’t let my dogs out back at night anymore for their last run of the nite so I have to take them out on a leash in the front yard where there is light, and keep my eyes open. We had baby foxes out last year on our street so I just assumed it was them because they had the same “bark”. I guess it’s time to call the town to report this. They will probably trap and relocate.
Why do you need to call the town? Leave them alone. They will not relocate, they probably will kill them. Keep your animals inside!!!! If you allow them outside then they are wild, and wild animals fight for there lifes all the time. Thats normal, chain of life.
two months ago i awoke about 4 am to a horrible noise that sounded like an animal being killed. i live in a suburban fairly densely populated area. i had forgotten about it until this morning when i heard the noise again but much closer. i looked out the back window and yelled “hey!”. a fisher cat jumped from a fur tree and ran off at top speed. of note, there have been an increasing number of “lost cat” signs in the grocery store. i was unhappy to read that these animals are not just nocturnal. i guess all cats will all need to become indoor cats.
We have them in Arlington MA near Whipple Hill. Heard that awful screech for a couple nights, then found what looked like a Fisher dead in the back yard. I think a pair of foxes raising kits under the neighbors shed may have taken it out.
we have them in wellfleet mass and the sreech woke me out of a sound sleep
In Ohio, heard one and so did my mom and sister. Thought it was just some creepy cat but I listened to the clip and determined that this was it! So creepy.
I wanted to know more about Fishers. So I went online, I found this wedsite. I heard a fisher about 2 years ago, and heard it again this week and I wanted to know more about then. We sew foot prints right by the river we live on. and just this Saturday one of are chickens where killed and I read the comment about Larry’s chickens and it was the same thing, a fox would of eaten the chicken. I think the fisher got her.
June1, 2012
I was woke up at 4:30 am to what I thought was a cat fight right under my open window.
It was a neighbors cat and at first I thought it was a raccoon but now that I did some research I know it was a fisher cat. I had never seen one before. It was viciously attacking and had the cat down and was biting at the cats hind end and legs. I was trying to scare it away without going outside and it finally left. The cat had many puncture wounds but lived.
I hope to never see that again.
where
Rutland Ma. I saw a fisher cat from my second floor window on June 9 2012 at 4Am.Today June11 2012 at7.32PM i heard the scream went out back saw my cat and a fisher cat 20 feet apart the fisher cat looked up at me and slowly walked into the brush. I went down and retrieved my cat. [time to keep cat in ] Is there any way to scare off them?
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Tonight we had a terrifying incident, does this sounds like a fisher attack? we have a 5-10lb poodle, who was outside one last time and I left for two minutes and herd a horrible yelp! we looked for hours for her but could not find her. we have fishers in our yard at night trying to or eating our garbage, this one didnt seem big and hasnt got our cat, or our boarder collie. do you think this could have been a fisher attack? would we have seen drag marks? how does it kill its prey?
One of our silky chickens was taken today. She had been sitting on an egg in her coop for about 2 weeks. The coop is in an enclosure that has a shingled roof and chicken wire around it and shared with her buddy Henry. Around 6 p.m. we noticed an abundance of feathers inside their enclosure and Tameeka was gone. There was a vary small section pulled apart & where feathers were stuck to. We looked up on top of the roof to find it covered with feathers and what was left of Tameeka. Her head & neck were gone & she was gutted. We are heart broken; poor Henry. Another area attached housed another rooster who must also be traumatized. Our other chickens have been kept in the barn (normally free range by day) but one month to the day, we lost 3 chickens during the day. Another rooster the week before…. Another chicken before…… In all the years we’ve had chickens, we never had these losses. And they were all taken during the day. I plan on setting a trap tomorrow.
Like many of you, I had heard people talk about fisher cats but thought they were just wild cats until I told a good friend what I had seen. She told me it was probably a fisher cat ‘cuz it did look like a weasel. It was walking along my property line, backyard, in the a.m. It really took me by surprise as I had never seen one before. I shall keep a better eye on my “macho poodle” when he goes out to check things out and do his business!!!
