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Original poster

What has broken into our locked food waste caddy?!

82 replies

BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 13:11

We have had a food waste caddy outside for some years now and the contents have always stayed undisturbed in between collections. It has a handle which pushes from the back, up over the top and down the front of it to lock it securely. It is not easy to open and requires some strength and dexterity. For the first time ever 'something' has managed to unlock it, tip it over and eat the contents.

What is the 'something'?!

PS UK-based, no bears - AFAIK.

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Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 17:36

PuttingDownRoots · 20/07/2022 14:08

I briefly got an image of foxes and badgers ringing your doorbell to ask for food.

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Yes @PuttingDownRoots - caps in paws, 'please madam, may we have some more?'

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Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 17:41

Mildmanneredmum · 20/07/2022 14:10

Squirrels. Happened to us. I didn't believe it until I saw the little beggars doing it!

I know they are strong, dextrous and agile - our metal peanut feeder has been ravaged by their gnashers and they can travel along the washing line with ease - but I would pay good money to see this! Did they work solo or as a gang, @Mildmanneredmum ?

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Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 17:43

Jules912 · 20/07/2022 14:13

The foxes ( I'm pretty sure it's foxes as there's about a million where I live) can do mine which is similar.

Do you mean that you haven't seen them do it @Jules912 ?

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Romeiswheretheheartis · 20/07/2022 17:44

I have exactly the same caddy and the same thing occasionally happens to mine too. I don't believe it's my cats, so have assumed a fox (or badger). Hoping it's not rats, they'd have to be pretty big! Like pp say, I now keep a brick on it.

Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 17:54

Sulla · 20/07/2022 14:17

Caught a badger breaking in to mine a couple of days ago. From the sound I thought someone was trying to steal my car!

Was it day or night, @Sulla ? I thought it must have happened overnight but, thinking about it since, I remember a thudding mid-morning but didn't get chance to look. If that was when it happened, it makes it less likely to have been a badger or fox here. That noise could have been something else though, like a delivery or a gust of wind blowing over a garden parasol here, and it might have happened overnight instead but we didn't hear it. We were all pretty sleepless with the heat, but when we finally dropped off, we dropped off!

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TheCanyon · 20/07/2022 18:03

This kept happening to our neighbours caddy. Was indeed a cat!

Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 18:03

Glittertwins · 20/07/2022 14:18

@PuttingDownRoots : that would definitely be a video worth keeping. Sadly their manners are lacking and they resort to shoving across the paving trying to force the locking handle!!

We also have blackbirds and squirrels sadly lacking in manners, @Glittertwins . The blackbirds sit on the table and chairs outside our kitchen door and shout until someone opens the door and goes out to feed them. The squirrels see the open kitchen door as an invitation and come inside to sit on the mat waiting for peanuts. When I got a 'wipe your paws' mat, I was thinking of the dog and the DC, not expecting squirrels. Do your foxes and squirrels eventually manage to open the locking handle?

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Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 18:07

DappledThings · 20/07/2022 14:55

It was foxes when we lived in the city, now in a village and it's badgers we have to be careful of. It has to sit on top of the wheelie at all times to be safe from them.

Do the badgers not still get the caddy though, @DappledThings ? I know they are great climbers - they scale 6ft wooden fences and even higher rough old stone walls here.

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Cherrysoup · 20/07/2022 18:09

Sodding foxes round here. They like to make alien screamy noises which wind up the dog a treat, usually at about 3am. One has shit next to the bins today, nice touch.

Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 18:10

Itsnotwhatitlookslike · 20/07/2022 16:56

I have a mental image of this lot sneaking round gardens.

Oh, we've got a big Percy the Park Keeper fan here @Itsnotwhatitlookslike so that would be very popular!

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Seeline · 20/07/2022 18:13

BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 16:51

Have foxes been seen doing it, @Seeline and if so do they work solo or as a team? They are such good climbers, like badgers and squirrels, I guess they can get up onto the wheelie bins too if they want to?

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Yes - seen them doing it several times. Usually solo efforts. We have kept ours on top of the wheelie bin for a couple of years now without it being got - sat centrally a fox would need quite a long reach to shift it. They don't seem to jump up, although they would definitely be able to if they really wanted too.

Titsywoo · 20/07/2022 18:16

I caught a badger knocking over our food caddy which fell open and he ate a load of food until he saw me and legged it

Cleo22 · 20/07/2022 18:22

I had the final remains of a roast chicken in the food bin. Our CCTV showed a badger at 2am knocking the brick off the top of the food bin and grabbing the bin by the handle to pull it over and unlock it in one go. All we found were a couple of clean chicken bones.

Glittertwins · 20/07/2022 18:24

@BafflingBurglar - they haven't managed to open it yet. Scared the life out of DD in the middle of the night as it made a right racket under her bedroom window. Badger did not look impressed to be caught out!

Iamacatslave · 20/07/2022 18:37

@BafflingBurglar an intelligent guess.

RedWingBoots · 20/07/2022 18:40

TheCanyon · 20/07/2022 18:03

This kept happening to our neighbours caddy. Was indeed a cat!

What!

Most cats are too lazy and work out how to get another human in another household/shop to feed them.

Jins · 20/07/2022 18:46

Our mini dachshund could open it with no problem at all

DeanStockwelll · 20/07/2022 18:47

PuttingDownRoots · 20/07/2022 14:08

I briefly got an image of foxes and badgers ringing your doorbell to ask for food.

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Me too , foxes are cheeky buggers so it eouldnt surprise me 😂

Bigmouthshouthotair · 20/07/2022 18:48

PuttingDownRoots · 20/07/2022 14:08

I briefly got an image of foxes and badgers ringing your doorbell to ask for food.

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Glad I'm noy the only one 🤣

KezzabellaB · 20/07/2022 18:51

Glittertwins · 20/07/2022 13:38

I'd agree with foxes or badgers - we've seen both on our ring door bell

I misread that as 'we've seen both ring our doorbell' GrinGrin

bloodyunicorns · 20/07/2022 18:56

Badger! They are strong.

EmmaH2022 · 20/07/2022 19:02

KezzabellaB · 20/07/2022 18:51

I misread that as 'we've seen both ring our doorbell' GrinGrin

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I would be overjoyed to see a badger so the idea of them actually ringing a doorbell is very charming 😍 😂

cushioncovers · 20/07/2022 19:06

A badger kept breaking into mine. In the end I gave up and don't use it anymore.

Original poster
BafflingBurglar · 20/07/2022 19:15

IsThisNameTaken · 20/07/2022 17:13

Foxes have got in to mine - they don't like tea bags, carrot peelings or egg shells apparently but will have a go at most other bits in there.

They steal whole carrots and eggs @IsThisNameTaken so it sounds like your foxes have got fancy tastes and turn their noses up at leftovers.

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KezzabellaB · 20/07/2022 19:17

EmmaH2022 · 20/07/2022 19:02

I would be overjoyed to see a badger so the idea of them actually ringing a doorbell is very charming 😍 😂

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😆😆😆 couldn't agree more!!