I woke at 2 am to some horrible screaming in the backyard. It sounded
like a cat fight but it didn't sound like cats. I never heard anything
like it before but it sounded like something was being killed. I
didn't know if it was my yard or a neighbor and couldn't see anything.
It went on for several minutes.

My backyard is pretty well fenced in so the cats can go out but not
leave the yard, and I was worried that something was trapped in the
yard. I got dressed and went downstairs, opened the back door a crack
(didn't want the cats getting out) and flicked on the 500 watt
halogen.

Two raccoons were on the fencing, one perched on top where it
overhangs, the other with front paws on the fence and the rears on an
evergreen. I've known that the cats could theoretically get out by
climbing one of the evergreens that is taller than the fence but
they've never figured that out, so I haven't done anything to close
off that route, just so other critters can get out.

I have the fencing loose where it touches the house on one side so
neighborhood kids, and critters, can get in and out and it had been
jammed by a tree branch. So I opened it up while the raccoons watched,
just so that they could exit that way if there was some sort of
problem and they couldn't get out over the fence.

I have no idea what the problem was last night but they were gone this
morning. I suspect, being springtime, that romance was in the air. It
sure sounded like rough sex though.