Haven’t Crossed Paths With a Fisher Cat in Maine? Here’s What to Keep an Eye Out for

One of the fiercest animals in Maine isn't a giant black bear with razor sharp claws. Nope. In fact, one of the fiercest animals in the Pine Tree State is actually MUCH smaller than that.

I'm talking about the fisher cat.

Now, most people in Maine have never seen a fisher cat.

This is because their primary instinct is to be shy and avoid conflict with humans and other larger animals, however, when triggered they will take on just about anything.

Total Karen, am I right?

The National Park Service says that the fisher cat, also known as Pekania pennanti, is a rather small mammal that lives in the forest and is native to North America.

Maine.gov says it's a member of the Weasel family but don't let its small stature and absolutely adorable face fool you. This guy has extremely sharp teeth and even sharper claws that it will use when provoked to defend itself, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Fishers, which are commonly hunted in Maine for their furs, according to the National Park Service, don't have many predators outside of humans. This is primarily because of their uncanny ability to protect themselves against predators of any size in the Maine woods.

Fishers, which are fairly small mammals, though males will grow to roughly twice the size of females, will kill and eat small mammals like rabbits, birds and their eggs, and even insects, the state website states.

The problem is that in certain cases, these little monsters will mistake your cat or small dog as potential prey and, in some cases, they will attack and attempt to kill them. So if you live in Maine or New Hampshire, and reside near a heavily wooded area, you should consider bringing your small pets inside at night to assist in the prevention of a possible attack.

Below is a clip from the hit TV show, North Woods Law, where a pair of fisher cats are released back into the wild.