We live in Maine about 5 miles from town. About 2 weeks ago, I awoke in the middle of the night at 4:30 am. I sleep right next to an open window, and when I looked out, I saw something that was so weird looking that I thought I was in a dream. I’m no expert in wild-life, but I knew this was something different. After researching, I discovered it was a Fishercat. I watched it for awhile. It knew I was in the window, but didn’t seem bothered by it. It stayed in the same spot for abut 15 min, and then moved about 5 feet and was licking the bottom of a tree trunk, then moved back to the very spot it was in before. It didn’t make any noise at all. I looked the next day, but there wasn’t any carcass left. Someone thought it may have been eating grubs. I tried to take a picture, but when I came back from getting my camera it was gone. Two nights ago, my daughter saw it jumping my rock wall into the street about 11:00 pm. Last night, I took our Cocker Spaniel out for the last time of the night, about 11:00 pm. It is very dark out there and I was very uneasy being there. I quickly went back into the house. A few minutes later, I was standing in front of my kitchen windows, which were open, and I heard growling. I quickly closed and locked my doors. It made me very nervous. We do not have any cats, but there are some roaming wild in the neighborhood. I don’t know what the attraction is on my property, except maybe our Cocker, but she is never outside alone. I think a Cocker is probably too big for them to handle, although I don’t know that for sure. Gives me the creeps.
I’m glad to finally learn what’s been making the horrible (and scary!) noise in the hilly, wooded land behind my Cheshire, CT, home! Wow! Even my (indoor) cat sits bolt upright when he hears that fisher out back! I can hear him screaming loudly as he passes behind my house…same path every two or three nights or so. Two nights ago I shined a flashlight into the woods to try and get a glimpse of it. The underbrush was too thick to see the creature, but it sounded like it was only about 20 feet from the back door. My way of composting is to just throw all my peelings and rinds, overripe fruit, etc. up into the woods, so maybe that’s what attracted it.
sitting on my deck a chipmunk came running but followed weasal looking criter, found out later it was a fisher cat! quaker hill ct 7-24-13
You can try wolf or mountian lion urine. Both should be available at you local garden center, or online. Honestly we can’t expect wild life not to do what they do. Kill to eat and or defend their domain. The only way to not be victim to the food chain is be higher up on the food chain. Get a big dog, over 40 lbs. And the fisher cats, coyottes, as well as other varmits will vacate the area. Howerver, the wolves, larger cats, and bears will still be around. Sorry mother nature can’t be outsmarted for mans covieance.
Last time we tried that we almost eraticated the wolf. Don’t underestimate the value of large pretatory animals. Think safty first and everyone will coexist.
i lost 2 cats within 1 mont i thought fisher cats didnt eaT CATSh
Is it possible there are fisher cats in the Atlanta, Georgia area? I thought we had foxes screaming, too, but it sounds like it is coming from up in the trees. And supposedly red foxes don’t climb. It might be baby horned owls, too, but the sound is really just the screech at fairly regular intervals, no chirping or other bird-like notes to it. We regularly hear the adult horned owl.
I live in the panhandle of West Virginia where fishers have been reintroduced.
2 days ago, 21 Aug 2012, I was rushed by a very large fisher cat that was on top of my car, it came within 6 feet of me before it bolted into the woods! It was so incredibly fast!!! And I should say that other than the springs on the car giving way as it crept from the roof to the hood of my car, in the darkness in all other respects it was absolutely silent! It had been previously spooked by our neighbor, thus why the fisher was up there in the first place. Our neighbor had all his lights on, he was out with a big flashlight in his front yard, and looked nervous himself! He definitely saw it too.
What was so unnerving about this creature was that I felt that it was hunting ME. I’ve been in wilderness areas all over the country where I often get what I call the predator prickle! It was pitch dark in the corner in front of the car, and I carried a dim footlight over to plant in a garden bed, which required crouching on the ground next to the chainlink corner that bounds my yard. The car was 15 feet from my crouched figure. My neighbor was in his yard, looking in my direction, it was 9pm and dark: I called out to my neighbor to let him know I was out there, because he looked nervous. As I sat on the ground next to the garden, it was then I heard the sound from on top of the car! I have to say, it was moving around like a very small cougar on my car! At first I thought it was a person stalking me, it sounded just like that! I stood up slowly, and called out to my car, thinking it surely was just the neighborhood kids…or maybe a werewolf 🙂 but then I was suddenly rushed to within six feet and see what seemed to be black shaggy hunched back (medium dog size) whiz silently by my legs, veering at the very last minute, crossing our neighbors lawn in a beeline for the woods, and I’d say it was running 30 mph and silently at that! I have a greyhound, and it makes very audible footfalls when it runs! This made absolutely no sound on the ground! I immediately called the police who spotlighted around the neighborhood, and we found fisher prints on my car the next day!
