Lost Pets Raise Concerns About Fishers

By Kendra Bobowick

“You see missing pet signs all over town,” said resident Richard Huisking, who wonders if some are being killed by fisher cats, also referred to as fishers.

Referring to the large member of the Mustelidae (weasel) family, Mr Huisking has not spotted the creature in town, but believes it is here, and that it is “vicious” he said, adding, “If nothing is done I suspect there will be no wildlife left.”

He has heard a lot about this in last several months, and is worried about “so many animals going missing in such a short time.”

Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason has received reports from people who saw what they believe to be a fisher. “A lot of people see them, and they are not sure what they are…I get a lot of stories. I would love pictures,” she said. She also has noted the number of missing cats in town.

According to information available on the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) website, the fisher cat males can be between eight and 14 pounds, and females between four and six pounds. The fisher has a long, slender body, short legs, and elongated, bushy tail. It is are usually dark brown to nearly black. The tail, rump, and feet are darkest, in contrast to the head and shoulders, which are lighter in color and often grizzled in appearance, especially in males, the website continues. Some individuals have a white chest patch. Fishers have five toes on each foot and semi-retractable claws that contribute to their ability to climb trees.

The last detail concerns Ms Mason the most. “They can go after the cats,” she said, and follow them up a tree.

“Cats can’t even climb to get away,” Mr Huisking said. “The fisher cats can climb, and they’re the size of a cat, thin, ugly, and vicious.”

He often fosters cats for The Animal Center of Newtown and he and other volunteers watch feral colonies in town. “Some of those animals have disappeared; way too many, way too fast. And these feral cats are survivors,” he said.

Animal Center Founder Monica Roberto said, “We have definitely seen an increase in the number of missing owned cats as well as feral cats this summer.”

One caretakers of a managed feral cat colony in Sandy Hook had set up wildlife camera to determine who or what was taking the cats and captured coyotes on film, but not fisher cats, said Ms Roberto. She has not heard of any first-hand sightings.

People need to be warned about leaving their pets unattended, Mr Huisking. “I don’t let my pets out. If you’ve got woods around you, you never know,” he said.

Ms Mason recommends that people keep their cats in at night.

The fisher cat ranges from Southeastern Alaska to Hudson Bay, through Canada, south into the northern United States, and is also in the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and the Sierra Nevada in California, states the DEEP site. The fisher is mostly nocturnal.

A DEEP Western District Wildlife biologist has confirmed that fisher cats are in Connecticut. The fishers are found in Connecticut and appear to be “much more common east of the Connecticut River, rather than west of it,” said Wildlife Biologist Paul Rego. Addressing concerns raised by Mr Huisking, Mr Rego said that fishers can attack cats, “but there are other animals, particularly coyotes, that attack cats.” Cats are low on the fisher’s list of animals they would to hunt, he said. They are also omnivores and eat a variety of foods that could include acorns and apples.

The fisher is a predator, but he personally believes that the connection between fishers and missing cats is “not well-founded, I would believe a coyote is more likely.”