Woman Attacked by Fisher Cat {Video – Lincoln, RI}

A Lincoln woman has been hospitalized for days after being attacked and bitten by a fisher while walking her dog in her yard.

Tracey Chartier was attacked Wednesday by the animal, which is related to a weasel.

The animals, which are typically found in the northern parts of the U.S. and Canada, are commonly referred to as fisher cats.

Chartier said she was bare foot and kicked it, and said the animal bit, scratched and mangled her feet.

“The claws were very, very long,” she said.

She said the claws of the fisher impaled the skin in her foot and went so deep, she’s being treated for an infection at Rhode Island Hospital. She’s also being treated for rabies as a precaution.

“Everybody said you know, ‘You should have done this, you should have done that. You know, you should have ran.’ But no matter what I did, I would have got attacked or my dog would have got attacked,” Chartier said.

Chartier said the family remains a little afraid to step outside into the back yard.

“I’m a nervous wreck to go in the back yard. My husband’s a nervous wreck to go in the back yard. The kids, you know, I don’t know what’s there or what’s going to come out,” she said.

6 responses to “Woman Attacked by Fisher Cat {Video – Lincoln, RI}

  1. O MY GOD!!!! I Live in johnston,ri I took my dog out on the porch because I thought I smelled a skunk put the light on and was scared to death all I could see was TEETH now I know this is what I saw!!!!!

  2. I heard my cat making a screeching sound like it was being attacked. I ran to my window & could not see anything because of the fog & it was just starting to get light out. I ran to the front door and stood on the porch & saw an animal run away. At first I thought it was a fox, but then realized the head was too rounded. I believe I was looking at a Fisher cat. It stopped running and turned & just looked at me. I was afraid it was going to come towards me so I went back in the house. Luckly the cat ran into the house with me & it was OK. I live in Cumberland RI in the woods.

  3. I have fisher cats here in up state ny. They are ok up here no nothing I even hunt them I get with in feet of them ,it saw the dog and I saw. How big her dog is the fisher got scared seeing how big the dog is and how little they are ,then with I’m sure she was screaming and the dog barking and then the kick from her it defended it self.just move back calmly and it won’t run after you ,they’ll run away before coming to you .trust me I see them 2-4 times aweek,a lot if it in season and doing a night hunt.

    1. Was out last Sunday morning on a fresh packed snowshoe trail and found tracks with claw marks about 1/2 the size of my hand and a pile of dropping, log-like. Asked around later and was told that there were fishers in the area. Do you know what the dropping are like, wondering if one was nearby. Thanks, John

  4. Any mammal can become infected with rabies. Depending on the form of rabies (there is a “cold” form, where the animal just become sluggish and acts friendly (but contact can be toxic) and conversely a “hot,” or “furious” form, where the animal goes crazy and attacks anything in its path. (A few weeks ago, a rabid wildcat attacked a Connecticut man in his garage — fortunately, his son was nearby and was able to shoot the animal.) I am an amateur naturalist, and spend a lot of time roaming around woods and fields with my dog … and a .38 revolver in my pocket, in case I need to protect myself or my dog from a rabid wild animal.– I hope never to have to use it….

  5. well was wondering if there live my way I’m in Pennellville NY when I was kid lived phoenix ny and used to see this cat like animal and saw it remains on highway it looked like cross between cat fox and raccoon weird / but I saw one in diff area crossing the road couple days ago stoped and watched it amazing but the one I saw looked bigger

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