Some other neighbors have small children and loose outdoor cats and small dogs in outdoor kennnels, and I fear for their safety. I now keep a can of pepper spray with me!
Hi, I live in East Prov RI, I have heard a few people say they saw a fisher cat in the neighborhood, I have never seen or hear it. I have a small dog, so needless to say I am always very alert when I take him out later in the day, and evening. I have also bought Pepper spray “in case” anything ever attempts to attack my dog. When I go in my yard, I also have a blackjack type stick I take with me. I have heard such horror stoies about small animals being mauled, killed.
I have also heard that Bobcats are all over in Jamestown. Deer are being seen all over the place. These poor animals are SO confused.
I believe all animals have the right to survive, and need to eat, however they are NOT going to get my baby. We have to be very careful of our pets, you luv them, keep them in eyesight by your side all the time.
There has to be a reason why they have migrated to rural areas, Could it be their homes in the woods are all being distroyed and built on? This is why we have coyetes & fox in rural areas, they have to have someplace to live, mate, eat. None of this is the fault of these Poor Critters, they are doing what they have to do to survive, as they have always done, it’s their instinct. We have to adjust to it and take every procaution to protect our animals, and children.
We can thank the Large Developers, the ones that clear out their homes [Woods] then build to fill their pockets, never worring about where the critters that live there will go, or what they will do for food, nor do they appear to care. They leave us to deal with it.
I believe I have said enough.
I have had almost 80 chickens taken this year due to predators, 75 have been from fisher cats. I understand the food chain and I don’t mind when a fox, hawk, or coyote take my chickens, I know they have eaten the bird or at least brought it back to their dens, what I can’t stand about the fisher cat is that when it kills it seems to just do it for fun. Just today I had to clean up 30 chickens from my pasture, why can’t the damn fisher just eat the whole bird? Not just bite its neck.
I’m not sure how I will handle this fisher, I have thought about this problem for a while now, most of the old timers just say shoot the damn thing, but I understand its role in nature, but I swear its killing my birds for fun, and if its for fun then that isn’t natural and I will have to protect my flocks.
Any advice would be welcomed with open arms.
Signed,
A Student of the Earth.
HOW ARE YOU SURE THE CHICKEN KILLER IS A FISHER?
ISN’T THIS TYPE OF MASS KILLING THE M.O. OF WEASELS?
OUT HERE IN THE WEST, WOLVES ARE ACCUSED OF MASS KILLING.
FERAL DOGS AND HOUSE DOG PACKS RUN DOWN DEER HERE.
Steward –
You are a farmer (of chickens at least), your responsibility is to your captive birds. You are 80+ birds down. No offense, but this is not living up to that responsibility. You can try live cage traps, but I’ve never had any luck with them (all sorts of bait), fishers are just too damn smart for them generally. In my opinion, you have no choice but to shoot the fisher, or have someone do it for you. Leg traps work, but are repugnant, even to me. Just park a chair and a thermos of coffee out by the coop for a few nights and get it done.
I would like to add my terifiing experience last night at appr 6pm i let my dogs out went to get the bowls to feed them as ive been doing for the past 6yrs i went to fix their bowl of food 15min later i went to bring the food out when i spotted my little leah lying helpless on the ground still breathing with her neck so badly torn apart we had to put her to sleep i had no idea what did this but now i know.
DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE?
read the article in projo dated 10/1/2012. a woman was attacked in her yard at 3:30 in the afternoon by a fisher. at first the fisher went for her 120 lb. dog. the womas got between them . she was in hospital several days. this happened in lincoln, rhode island. i am relieved to here that there is a fox and 3 babies living under a shed 2 houses away from me. i am much more scared of fishers. hope it is fox i been hearing at night. melody
Last night I heard several Fisher Cats in the field behind my home -Lakes Region of NH. I heard their noise over the sound of the TV, with my windows closed. I went to the back deck and yelled at them, not even knowing it was Fisher Cats…..When my husband came home, they had already gone deeper into the woods. I did hear Fisher Cats screeching about 25 years ago when we lived in Southern NH…I was wondering if anyone knew if this was their breeding season, how long they carry, if they are like bears and the embryo lay dormant until spring? I cannot find this information online….any suggestions?
