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!

We had a rat living in the kitchen in a hole into the boiler cupboard which was never noticed (or at least not caught) by the dogs. Cats don’t always catch them either.

I haven’t RTFT only OP updates so sorry if it’s been suggested … is there a spider web over the cistern? They can leave bloody/black marks from stuff dropping down. Hope you get sorted soon OP!

another vote for the animals. Not just wounds - they could have coughed some blood of even peed - mine did when they were I’ll a few times

Similar image on reddit. Turned out that it was flea dirt from the cat. If the atmosphere in the bathroom is humid, then pre existing flea dirt can become red and more visible. In both photos, inc yours, there appear to be cat hairs, so despite you cleaning the loo top, it's clearly had a cat on it afterwards. You won't necessarily find fleas on the coat. They could have hopped off. Lights are easily left on when it's light, but now that it's darker in the evenings would be more apparent when coming in from work, even if it's not totally dark. The dog was probably barking at another dog barking. The milk just got left out.

That has freaked me out - how horrible. I always think our dogs would make short work of vermin intruders. Seems there is a big chance they'd be fighting me to get out the door.

Could it be a squirrel?

I think this is the most logical explanation.

That's very strange, I hope that whatever is going on, is resolved soon 😊

Well someone has been in your house so if it's not your husband, who is it?

Especially when so many posts have been deleted by mnhq! I think, What have I missed?! 😂

Are you Dobbin him in?

The more I think about it the more I think it's from the vent. If it has been rather windy then air can get pushed inward. Has happened in my kitchen during a windstorm. 🤔💡

Cannot account for the mystery of items moving other than OP forgetting. Or demons.

Like others have said, it looks like some kind of insect excrement. I've had it in my house from time to time, which is an old Victorian house which is cold and damp in the Winter.

I absolutely second the flea dirt explanation for the 'blood'.

You said earlier in the thread "I'm not an expert but it looks like blood irl"... Did you forget you had a UV light?

There are dozens of replies saying it looks identical to flea related cat scratching, replies from PP's who have witnessed same first hand with their own cats.
In addition to the splatter on the cistern, there is also cat hair on the cistern. You said you know the splatter can only have occured while you were out because you cleaned/wiped the cistern just before you left the house, so for cat hair to ALSO be on your clean cistern when you got home the cat must've been on the cistern while you were out!

You forgot,
"The prosecution rests."
😃

Good luck hope it turns out to be something boring!

I don't think it's blood on the top of the cistern and is some kind of natural cause like dying insects or whatev.

Bang to rights 😼

I wonder if it’s your children just forgetting stuff and keeping doors opened. I know you’ve said that you’ve got no teens in the family but small children can do a lot of things without mentioning them to parents, so be watchful .
The blood looks like someone’s blown his nose forcefully or rinse his mouth too energetically and forgot to clean after. It’s exactly what my DD would do. We haven’t got splash back around the basin at the previous house so all wall next to it was covered with specks.

@Cherrysoup No but he was very mentally abusive. One night, I was waiting for the police to come and see me as he wouldn’t leave me alone or stop calling / texting me, and he had the audacity to text ‘How did you get on?’ - later I discovered he was in the loft when he text this!

Thankfully me and the children have now relocated so we are safe from him as he doesn’t know where we are x

No, it doesn't. It rules out some other things, but blood is far from being the only substance that looks black under UV light.

Years ago the people next door to us had all sorts of peculiar things going on. Turned out it was rats, but, I raise you, squirrels. My friend came home one day and her kitchen bin was vibrating, out of it popped a squirrel who legged it, causing chaos in it's wake.

😂😂😂

Jeez that's utterly horrific! Thank goodness he doesn't know your location.