Category Archives: Wildlife

How did Fisher get to be called a cat?

Posted on Thursday, September 21, 2017 by No comments yet

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!