There's something weird going on in my house

[horseHorseHorse]

For the last couple of weeks I've been noticing lights on when I come in when I'm 100% sure I've turned them off. Milk out on the side when I'm sure it's been put away. Stuff moved around but not in an obvious way, just a "huh, I could have sworn I left that somewhere else."

Put it down to rushed mornings and my cats playing with stuff.

Been out most of the day, just went into the upstairs bathroom for the first time since this morning and there's blood on the loo tank. Thought it could have come from a cat bringing something in but the door has been closed all day, and it's on the third floor so it's not like they could have got in and out like that. Windows have been closed too.

I have already bought carbon monoxide detectors in addition to the wired in ones. They're all over the house but haven't picked anything up.

Have a loft but the hatch is tiny and doesn't seem to have been disturbed.

Have an internal camera which shows the front door and hall - no activity though it did show my dog going bonkers barking at something outside a couple of times today (though the external camera isn't up yet so I couldn't see what)

Only direct family have keys and they wouldn't do stuff like this. Will be changing the locks tomorrow!

I'm properly creeped out ATM! Husband will be back shortly from work thank god! I'm in the bedroom with the door wedged shut for the moment!

Please someone give me a rational explanation!

Ok, I may be laughed to scorn, but I'm going to tell you what happened to me in my 20s. You can add up the dots.
So we had similar activity, sans blood spots and milk being left out. Mostly lights being turned back on in the middle of the night and the gas fire too. now the gas fire's ignition had broken, so you had to turn it on, light a match, and let the gas catch the flame. It wasn't as easy as just flicking a switch.
This went on for a few weeks. We called the local church minister and he came to say prayers in every room (like a kind of exorcism). The activity ceased as of that day.
True story. Make of it what you will.
I hope you get your situation resolved asap, OP. It doesn't sound like you're in any danger here, but it's unsettling.

So this hypothetical loft squatter first had to slip unnoticed into this detached property (via an unlocked door or window where he would not be captured on the Ring camera), nip upstairs to establish whether the loft hatch was easily accessible; slip out again to fetch his own ladder then slip unnoticed back into the property with his ladder in order to set up residence in the loft?

Mmmm. Or do all potential loft squatters of detached properties (ie properties with no access to the loft space via adjoining properties) carry a ladder around with them just in case there is no convenient loft ladder installed in the property which they are hoping to squat in?

Hilarious! Nearly spat my tea! We were warned the house was haunted but that was more along the lines of spectres not disappearing kitchenware. We've not seen anything ghostly in the seven years we have been here.

Agreed. You'd hear noises from the joists as the person moved.

Always remember a news story of someone who was living in the loft and coming out when everyone had gone to work. Very creepy. Sure there’s a rational explanation.

Could someone be winding you up just before halloween?

Ours, too. There is no flooring in our loft space just sheets of plasterboard and joists infilled with fibreglass insulation. If a bird or mouse has got up there or if a plumber is doing work on the water tanks and plumbing, it sounds like a herd of elephants.

Genuinely glad (for you) that the police cme round, putting your mind at ease, BUT I wish they'd pop round mine to deal with the catalytic converter theft. 😒

I googled this and I wish I hadn't. The bloke is an actor if you read the blurb below but says it is real.

Sister comes daily through the week to walk the dog but genuinely isn't the type to leave lights on or the milk out (she also doesn't drink milk!)

The simplest answer is usually correct.

Really hope you get to the bottom of this OP. Stay strong ❤️

Reassuring genuinely frightened people is NOT a waste of police time. Don’t be so cruel

Occam’s razor

Sister comes daily through the week to walk the dog but genuinely isn't the type to leave lights on or the milk out (she also doesn't drink milk!)

Do the cats drink milk? Could the sister have given the milk to the cats?

This is scary, hope you get answers!

Unless I missed it, you didnt say you had asked your sister whether she has anything to say. I am surprised you didnt mentioned her coming until today.

Its impossible to tell from the photo but I was sceptical about the blood splatter to start with, more so with pp's explanation about flea poo and water.

You could take a picture of your kitchen just before the last person leaves the house, for a double check later in the evening .

Hope you are able to find explanations and put your mind to rest.

I find it unlikely that you have an intruder when you have a dog. Unless the dog knows the person.

@horseHorseHorse What did the police says about the specks on the toilet?
You could always take a sample to an independent lab if you are concerned.
I think extra cameras are the answer and I'm sure you will solve this soon.

Unfortunately not. The kitchen and living room are next to each other so while the camera I've got can see the kitchen, I can't see into it ATM.

I think it needs a diagram, will be back.

Yes, yes it absolutely IS a waste of police times when victims of actual crimes are left waiting for hours for the police to turn up-mostly because of a shortage of officers and people calling them out for ridiculous things like forgetting they left the lights on 🙄
Lets hope you never need to call them out in an emergency-you’ll have a different slant on this of you do

Round here they send PCSOs for stuff like this rather than an actual response officer. I expect it’ll be something similar with the OP.

I think the camera is by the front door where you cant actually see sister going into the kitchen, and OP is just assuming she is by the short interval before she sees her coming out again.

This whole thread is ridiculous. So many innocent and plausible explanations for all of the things that happened.

That is not my fault. I didn't force the police to come out, or exaggerate the situation. I simply explained what I had here and they decided to send someone out.

It shows black under a UV light which would indicate it's blood. I don't have hundreds of pounds to test it though unfortunately!