NORTH ANDOVER - Donna-Lee Rubin is a self-described animal lover, so her first instinct when she saw a furry weasel-like animal in her yard was to take it some food.
Fortunately, she paused to make a phone call to a local veterinary hospital where she learned that the animal in her yard was a fisher cat, an aggressive hunter of small animals with sharp teeth that kill a pet with one bite.
"As soon as I described it, they said to keep away, it's a voracious, nasty animal, a carnivore and predator," she said. "I almost went out to feed it some cereal. That could have been dangerous."
Fisher cat sightings and reports of pets being attacked have risen slightly in the last two weeks, namely in North Andover and Haverhill, according to Mary Wright, the receptionist at Bulger Animal Hospital in North Andover.
She said most animals that are attacked don't live, including one house cat that was brought in recently.
"Their teeth are so huge, they puncture through the muscled walls," she said of the fisher cat. "It's not just a bite wound."
Fisher cats are not actually cats, but are part of the weasel family. According to a description at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the animals range from 4 to 16 pounds. They have a long, slender body and short legs and are usually brown and black with gray on the head and shoulders.
One distinctive feature of the animal is the sound it makes.
"They cry as if it is a little kid getting killed," said Wright. "It's unexplainable and scary."
The animals were eliminated from Massachusetts by the 19th century because agricultural land clearing had taken away their habitat, according to state Fisheries and Wildlife.
Since the 1960's the fisher has made a comeback, although their sneaky hunting ways keep them out of sight most of the time.
They hunt during the night and day, but stick to shaded and wooded areas.
Rubin said this is the first time in 18 years of living at her Great Pond Road home that she has ever seen a fisher cat, which she first noticed because of its long body and the way it was skulking on the ground.
Its long, bristly tail also caught her eye, she said.
Rubin has 20 bird feeders in her yard, which attract a host of birds throughout the year, as well as other wildlife, including foxes, woodchucks and squirrels.
Fortunately, she paused to make a phone call to a local veterinary hospital where she learned that the animal in her yard was a fisher cat, an aggressive hunter of small animals with sharp teeth that kill a pet with one bite.
"As soon as I described it, they said to keep away, it's a voracious, nasty animal, a carnivore and predator," she said. "I almost went out to feed it some cereal. That could have been dangerous."
Fisher cat sightings and reports of pets being attacked have risen slightly in the last two weeks, namely in North Andover and Haverhill, according to Mary Wright, the receptionist at Bulger Animal Hospital in North Andover.
She said most animals that are attacked don't live, including one house cat that was brought in recently.
"Their teeth are so huge, they puncture through the muscled walls," she said of the fisher cat. "It's not just a bite wound."
Fisher cats are not actually cats, but are part of the weasel family. According to a description at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the animals range from 4 to 16 pounds. They have a long, slender body and short legs and are usually brown and black with gray on the head and shoulders.
One distinctive feature of the animal is the sound it makes.
"They cry as if it is a little kid getting killed," said Wright. "It's unexplainable and scary."
The animals were eliminated from Massachusetts by the 19th century because agricultural land clearing had taken away their habitat, according to state Fisheries and Wildlife.
Since the 1960's the fisher has made a comeback, although their sneaky hunting ways keep them out of sight most of the time.
They hunt during the night and day, but stick to shaded and wooded areas.
Rubin said this is the first time in 18 years of living at her Great Pond Road home that she has ever seen a fisher cat, which she first noticed because of its long body and the way it was skulking on the ground.
Its long, bristly tail also caught her eye, she said.
Rubin has 20 bird feeders in her yard, which attract a host of birds throughout the year, as well as other wildlife, including foxes, woodchucks and squirrels.
Wright suggests people remove bird feeders from their yards, to deter fisher cats, and encourages pet owners to keep their animals inside, especially if they hear or see a fisher cat.
Fishers have also been known to attack small dogs, rabbits, chickens and ducks.
