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Original poster

Live on my own - someone has switched oven on - all doors locked

246 replies

Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 18:27

Ok - I never thought I'd be posting one of these threads, but there you go! I also don't know what I'm posting for, tbh.

I live on my own in a large bungalow. I have two cats.

Was out this morning.

Spent afternoon sitting in bed, where it's warm - watching Youtube videos, writing Christmas cards, procrastinating ...

About 20 minutes ago went through to kitchen to feed cats, and immediately noticed light on in oven. No heat, just the light and fan on. Knob was in 7 o'clock position so very definitely turned deliberately - so seems very unlikely that it was caused by cat jumping around, and even when I had cats who could open doors and turn handles - which these ones don't - I've never had a cat turn the oven on. Cats have either been with me or out all afternoon.

Front and back doors both locked and keys in both locks. Both doors are fairly new - I've lost the spare key for back door but it's in the house somewhere. The spare key for front door is in key safe in garage and the number is known only to my son who's not here, and a trusted friend.

The loft hatch is bolted on this side, but there is another loft hatch in an extension I rarely use, and I've never actually looked into that loft or touched that hatch. However, anyone who was in that part of the house would need to come through a door which is closed and makes a noise when opened and closed, then walk past my bedroom to get to the kitchen.

I'm trying not to be freaked out.

The only other strange thing was maybe a couple of weeks ago, late evening. I was in bed, cats were both sitting on bed, and I heard a noise somewhere in the house. Just one noise - like something fairly light had fallen - so not a loud crash or thump. The cats heard it too - they both lifted their heads and looked towards the bedroom door which was ajar. It was the kind of noise which I would have blamed the cats for making, but they were both with me.

Fuck!

Give me reasonable explanations for how my oven could have turned itself on!

And, no I didn't turn it on myself and forget. I hardly ever used my oven before and pretty much never now as I have an air fryer.

OP posts:
Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:01

RaisinsOfMildAnnoyance · 16/12/2023 18:56

I'm jealous of the dishwashing ghost. I live in a victorian terrace and odds are we should have at least one or two ghosts knocking about. But nothing!

OP, I'd blame the cat before anything else.

(Maybe that's why I've never noticed a ghost, we have 4 cats here that get the blame instead. 🤔)

I've actually said that to people before - that if you stay on your own, have cats or other pets, then if you hear any weird noises, you can just blame the livestock! And that was why I was conscious of that strange noise recently - because they were with me and we all heard it and reacted.

OP posts:
CantFindTheBeat · 16/12/2023 19:02

Could you have turned it on before, OP, and it's on timer?

ImTheGoat · 16/12/2023 19:03

Buy a cheap WiFi motion-activated camera or two and set them to send video to your phone.

pinkfun · 16/12/2023 19:03

It wasn't the cat. A cat can't turn an oven knob to 7o'clock position.

What I find very strange is that you don't use the extension in your house, why? And why have you never looked in the loft hatch in there?

I have to say your post is really well written, I'd encourage you to become an author because the descriptions set the scene very well ☺️

Danielle9891 · 16/12/2023 19:04

My dog turned the oven on before. It was a gas one and I smelled the gas from upstairs. Luckily I wasn't asleep.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's your cat. It probably tried to jump on top of the oven and grabbed the hob. My cat can turn the bathroom tap on to drink and open all the doors.

mooncloud1 · 16/12/2023 19:05

I would be freaking about this as well.
The most logical explanation is the most likely, which is you turned it on and forgot. Still unnerving though.

JoyeuxNarwhal · 16/12/2023 19:05

Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 18:49

OK - have found and tested CO alarm which is functioning normally.

I've just been and checked what that setting on the oven does - as I say I am not very domesticated and any cooking I do is usually on the hob or the air fryer. It looks like setting for partial heat up of grill and I've never used that setting so it's not like I turned the knob then changed my mind and used air fryer instead.

I don't know.

My guess would be it's been on on this setting since you last used the grill, and you turned it to that instead of fully off.

TrishTrix · 16/12/2023 19:08

I also live on my own and was pretty convinced someone had tidied the kitchen the other week.

I was totally freaked out. In hindsight I think I did it and then forgot.

pinkfun · 16/12/2023 19:09

Also, could that noise you heard one evening when the cats looked up be the door that leads from the extension you never use? Just a thought..

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:09

pinkfun · 16/12/2023 19:03

It wasn't the cat. A cat can't turn an oven knob to 7o'clock position.

What I find very strange is that you don't use the extension in your house, why? And why have you never looked in the loft hatch in there?

I have to say your post is really well written, I'd encourage you to become an author because the descriptions set the scene very well ☺️

Thank you!

It's a big house and only me here. I use that part of the house in the summer but when it's cold, not so much. I've never looked into that loft area because it seems to be quite small and not a useful space.

