Fisher Cats are small animals with bushy tails and short legs. They’re roughly the size of domestic house cats. Traditionally, they were hunted for their furs, and as such, their populations declined for a while in the United States and Canada, where they became more elusive animals. Their numbers are on the rise again, and so is their reputation as a dangerous predator. But are these small mammals worth worrying about? Here’s what you need to know about Fisher Cat populations, the dangers, and what to do if you run into one.
Are Fisher Cats Dangerous?
In most cases, Fisher Cats are not considered dangerous to human beings. They are aggressive animals, but that aggression is turned toward other small mammals and other Fisher Cats. They tend to be shyer and would rather stay away from humans. However, there are, of course, exceptions to this rule where any wild animal may attack, if it feels threatened, so giving them their space is advisable. Here are some examples: Woman hospitalized after fisher cat attack.
Boy, 12, attacked by Fisher Cat
Even though they’re small, Fisher Cats shouldn’t be underestimated. They are incredibly smart hunters, and they are surprisingly adaptable, and this can make them dangerous in some unexpected ways. For example, they are a risk to porcupine populations as one of the only true predators of the quill-covered animals. They have learned to flip the animals, attack their heads, and kill them quickly. Fishers are also one of the few animals to successfully hunt the lynx, even though a lynx is larger and seems like the better fighter when compared to Fishers.
As for humans, the biggest threat from Fishers is to domestic pets. For the most part, Fishers are found in the forests away from humans, but as they have been coming into suburban areas, they have been known to attack small pets like domestic cats, small dogs, and poultry.
There are exceptions to the rule. Fisher Cats have sharp teeth and retractable claws. They are wild animals. If a person comes upon any wild animal that appears to be injured or feels like it is cornered, there is no telling how it may react. Even though the Fisher is small, it is advisable for people to give the animal space if they find one in their yard or happen upon one on a trail.
What Do Fisher Cats Eat?
Their name suggests that Fisher Cats eat a diet mainly of fish, but that’s really a misnomer. They do eat some fish, but it’s a small part of their diet. Studies have found that Fishers mostly eat other small mammals, squirrels, small rodents, porcupines, lynx, birds, and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, nuts, fruit, and sometimes, other Fisher Cats. It’s been speculated that Fishers may have started eating each other when Fisher populations grew to a high number, and they were competing with each other for food, which then led to them becoming aggressive toward each other.
As for why they are named “fisher” cats when they don’t eat a lot of fish, that may have to do with European settlers misidentifying the animal. There is a European polecat that looks like a Fisher Cat. In French, the European polecat was called “fiche”, which may have resulted in the name “fisher” in English. This is still only speculation but is a common belief for how the name came to be. Scientists know them by their more formal name, pekania pennanti.
What Should I Do If I Encounter A Fisher Cat?
Fisher Cats are elusive animals that would rather stay away from humans for the most part. They are nocturnal animals with dark fur, so it’s unusual for humans to spot them. However, you might find them in chicken coops, going through trash cans, or happen upon them on a trail. If this happens, it’s a good idea to make some loud noises by clapping your hands or shouting to hopefully scare them off. Other tactics include spraying them with a house or flashing bright lights.
Are Fishers Actually Cats?
The name Fisher Cat is definitely a name that leads people to make a lot of false conclusions. These animals mostly eat small mammals, not fish. And they aren’t cats. While they are roughly the size of a domestic cat, they are actually a member of the same family as weasels, the mustelid family.
Why Do Fisher Cats Make That Screaming Noise?
Fisher Cats have gained a reputation for having a haunting scream. There are recordings of this available on various forums online. However, experts claim that this scream has been wrongly attributed to the Fisher. While these animals do make vocalizations, they sound more like what a pet ferret sounds like. The recordings posted online are more likely to be from foxes, who are known to make a wide range of haunting vocalizations.
Where Do Fisher Cats Live?
Fisher Cats live in Canada and the Northern United States. As mentioned previously, they were heavily hunted for their fur for a while. While that still happens, fur has fallen out of fashion, and Fisher Cat populations are growing stronger. They’re fairly common in New England and West Virginia.
The state of California has its own population of southern Fishers in the Sierra Nevada mountains. They’ve been separate from Northern Fishers for decades.
Fisher Cats are tree-climbing animals. They like to make their homes in the hollows in large trees, or in hollow logs or brush piles on the forest floor.
Why Do I See More Fisher Cats In Late March?
Fisher Cats are nocturnal animals that shy away from humans, so they’re not often spotted, but you are more likely to see them during March and April, especially around dawn or dusk. This is the official breeding season for Fishers.
Female Fishers reach sexual maturity at one year of age, while adult males reach sexual maturity at two years old. The adult females may have a litter of up to four young Fishers. They’ll teach the babies to begin hunting early. Fishers are often ready to be independent once they’re four months of age.
What Animals Kill Fisher Cats?
For the most part, human beings have been the biggest threat to Fisher Cats. We’ve hunted them for their fur. Interestingly, bobcats have been known to occasionally kill Fishers. This is surprising because there have been several recorded incidents of Fishers killing lynx cats, and lynx cats are bigger than bobcats. This would lead many to believe that a Fisher should be able to also win against a bobcat, and yet, bobcats are a known threat to Fishers.
Protecting Your Yard From Fishers
If Fishers have made a habit of invading your yard or chicken coop, you may be looking for ways to persuade them to knock it off. Because of their sharp claws and teeth, putting up some wire or fence is often not enough to keep them out.
The first thing to do is try to remove things that may be drawing them to your yard, like trash cans, bird feeders, compost piles, organic materials, or other food sources. The next step is to take precautions when it comes to your domestic pets. If you can keep your dogs or cats indoors while the Fisher threat is ongoing, it would be a good idea to do so.
Fisher Cats love making their homes in brush piles, so clearing these out of your yard will make it less likely for Fishers to make their home there.
There are commercial odor repellents, like Bonide, that have reportedly worked well against Fishers. You can also use bright lights triggered by motion detectors to discourage shy animals like Fishers.
If you have a chicken coop, you’ll want to secure the coop with steel hardware cloth, fences, and locks. Fishers can use their sharp claws to get doors open, so the locks can help a lot. Protect the coop similar to how you would against foxes and raccoons.
Fisher Cats Are Amazing Hunters With A Shy Disposition
While they are definitely adaptable animals and opportunistic hunters, Fisher Cats are not much of a danger to human beings. You can scare them off with bright lights and loud noises if you do happen to encounter one. For the most part, it will be rare to see one during the day, so you might count yourself lucky to catch sight of their bushy tail since it will likely be a rare encounter.
