Category Archives: Wildlife

How did Fisher get to be called a cat?

The members of FPF‘s Calais neighborhood have been having lively discussions about this creature found in Vermont’s woods!

Conversation began with this simple post alerting neighbors:
“A fisher cat has returned and has been seen behind my small pond down the hill from the closed road in North Calais.”  • Reid

Followed by a flurry of topics related to the “Fisher Cat”: 
“”fisher cats” is a common, but incorrect, misnomer. The fisher is a fairly large member of the weasel family, and bears no relationship whatsoever to cats…” • Warner

“I was interested in why they have been mistakenly called cats. Are there physical similarities? Are the sounds similar? Perhaps the use got transferred to large feral cats….Just wondered..” • Mary

“With all the emphasis on “cat”..my question now is — Why fisher…? Do they fish?” • Heather

“My first thought upon seeing yet more posts about fishers was, “Oh, no!” but I found myself laughing out loud…I think I will name the next cat that comes into my life “Fisher” as in “Fisher (the) Cat…” • Craig

Nothing like lively conversation on Front Porch Forum to connect us with our neighbors!