While I was living in Portsmouth, NH, and my property abutted the airport and woods, I was walking my dog one night and heard the blood-curdling screech of a fisher. At first I thought something was being killed in the woods, but someone told me that a fisher makes that awful noise to stun its prey. One day a few years later, I went out to water my garden and I noticed something dark in my dog’s pen. I walked cautiously over to it and saw a baby fisher dead. His head was lying in one of the triangles so I thought that maybe he strangled himself, but when the wildlife guys showed up to collect him, that didn’t seem to be the case. I don’t know what he died of because he actually looked like he was a healthy baby (while alive). When my cat got locked in my neighbors garage for a week, I thought that maybe a fisher had gotten him, but my cat showed up when they opened their garage door. Unfortunately I am living in Maine now and my cat escaped near the vet’s office in an unfamiliar area, “displaced” is the term they use, and there is a lot of wooded areas and I fear for his life as he was only 3 miles from home and hasn’t showed up for a month. Some cats have a homing instinct, but I’ve tried all the methods for catching him with no luck so far. I keep hoping I find him.
I heard that horrible sound tonight! After researching its a fisher cat. I’d like to know if it will hurt a human being? My mother who is almost ninety insists on walking her little dog down the block now I’m worried.
I did see one of these in Brewster, on Cape Cod, toward late afternoon, in 2004.
They’re on Cape Cod – my sister lives in Mashpee and saw two in her back yard last week.
When are humans going to realize that if they live in an area where fishers live and they let there cat(s) or small dogs out to run free they are asking for there pets to be placed in a shoe box and be buried in the back yard. Grow up people watch your pets when you let them out if you are to busy to watch them maybe you should not have them. the fishers were here first not your cat
my cat was making a rucus one night, went out to see what all the noise was about, found my cat trapped in a tree by one these devils. To solve the problem I gave him gymnastics lesson with my 12 guage. This method worked me out here in Arkansas, may not work for you depending on where you live.
I’m sorry but these things are horrible and their numbers need to be brought down. I WILL SHOOT ONE ON SITE!!!! They have taken several of my cats and I do not care for a creature such as this. I live in NH, we have bears, grey foxes and racoons all the time in our yard (and before you ask it is not the grey foxes that are doing it). I have one cat that was attacked twice and lived and have lost a couple others. And yes I do keep my cats in at night but you know how cats are, they are smart and know you are going to keep them in so they stay out. And what the hell is wrong with porcupines? (and before you go crazy with porcupines have done this or hurt that, STFU!!!!!) What need’s to be developed is a spray or sound that will keep these fishers away. But so far nothing, so if you want people like me to stop praying for their eradication better come up with a good way to keep them away from my property!
And so are you.. A loud mouth with a weapon.. Take away the weapon and fight like a man. I’d pay to see that, you tool..
Nice work Hutch!
I live in Centerville on Cape Cod. There are Fisher Cats on Cape Cod! I had lived in Maine near the Saco River in 2005 when I became familiar with Fisher Cats who frequented my backyard. When I moved back to the Cape Cod I was staying at my parents home on Scudder Bay, we saw Fisher Cats on a couple of occaisions last Summer (2012). The three domestic cats we had growing up were likely killed by Fisher cats, which were sighted only in the dark or very early hours. coyotes and racoons have come and gone also could explain the death of our cats. But the bounding leaps of a fisher cat traversing open land is unmistakeable. I have yet to hear the famous screech.
Fishers love domestic cats!
i feel fischer cats should be destroyed all together the are a danger to domestic animals they eat the small animals and leave no trace of it all i hate fishcer catsget rid of them completely a fishcer cats hater
I had never heard of a fisher cat until yesterday when a neighbor told me she had seen one. I was thinking some kind of a cat. I live in southeastern CT. About a year ago a friend had one of my dogs out side and when the dog started barking there was a terrible schreech in the woods. I heard it a couple of nights later but, we never found out what it was and we have never heard it again. We were thinking along the lines of a bob cat which I have been told are native to CT. We live in a wooded area and have a whole parate of wild animals walking around here, so nothing would surprise me.
