Fisher Cats are brown to black members of the mustelidae family, which includes weasels, skunks, and otters. They are not related to cats nor do they resemble them, looking more like weasels with a long, sleek body, pointed muzzle, short legs and bushy tail. They possess sharp, retractable claws that make them effective climbers. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/living_with_fisher.htm

Fishers breed in April, but exhibit delayed implantation - the fertilized egg does not implant for ten months. The embryo then develops for 30-60 days, the birth of the young happening 11-12 months after mating occurred. Generally there are two to three young in a litter. The litter of kits are raised in a cavity in a tree. http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/fishers.pdf Fisher cats can be active day or night, and do not hibernate. They are elusive and avoid human contact, preferring the habitat of mixed forests and avoiding fields and other open spaces. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/living_with_fisher.htm

Fisher cats are omnivorous. Their diet includes a wide range of small mammalssuch as rats, mice, rabbits, and squirrels, along with birds, eggs, and fruit. Pet food and trash are also eaten by fisher cats. Fisher cats frequently eat carrion, particularly that of deer, and are one of the few animals knows to kill and eat porcupine. Although they are climbers, the kill prey on the ground. http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/fishers.pdf

Fisher cats are a threat to house pets, having been known to eat house cats and even small dogs. They are a threat to small livestock such as chickens, ducks and rabbits as well. In order to keep pets safe, house cats should be kept indoors, but if they must go out, cat owners should go with them as fisher cats avoid humans. Owners of small dogs should go outside with their pets as well, and poultry or rabbits should be secured in a pen and not allowed to wander. http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/faqs_wildlife.htm#fisher