What is the strange noise outside my window (rural)

[cheezy]

Woken by an odd noise. Sounded like a flock of birds fighting, or possibly rats A sort of multi voiced squeaking/ sqwarking. What if imagine rats or ferrets fighting in a sack to sound like I went downstairs to investigate as could also hear my young cat squeaking and thought he might be in trouble but the noise stopped when I turned on the porch light. What was the noise?!

Bats?

Foxes mating at this time of year sound horrendous.

I didn't think foxes mated at this time of year

The voices sounded as if coming from something smaller than a foxes.
Do hares mate or box at night? (Hopeful)

Wouldn't just be your cat fighting or mating

I’m pretty sure it wasn’t cats. My cats voice was distinct from the others.

Hedgehogs having a shag?

Hedgehogs putting their PPE on?

Hedgehogs are really noisy shaggers!

Hedgehogs used to shag on our patio, but it didn't sound like squeaking, more of a chuff chuff sound. Foxes sort of shriek. Or rat/mouse caught by something like a cat or fox?

Your be a noisy Shagger if you had all those spines to deal with

@joystir59

Was it like a chattering noise? If so, possibly young badgers.

Have looked up badgers fighting and yes it was similar but with lots of birdy sqwarking as well.

I heard something similar in my mum’s garden when I was visiting (rural Cheshire), and it turned out to be baby badgers playing. I thought it was some kind of bird at first too, but it was the middle of the night. This is the right time of year for young badgers to be out and about.

If it sounds like a clockwork chicken it's a pheasant.

There are lots of young birds nesting now. Maybe something was trying to attack a nest.

If a cat catches a frog, the frog screams and it's surprisingly loud. Do you have a pond OP?