Actually, if anyone did want to live in my loft the other loft area would be ideal as it was set up with office space and a kind of work bench area by someone who lived here before me. But that hatch is bolted from outside.

OP posts:
Justmuddlingalong · 16/12/2023 19:10

So because in 35 years you've never caught and turned the knob when replacing the dish towel, that couldn't possibly be the explanation? Okay.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 16/12/2023 19:14

@pinkfun and I thought a cat couldn’t press down a knob and turn it, allowing the gas to freely flow on a gas hob, until watched the furry fucker do it!
@Seeingadistance something is never done, until the first time it is done. Just because you’ve never unwittingly tuned on the oven knob, doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t or the cat didn’t this time.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/12/2023 19:14

I accidentally turned the oven down from 180 to 140 on Thursday. Dinner was late.

Charlize43 · 16/12/2023 19:15

You'll be surprised what cats can do.

I once spent 4 hours searching high and low for mine until I found her sitting inside the washing machine with the door almost closed but not latched.

Near impossible since I always slam the door shut after using the machine. It's still a mystery to me how she opened the door. Although I have seen her pawing at the glass when there is a wash going round and round...

I've also seen her open and close doors with her paws, but it is still weird why she would have tried to close the door behind her once she was inside.

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:16

Justmuddlingalong · 16/12/2023 19:10

So because in 35 years you've never caught and turned the knob when replacing the dish towel, that couldn't possibly be the explanation? Okay.

Well it seems unlikely and as I say, it's not just knocked slightly out of position, it has been turned to 7 0'clock position. The knobs for the oven aren't at all loose - you really do have to make a deliberate effort to turn them.

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/12/2023 19:16

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 16/12/2023 19:14

I accidentally turned the oven down from 180 to 140 on Thursday. Dinner was late.

Though to be fair I suppose it could have been a ghost or someone hiding in my attic.

moomoomoo27 · 16/12/2023 19:17

There's no logical reason why someone would have come into your house and done that, if someone had stolen something that would be different.

Something else is worrying you and this is transference (assuming you haven't watched a film/read a book/listened to a song/had a convo with a friend that's made you jumpy about being on your own).

MajesticWhine · 16/12/2023 19:18

I think you're overthinking this. What's all this about loft hatches? You think someone could be secretly living in your loft space and coming in to the kitchen to turn a knob? It sounds bonkers.

Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:21

I'll blame the cats.

It would be nice to think it's the ghost of the bruiser of a cat I used to have who enjoyed opening doors and drawers, and generally trashing the place. Although even he never turned the oven on.

Anyway, thank you all. Still a mystery but I'm feeling less panicky about it.

The CO alarm does seem to be working properly, but I think it's about 7 years old, so I'll replace it just to be on the safe side.

All going well, it was either cats or me losing my marbles!

OP posts:
Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:22

MajesticWhine · 16/12/2023 19:18

I think you're overthinking this. What's all this about loft hatches? You think someone could be secretly living in your loft space and coming in to the kitchen to turn a knob? It sounds bonkers.

I mentioned the loft hatches because threads like this, as I said in my OP, do come up every so often and the prospect of someone living secretly in your loft is always mooted as a possibility!

OP posts:
Original poster
Seeingadistance · 16/12/2023 19:26

moomoomoo27 · 16/12/2023 19:17

There's no logical reason why someone would have come into your house and done that, if someone had stolen something that would be different.

Something else is worrying you and this is transference (assuming you haven't watched a film/read a book/listened to a song/had a convo with a friend that's made you jumpy about being on your own).

Not everything is logical. Many years ago, I did know a guy who had a key stolen or copied by workmen, who did then come back and move things around in his flat to the point that he really thought he was going mad. A chance comment by a neighbour who'd seen those guys going in and out, and knew who they were, revealed what had really been happening. But yes, a very unusual thing to happen.

OP posts:
2Old2Tango · 16/12/2023 19:27

Blimey, yesterday it was the OP whose keys went missing from her locked house and were found on a bus the other side of town. They had an unused granny annexe that needed checking.

Today it's an oven mysteriously turning on in an otherwise empty house that has a rarely used extension.

Either there's a lot of mysterious goings on, or there's a writing group somewhere who want to wind up Mumsnet, and this week's theme is ghostly goings on.

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 16/12/2023 19:29

@2Old2Tango yep! Think you've called it!

Orbitolld · 16/12/2023 19:29

This happened to me once - it was the cat. Was ages later I saw her do the same movement for whatever reason and could sleep again. It’s ok. It was the cat.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 16/12/2023 19:29

My very first, very mundane thought was that when I had a UTI there were several things which I couldn't explain, must have done but didn't have any memory of doing. Is this the only oddity you've noticed, and if it isn't might it be worth getting a GP to check for a UTI? (Or just pee into a glass jar first thing in the morning and check the pee isn't cloudy and go to the GP if it is?)