Beware the Fisher Cat
By Steve Frank | Category: The Damned BlogSomething evil is lurking in the woods of Connecticut these days, something ancient and almost forgotten.
You can hide your children and lock up your pets, but even then all may be lost. For there is no stopping the fisher cat!
Okay, so maybe they aren’t all that bad, but it is true that the fisher cat is back in full force in Connecticut.
The fisher is neither a fish, a fisher, or a cat. It is a relative of the North American marten.
From the Wiki.
Adults weigh between 2 to 7 kilograms (4–15 lb) and are between 65 to 125 centimetres (26–49 in) in length. Males are about twice the size of females, with the smallest females having been recorded being as small as 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb), hardly larger than most other martens, and males at as much as 9 kilograms (20 lb), by far the largest size recorded for the genus. Their coats are darkish brown, with a black tail and legs; some individuals have a cream-colored patch on the chest. All four feet have five toes with retractable claws. Because they can rotate their hind paws 180 degrees, they can grasp limbs and climb down trees head first.
A circular patch of hair on the central pad of their hind paws marks plantar glands that give off a distinctive odor, which is believed to be used for communication during reproduction. Fishers are also known for one of their calls, which is often said to sound like a child screaming, and can be mistaken for someone in dire need of help.
Their numbers drastically declined about a hundred years ago in Connecticut as they were hunted for their brown to black furs.
The fisher cat gets a bad rap because they seem to just love the taste of cats, and when a domestic cat goes missing within a hundred miles of a fisher sighting, it seems the fisher is always to blame.
The really damned scary part of the fisher is its scream. I was recently told it sounded “exactly like a women being murdered.” After taking a step back and wondering how this person knew exactly what a women being murdered sounded like, I went to YouTube to check it out and and I do find the fisher cat’s sounds a bit creepy. I can also see how the fisher could be mistaken for an unearthly spectre wandering the woods late at night. Apparently, the screams are the sounds they make while mating.
(And if you have been keeping up on your weird CT news, you will know the fisher isn’t the only mammal being accused of murder when romance is in the air: (Passionate Screams Mistaken, Assault Ensues))
You can read more about the fisher cat and it growing numbers in Connecticut in this article from the Hartford Advocate.
I don’t understand that if people are afraid for the safety of their cats why don’t people keep their cats inside? Why do people let their cats outdoors anyway? I grew up in the Bronx, and respectable and considerate folks in my neighborhhood kepot their cats indoors. A Fisher is a wild animal that eats other animals. Keep your cats inside. I find more chipmunks, snakes and birds ripped up in my yard from cat attcks than from Fisher attacks. People are so dangerous and stupid letting their pets ruin the community.
I had one of these creatures wake me up a 2am the other night. Freaking creapy!! It was right outside my br window making the weirdest noises, and loud, too! Hand went right on the shotgun until I knew what was going on.
In the city, I can see why you keep your cats indoors – traffic, other cats, etc. To declaw them, the vet removes each toe up to the first joint. I prefer not to have my cat suffer that indignity. He is also helpful outside in keeping down the red squirrel population – they can chew their way into most houses and then live in the attic. I have had that experience – before cat. They chewed up the wiring and raised their young above my living room – wetting down the sheet rock and disrupting the insulation.
Today, a fisher walked across my back yard, under the deck, and when I went out onto the deck he trotted about 25′ away, turned and watched me. They have no fear. They will also attack small dogs and have completely decimated the rabbit population in our town – and probably the surrounding towns. Raptors – hawks, owls, eagles – depend on having a source of food which includes mice, rabbits, chipmunks, etc. To my knowledge, fishers have no natural enemies. I, among many, would like to see open season on them.
I believe the animal pictured above is actually a mink, a semi-aquatic relative of the fisher. A mink is smaller, usually about several pounds in weight. Since there is nothing in the photo for scale, it is hard to say mink for sure, but the suggestion of a whitish throat patch on the animal pictured is highly suggestive of mink.
Fisher “screaming” is most probably a product of urban legend. Biologists who have studied both wild and captive fishers for many years have never heard them scream. They are generally quiet, occasionally hissing or growling. The recordings you listen to on the internet are merely assumed to made by fisher. I don’t believe there has ever been a credible report of a person actually seeing a fisher scream. Check out the work of Roger Powell who studied fishers for years, and wrote a book entitiled “The Fisher: Life History, Ecology, and Behavior”.
Many other animals make loud vocalizations that could be described as screaming. Some owl species do, as well as mating bobcats and house cats. Foxes make a variety of loud vocalizations, some more like a bark, and others more like a scream. Rabbits scream when caught by a predator.
Hi: I live in Haverhill, Mass. in a condo next to the woods and see a fisher a few times a year. It comes to my bird feeder and digs around for food. I suspect he is looking for chipmunks, as there are plenty of them. Well he measures about 36″ from nose to tail, and goes up and down the trees like a monkey. The fur is dark brown and nice and shiny. In talking with a friend today, he mentioned he got a photo from a trapper friend in Palmer, Mass. who sent him a picture of a large fisher he caught in a box trap. He said the animal weighed in at 46 lbs. This size animal would have no problems taking down a deer. I will contact him and try to get a copy of the picture and more info on the trapper. I used to trap muscrats and caught an otter once. He weighed in at about 18 lbs., and I had a pet raccoon that weighed 28 lbs. so I know what a 46 lb. animal would look like. I will get back and report when I get more information. Thanks. Carl
Very interesting, Carl. A weight of 46 lbs is extremely hard to believe, but my motto is, “never say never”! I hope you post follow-up information even if that claim of 46 lbs is incorrect, because, unfortunately, even unsubstantiated statements can contribute to popular belief and public perception.
