Noises in attic really freaked out!!

[happymumof4crazykids]

Came home at 7pm tonight and as I came through the front door it sounded like someone ran up the attic stairs. Had the kids with me and OH is in work. Told the younger kids to go in the lounge and took my eldest with me upstairs to check. The attic is a converted attic bedroom with stairs off the landing. As we got upstairs and turned the landing light on heard a shuffling noise (like someone moving about)and was absolutely petrified if I'm honest.
Went upstairs and found nothing in the attic bedroom. Checked every cupboard and wardrobe upstairs, all doors and windows were locked, no sign of anyone being in the house or anything moved/missing. The attic stairs are a half flight with landing then another half flight up again. On the half landing is an entrance to a storage attic above our double extension. This was unlocked but there is only half a dozen boxes in there so got a torch and couldn't see anything so locked it up and came downstairs. Did bedtime got the younger kids to bed and came downstairs. My eldest has the attic bedroom and he's just screamed out saying he thought he saw someone in his room. (Was asleep he said) There is no one there and the half attic door is still locked. I have searched the whole house and can't find anything. WIBU to ring the police to come check?

You scared your son so he imagined something.

Be rational, is there any way some could have entered your house?

Can you call a friend to come over and check put your mind at rest?

I don't think you should waste police time because you've got that things that go bump in the night panic. Sounds like you and your son are just egging each other on.

(Advance apologies if you were right all along and you wake up dead tomorrow morning)

The noise you heard was probab!y a mouse or a rat

When is your dh home?

I think it was probably nothing and your son is just freaked out because of your reaction earlier.

That's what I've told myself! No one could get in!! My kids all heard the noise and it was the eldest (14) boy who said that sounded like someone running up my stairs. We live in a terraced house but the houses are old and the walls are really thick. I've never heard any noise from the neighbours and they say they never hear anything from us. I've double checked the attic space again and nothing is there. Maybe I'll just go back to bed. There is nothing the police could do that I already have done. Was just freaked out!

You've got squirrels, or rats. They can make a terrific racket and they move fast.

Don't let people fill your head with woo-bollocks to the point that you scare your DC. If you have the cash to spare, find a pest control company in the morning.

Birds in our eaves sounded like a heard of elephants once.

Herd

Possibly a cat? Cats don't care about walls, locked doors or tiny squeezy gaps.

I've lived in a house (student days) where we had squirrels in the attic it was obvious they were there! They made so much racket and made loads of mess. I haven't heard a thing since we got home. Will get my dad over to check in the morning. My oh works away and isn't back till Thursday

Rats can sound as if they're wearing hobnailed boots.

I'd guess you have a rat or rats in the loft. They come in to get out of the cold. You will most likely hear them again in the early hours just before dawn. Get pest control out tomorrow as you are in a terrace they might have gotten in through a small hole in one of your neighbour's walls and not necessarily through a hole in your walls.

Pest control it is then! Will be on the phone first thing. Fingers crossed it's just the wind or something simple and not rats

We had squirrels, it sounded like they were throwing pebbles around all night.

Is it possible for your neighbours to access your attic from their own?

I had rats ( I think rats ) in my loft whatever it was had chewed through a load of boxes anyway and you could hear them on a night which is what led me up to check when I found the boxes

Get a biscuit, break it into 4 pieces. Note what they look like and then place them in the areas you've heard noises. Note where you've placed them (best to write this down or take photos). Leave them for 48 hours then go back and check if they're still there. If they've gone, it could well be a rat. If not, it's a spirit.

Eek! I had noises upstairs last year when I was downstairs, house was secure and it freaked me out. Turned out next door's cat had sneaked in through the cat flap and had gone upstairs to play with my cat's toys! He's big so it was noisy enough to sound like footsteps. So do check under beds etc for CFN cats

Also, rats leave visible droppings. Spirits don't. Though they might move your keys and turn electrical equipment on in the night.

It's probably just a ghost.

how do they get in the attic? Rats?

Couldn't see any droppings in the extension attic space but was looking for a person will have a good look tomorrow. The main attic which is part of the original house has no access for the neighbours. The walls are all brick or plasterboard/ plaster with no inbuilt cupboards.
I don't have a cat flap or anything that a cat could sneak in through. I haven't heard anything else since I got home. Hoping it was just transferred noise

Rats can get in easily by climbing up outside walls, getting in through a hole. Or, through broken drains. Or, via the wall cavity. Or, from next door if you've got an adjoining loft. Or, brought in by a cat. Lots of ways.