Somethings in my attic and I’m freaking out!!!

[DandyPinkDuck]

There’s something living in my attic and I’m freaking out, this whole situation is making my mental health even worse, I’m so anxious I can’t leave my room and haven’t eaten all day as I’m scared I’ll find something running around I’m extremely on edge 😔 I live by myself in a semi detached house in a semi-rural area.

Sunday around 2am I heard a noise outside my bedroom window (I have a conservatory below my window) it literally sounded like someone was trying to break in or open the window, was rather loud and I freaked out. Calmed myself down and thought maybe it was a cat outside my window on the conservatory roof….I was wrong…today (Monday) this time at 12:30am I could hear noise above me in the attic which was definitely in the attic as was rather loud, sounded like something crawling/running pretty fast as well as scratching, lasted about 10minutes and then went silent and not heard anything as of yet. Best way I can describe it is it was like a kitten that’s energetically running around and clawing things. I assume whatever it is climbed onto the conservatory and at first tried to find a way into my bedroom around the window which failed, I'm praying it failed, and then settled to the attic instead.

I called my landlord as I rent a council property and they said someone will contact me in 2-5 working days and I can’t afford to go private but I’m loosing my mind I’ve genuinely had anxiety attacks on/off all of today as I’m really stressed and scared to death that I’m gonna see something big and grey (don’t want to mention it) running around I honestly cannot relax and as mentioned I’ve not eaten because of it… may sound silly to some but my mental health is really bad and this situation has made it worse. The fact I heard it trying to get into my room near the window makes me terrified they may come into my room or already be here somewhere I’m having to constantly scan my room every few minutes to check (it’s triggering my OCD symptoms).

I know it’s not something sitting on the roof and doubt it’s a bird as when it was moving it was really fast. There’s no way I can put traps around or go into the attack, as you can tell I’m already distressed just knowing somethings there. I feel like I’m a complete mess and I’m dreading tonight as I know I’m bound to hear it again I’m really anxious this time I’ll hear it in my actual room or trying to get in again. I couldn’t even pluck the courage to look outside my window onto the top of the conservatory this morning in case I saw something.

Should I call the landlord again tomorrow to explain how I suffer with mental health and it’s really effecting me to hopefully see if anyone can come sooner?

Any reassurance would be great right now as I’m very panicky, already searched what the chances are of a pest in the attic coming into the actual house and regret searching it…any reassurance on that would be great or just to hear peoples experiences.

We think it scaled an outside wall using a fallen Christmas lights cable and got under the rafters. It was me who went up in the attic to investigate the ongoing noise expecting to find a mouse but found the badger shitting over the edge in the tank.

Please don't be alarmed op, this chance of this happening to you is minimal

I bet its a squirrel. Do you have anyone to have a look for you and try to release it. It might be trapped and cant find its way out. Don't put poison down - that's awful.

Do you have a neighbour who could look for you?

OK reckon you'll be OK in the meantime. It's not as if a creature could open the hatch.

We had a squirrel in the eaves. It sounded like it was breakdancing.

@MrsMoastyToasty

Unfortunately I’m not close with my neighbours, I struggle to get out the house so don’t see them much, I agree I can’t picture whatever it is opening the hatch and peeking out I guess it’s crazy how much anxiety can make you overthink 😅

OP just remember it's more frightened of you than you are of it and with good reason. Get a broom and hit as near as you can get to make a noise. Try to get something to eat and some sleep, you'll feel better. It'll be sorted soon.

@RaininSummer

This helps and made me laugh, if I hear any noises I keep trying to picture a squirrel, now I’ll picture a squirrel that’s breakdancing 😅

Can't you just call pest control yourself? Most councils have pest control for free or a low cost if it's inside the house.

Think you just need to make peace with having a lil breakdancing squirrel roomie for the next couple of days OP. When I'm alone and I hear stuff in the attic it does freak me out (we've had a few squirrels and a whole family of starlings 🙄) and it honestly helps me to chat to them ha ha! I'll be like "seriously mate shut up I'm watching graham norton"

Probably a squirrel, don’t poison it get a humane trap if you can. If it chews through anything in the meantime that’s your landlord’s problem, you’ve let them know

Bertha Rochester?

This funny scene from a show about rubbish estate agents (Stath Lets Flats) might make you laugh if you haven't seen it - it's an estate agent trying to catch a pigeon in a tenant's flat - https://share.google/BvR0h6LpixggJpXx8

Rats most likely, though mice can be surprisingly noisy. Could be a squirrel. They climb up through the wall cavities or the space around pipes. An exterminator is not that expensive - a few years ago I had one come out and three visits cost all of £85. First to check everything out and lay some bait, and twice to check them. In fact if the problem persisted he said he’d come out again. Of course the landlord should pay.

Don’t poison creatures, it’s really bad in terms of secondary poisoning - plenty of people’s pets die that way.

It'll just be a squirrel that needs an eviction notice from pest control. And no our pest controller doesn’t use poison because he’s responsible when there are pets around.

If you have a loft light turn that on noe and then and like others have said keep banging the ceiling as will hopefully force them to leave!

I heard noises a while ago and whatever it was had chewed some card but haven't heard anything for a while. Sods law the fuckers will return now.

@Angelic999

Not that I’m aware of, I called the council and they said I have to talk to the landlord so I called them today and they said someone from the pest team will be in touch within 2-5 working days…not sure if that means they’ll call and arrange an appointment within that timeframe or actually come to the house so I may have to wait till next Monday at the latest. Going to call in the morning to try and nag them to come asap.

Fair enough, my advice in the meantime is white noise, e.g. a fan including overnight so you're not listening out for every little sound.

@FrodoBiggins
lol I’ve watched that series, I found it hilarious! Thank you for the constant support and helping me ease my mind 🙏

It's so good isn't it. Can't see a pigeon without thinking BEAK!!!

I think I'll have whatever CalmShaker is on 😂

This was my thought too. What an awful thing to do. I had a squirrel in my loft. I got pest control in . They put traps up there which killed it quickly and humanely. I would never poison any animal.

@CalmShaker

Sounds like that badger was on a mission, scaling a wall with Christmas lights 🤣 I can imagine you walking in on the badger and it thinking “well this is awkward…anyways do you mind passing me the toilet roll”😅

Sorry I didn't read all that.
Surely it's just a pigeon.
I mean why would Pennywise be up there...just kidding 😂

your feelings are totally understandable, it’s really scary when something like this happens but it will all be ok 🩷 i really hope you can get something to eat if you can manage it, maybe put some familiar music or tv show on or something while you do it so you have some background noise and it isn’t silent/you listening for the animal. it is really scary but it will be something like a squirrel and it will be gone soon, hope your landlord works quickly to help you 🩷

Could be a squirrel, but I lived in an old house for a while and we had what we were sure must be a squirrel but it was actually just a couple of mice! They can sound amazingly loud in echoing spaces.