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

[Seeingadistance]

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.

I’m not a superstitious person at all but about a year ago I was walking though the kitchen and came back and the kettle was on.

I don’t drink tea, it was impossible I could have knocked it etc. Very freaked out!

We moved house anyway so it’s fine.

I didn't know Len Goodman had died! <misses point of thread>

Cat jumping at an angle or leaping up could knock to 7 oclock position.
Other explanations are you knocked it or didnt quite turn it off before and its been on longer than you know.

Lets be realistic. Assuming that you had "the hider in the house", they arent going to want to be discovered and arent going to start cooking are they?
stuff missing from the fridge in a hurry is that job.

I would check out your extension loft when you have a muscular male friend over just to put your mind at rest in broad daylight because it will calm you down.

But honestly its fine. Its most likely the cats

It's a long time since I literally laughed out loud at a post!

"Seven!"

🤣😂🤣

Could you possibly have early onset dementia? Have you been forgetting things in general? Hope it's not someone in the loft but it seems so unlikely.

Op... so what do YOU think has happened here??

As you have cats, I would look no further for the culprit. We used to have a very charming visitorcat who would come in through any open door/window and make himself at home in the kitchen or dining-room/study. We generally didn't know he was there until he jumped on to the back of a chair/into someone's lap. I once caught him patiently working on an attempt to open the freezer door, presumably mistaking it for the fridge. He leapt back in horror (and gave me a very hard stare) when I opened it for him and the blast of freezing air hit him.

I hate to suggest this, but a rat climbing and clambering about could shift the knob on a cooker. Although you do have cats, so you would notice their behaviour if they sensed a rodent about, I'm sure. (Unless they're not the hunting kind - I put one of my cats in a room that had live mouse in it, and she went to sleep on the bed.). But might account for the other strange noises.

Certainly would do no harm to install a few hidden CCTV cameras around the house so you can check if this kind of thing happens again.

Cat then.

Have a firm word

I know this...Are the cats called Jack an Norrie?

Do you take sleeping tablets?

As someone I know changed brand, and during the night got up and made curry and rice from scratch, and cleaned up. Then went back to bed. The only reason he knew he had done it was because his partner watched him. And he cannot recall a thing about it.

I once stood at the other end of the kitchen talking on the phone to my Mum and watched the kettle turn itself on - literally saw the switch flick by itself. My ex didn't believe me. I wasn't even necessarily saying it was anything spooky but it pissed me off that he didn't believe me. I did always feel like I was being watched in that house and my dogs used to act really weird, sitting at the bottom of the stairs and staring at the landing I but never actually saw anything.

There could be a problem with the electrics, either with the insulation, the board being faulty or damage wires or could there have been a little surge.

So worried that they’ve posted on mumsnet. Thank god for that, they’ll be sound now.

it’ll be the cats. Lighten up.

I honestly don't know.

Can't possibly be 100% certain, but I really don't see that it could have been turned accidentally by me or the cats. It's not loose - and to get to that position would need to have been turned past either one or two other settings - at each setting it kind of clicks and settles into position. So you both hear and feel it moving.

If I had still had my door-opening cat, I could possibly have blamed him, but even with his skills, it would have been unlikely, and the cats I have now are not particularly dextrous.

No evidence of rats in the house - I've lived in houses with mice and rats in them in the past - and the cats are very effective hunters and would definitely be interested if any rodents ventured in.

I really only mentioned the loft hatches because that always comes up on these threads. If there were anyone in the loft I would hear them moving about - I can hear birds on the roof, so would definitely notice someone in the loft.

So, the most likely explanation is that I, for no reason, turned the oven on to a setting I've never used before and don't know what it's for, didn't turn the heat on, and then forgot I'd done it.

Could it be an electrical surge? Faulty oven?

Maybe, but how would an electrical fault cause a knob to turn? I could see that happening with a very modern high tech touch-screeny type of cooker if such things exist, but this is a very basic, quite old fashioned electric oven.

If it's lost and you don't know where it is, how can you be sure it's not been lost outside? Get someone around to check out the other loft hatch. It's cold outside, someone might have sneaked inside in the warm.

Have a little think about what you have said here and then try to imagine how this could affect someone who lives on their own and is feeling a bit anxious. I live alone and was a single parent. One night when my child was three someone broke into our home and although many years have passed, it was a terrifying experience. We woke to a cold house, the back door wide open, my bag was stolen with my money in it and the phone wires (yes it was a long time ago) had been cut so I couldn't call for help. I would replay that night over and over again in my head, they had been up the stairs, there were footprints on the carpet. It really isn't a joking matter

How utterly ridiculous. Of course it won't be a cat that's turned it on.

It will be two cats, they work in pairs.

Wait - I reckon it's a message from the CO2 monitor. Maybe it's telling you how old it is using the oven dial?

It's currently 13C in my hall, so am absolutely sure that no one would sneak into my house for a heat!

Yeah, I can't say for definite where the lost key is. I suspect it's with various other mysterious keys in the drawer of crap but don't really know for sure.

That'll be it!

Fucking helpful.