I live in North Mississippi, close to Memphis. My family and I have heard these cries at night around 8:30pm and they last several hours… the sound is exactly what I’ve heard in many videos. Recently the cry has been answered by a second of the same type. The cats aren’t indigenous to the area, so I’m puzzled. Anyone in this area heard one of these recently? My neighbor spotted the animal which allowed us to finally pinpoint what it was.
You see a fisher you kill it. They re useless
So are you..
Anonymous. I hope you come face to face with a big fat mean Fisher one day soon and he enjoys scaring the crap out of you. Then he east his lunch…mmmmmmmmmmm !!! Taste like Lobster…oh wait it’s Anonymous !
Just opened my garage door to be greeted by a fishercat who was rooting through our garbage cans. It was huge!
Just watched a fisher cat chase a squirrel to the top of a white pine tree. Never realized they were so fast and could jump from tree to tree. Fortunately the squirrel escaped.
My daughter spotted a fisher cat today. We have 6 acres, heavily wooded. She thought it was a brown ferret. I have a huge number of chipmunks and rabbits. Any suggestions on how to keep the fisher away? Our cats are in, our dogs will be supervised, our wild happy creatures are fair game….sad. I hope it moves on quickly.
Well,
You rail about protecting the fisher cats, want cats kept indoors because they kill birds. Are not the cats hunters just like the fisher cats? I don’t get your two sets of standards.
B
Some people “do not” let their cats out; the cats sneak out the door. I had a cat that was with me for about a year and a half; she was a senior kitty. She showed very little interest in the door at all. One day she decided to dart out the door…..we looked for her all summer…I later found out that a fisher had ripped her apart. She was an “indoor only” cat. It was horrible to learn of this. Come to find out, people had seen her but did not know that she belonged to me (although I did all the necessary posting, e-mails to neighbors, posting on neighborhood websites, etc…) and so she was less than an eight of a mile from me when the fisher got her. A neighbor buried her. I later found out how my cats had died. People have been seeing fishers around our area for quite some time. Sometimes it’s not the people’s fault for letting their cats out, their cats “escape.”
Cat owners have a easy remedy for containing their cats. We have used a boundry collar for our elderly cat. The collar contained a battery which gave a sligh shock when this cat went near a portable device not far from the front door. Then the device was moved to other doors. The cat soon learned to stay away from the doors. We even tried keeping the cat out of the entrance to our living room and that Los worked. There is no need to hold your cat near the device because they learn to avoid those areas pretty quickly. Another important consideration is if you want to allow your cat outdoors. You can limit a small area around your house so that you can observe your cat when you are home. We also use boundry collars for our dogs. The underground wire that is set for your cat is of a different frequency then the wires used for dogs and our dogs never feel a shock when they walk over the wire
Used for cats. I hope that this is helpful. We use Boundaries For Pets, Salisbury, Ct. Also, GPS devises are used for finding cats and dogs.
Indoor cats seldom want to go out, if ever. Our indoor cat never went out from babyhood onwards and would back away from an open door as if the larger world was too dangerous to go out into. Otoh, we had a feral cat who wanted to be outside all the time. Not really a whole lot you can do. An electronic collar will just hang them to death. Most outdoor cats get pretty wise fairly quickly about how to survive in the real world. We had a fox family once that adopted our backyard due to the birds and birdseeds. The big tom cat had a “consultation” with mommy fox and that was it. They left the cat alone and vice-a-versa.
Are there any reports of them in SW Florida. We are not sure what we are seeing We are finding excrement on our lawn and not sure what is doing it
10 chickens killed in Guilford, CT last evening by a fisher cat.
As of August, 2018, a Fisher cat has taken up residence in CENTERVILLE,MA, on Cape Cod, and has been seen by many neighborhood residents. The Fisher runs through our front yards at about 10:00 a.m and has been seen at about 8:30 p.m., running up the street. He lives in some woods behind a residential home. This neighborhood is thickly populated, and we are all very surprised to see him in our front yards!
As of August, 2018, a Fisher cat has taken up residence in CENTERVILLE,MA, on Cape Cod, and has been seen by many neighborhood residents. The Fisher runs through our front yards at about 10:00 a.m and has been seen at about 8:30 p.m., running up the street. He lives in some woods behind a residential home. This neighborhood is thickly populated, and we are all very surprised to see him in our front yards!
FISHER IN BRISTOL RI NEIGHBORHOOD THIS MORNING
IS IT STILL THERE?! LIZ ARE YOU OKAY