Aside from your report, the largest fisher on record weighed 20 lbs, 2 oz, trapped in Maine. I am a tracker and have tracked fishers many, many times, in various parts of central Massachusetts. If any of them were close to 46 lbs, their tracks should be at least double the size of those recorded for fishers of the typical weight range of 5-15 lbs. If anything, the track sizes I have been seeing have been on the smaller end of the spectrum.
Fishers are capable hunters, for sure. They have been seen feeding on deer carcasses, but they are most likely scavenging, because they have not been reported to actually take down healthy, adult deers.
[...] about fishers and their growing numbers here in Connecticut. You may remember a few months ago, Steve was talking about them, and the horrible screams they make at night — apparently they sound a bit like someone being [...]
I was looking out across my back yard 3 wks ago and saw this strange animal that looked seal like and when it walked it moved like a slinky. We have 5 acres but live in a fairly busy area only 10 min from NH my husband was a witness to this thank goodness or he would have thought I was having a Lucy moment. We have Maltise’s and we will be very careful about their potty routines.
Karen, I don’t mean to attack you but I want to turn around your opinion on this fisher issue.
- Fishers are tree hunters and one of the only things fast enough to catch red squirrels. In many places they specialize on red squirrels and porcupines. In contrast, I’m guessing your cat is way too slow and being a ground hunter can only catch about one red squirrel a year.
- Red squirrels are extremely territorial and there is generally only one or two per acre. Keeping the population of red squirrels down really isn’t an issue in a typical yard, where your cat roams, because there’s a population of one or two. On the other hand, fishers hunt red squirrels all through the forest, roaming far and wide.
- Fishers do fear humans and dogs. Sure, they can get a little cheeky when you are on the deck looking at them, but if you approach they usually run for it (unless rabid, of course). I tried hunting one down with my camera last Fall and he was having absolutely none of it — ran like the dickens.
- How do you know that fishers have decimated your rabbit population? If you have fishers you surely have coyotes, red and gray foxes, and probably even mink if there’s water nearby.
- The conventional wisdom that fishers attack small dogs and cats is often repeated, but there is not a lot of hard evidence supporting this. Try Googling it. People’s cats disappear and they blame fishers based on their reputation. Could just as easily be a coyote, which is absolutely documented to go after house pets when food is scarce.
- Very few raptors around here are big enough to go after rabbits. Even red tail hawks mostly end up getting songbirds and the occasional gray squirrel who wasn’t paying attention.
Do you really want to see “open season” on a member of our native wildlife who was almost hunted to extinction? I think this is just your emotional reaction to fearing for your cat’s safety, which is completely understandable. Unless you live in a very dense suburban or city environment, there are dangers to your cat beyond fishers — the scapegoats. Having an outdoor cat is a risk. My neighbors have a great compromise — they let their cats out in the afternoon, and the cats are back before dusk for their dinner.
“Fisher “screaming” is most probably a product of urban legend” Not really. We just had one putting on a 20 minute “aria” one lot over from us, and it is just as advertised: almost human sounding distressed screeching or screaming. 10:30pm in the middle of mating season. Right on time from what I know about them.
if i was worried about the safety of my domestic pets, i would keep them indoors. rather than encourage the trapping/killing of wildlife that has been in the area long before humans.
you may not know this but a fisher is one of the only known predators to the porcupine. take them away and it will really mess up the ecosystem.
Anyone who thinks they don’t scream, they do. Twice a night a fisher cat screams in my cousins backyard. A rabbit isn’t being murdered everynight let alone twice every night. My cousins dog started barking then we heard the fisher scream. Doesn’t help that we were outside her house in tents.
I saw a fisher cat this morning hopping across the enterence to the Merritt. I wasn’t sure what it was since I had never seen one. It looks like a large black weasel, sleek and pretty. I also thought it odd since it was daylight, aren’t they nocturnal, I guess it was late getting home from a night of hunting.
I always knew we had fishers in the Scituate area but never encountered one until yesturday. I have a fenced in yard with two dogs (who were just let in for breakfast thank goodness) and a fisher walked up to my glass slider and looked in. When the dogs began to bark it slowly walked away and climbed out of the yard. I am now so scared to let the dogs out IN THEIR OWN YARD!!! It was 8am in the morning. Should I expect this thing to keep returning???
Biologists continued to be mystified by the reports of “screaming” attributed to fisher cats. There is no documented evidence of this (None other than recordings with no video). Most predatory animals do not scream when attacking (it scares off prey). Animals generally only scream when being attacked (or eaten), or to mark territory. Or mating.
Coyotes are MUCH more likely to go after cats and dogs, especially those above 10 lbs. An 10lb male fisher isn’t going to take down a 20lb dog.
They are related to weasels and otters (mustidelae), but generally fall in between, typically 10lbs for males and 5lbs for females. But their long bushy tails can make them appear larger. They are essentially big ferrets, and simply can’t get to the 20+lbs levels that are sometimes reported. Wild animals typically don’t have the variability in size that occurs in domestic animals. All robins and all deer are roughly the same size. It’s extremely rare to find an individual animal more than twice the size of another.