# Things that showed up in your house and you don't know how they got there **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801 "2024-06-12T21:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/1 "2024-06-12T21:32:24Z")
Today I was about to get some laundry out of the dryer when I noticed there was some money laying on it. A twenty dollar bill and a five dollar bill just laying there together. None of the clothes have pockets. Where the hell did this money come from? I live alone so unless the cats managed to do it, I can’t imagine how the money got there. Or why it wasn’t mixed up in the clothes and towels at least. (I checked but there was no other money in there.) The twenty looks pretty new - it’s crisp and has one fold. The five is more wrinkly but it’s undamaged. I’m still laughing about how bizarre it is. But hey, $25! Anyone else had something mysteriously show up in your house? ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/2 "2024-06-12T22:08:45Z")
My brother-in-law. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/3 "2024-06-12T22:09:43Z")
Don’t forget to tip your waitress. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/4 "2024-06-12T22:12:21Z")
My daughters 2 Chihuahuas. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/5 "2024-06-12T22:19:18Z")
When I was growing up, surprise animals weren’t that unusual. My grandfather was the town animal control officer (very small town), and there were times the shelter was full, so we became the temporary overflow, with at least one dog never leaving after his arrival. My family also tends to have visible-only-to-cats “sucker lives here” signs on our homes, so strays have a fondness for claiming us. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/6 "2024-06-12T22:26:19Z")
I think I have a similar sign on my gate “Dump your dog here, they’ll keep it”. Or to dogs “Hey, you hit the lottery, come in and collect!” ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/7 "2024-06-12T23:15:07Z")
My husband believes there is a Universal Cat Distribution System to route kitties in need to people who’ll help them. Maybe there’s something similar for dogs? ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Blaylock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_blaylock/32/3235_2.png) [@Bob\_Blaylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Blaylock)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/8 "2024-06-12T23:26:45Z")
  It does, however, sometimes seem to run amok.  In the time that we’ve lived in our current apartment (coming up on a dozen years, now), the UCDS has tried to foist a total of five cats on us, that we didn’t need.  Buddy’s the one of them that we kept, in spite of already having a cat that very much prefers being an only cat.   On further thought, I can think of at least two cats that may have been attempts by the UCDS to give them to us at our previous apartment. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/9 "2024-06-12T23:29:44Z")
In most cases, we did manage to get them to people who could either keep them or find them homes, so the cats did get help. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/10 "2024-06-12T23:32:46Z")
Mine too. He got it together in the end, made a life for himself, now has his own BIL in his house . ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/11 "2024-06-12T23:44:13Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I live alone You _think_ you live alone. The guy living in your attic, or other crawl space, got interupted while doing laundry. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/12 "2024-06-12T23:59:01Z")
My late wife used to say that I have a tattoo on my forehead, visible only to cats, that reads SUCKER. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/13 "2024-06-13T00:00:21Z")
Are we related? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/14 "2024-06-13T00:31:47Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > You _think_ you live alone. The guy living in your attic, or other crawl space, got interupted while doing laundry. Or left me some rent money. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/15 "2024-06-13T00:39:44Z")
We had a squirrel in the house not too long ago. After the Siamese Bear chased him down the beams in the living room he did a great performance of wall climbing Acrobatics and went head first down a two story wall, Son-of-a-wrek was quick and opened the front just as Mr. Squirrel got there and out he went. Siamese Bear put his brakes on right at the threshold. Then we scratched out heads trying to figure out how he got it. The Grandkids left the French doors ajar for a few minutes(I hope, hate to think I was air conditioning the whole outdoors for very long). But that was a surprise. Short lived, surprising nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/16 "2024-06-13T00:53:54Z")
I occasionally have nifty products arriving on my front porch in Amazon boxes. It’s like Christmas morning! The usual explanation is excessive vodka consumption combined with access to the internet at some point prior to said arrival. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/17 "2024-06-13T01:13:35Z")
I recently found a nightlight on my bedroom floor. I did not purchase this device. It turned out that my cat had stolen it from some recent houseguests and hidden it under my bed. He’d previously stolen a video game cartridge from the same guests earlier, so it wasn’t a huge shock. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/18 "2024-06-18T11:54:55Z")
Well we have a creepy cymbal-clapping monkey that showed up in our kids room years ago. I think I originally saw it when I was with my wife’s creepy aunts and one of their creepy yard sales out in the country (near where they filed Friday the Thirteenth). Somehow it ended up in our apartment, just clapping away and cursing everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/19 "2024-06-18T14:51:42Z")
Not house, but music collection. Back in the day of mix tapes, I had one. In the middle was a song that I didn’t know what it was called or who it was by. I asked the few people who might have supplied me the song, and no one recognized it. So where did it come from? And how did I know I liked it enough to add it to the tape if I didn’t even know who it was? It was obscure enough it took years for me to find out who it was. And this was tape, so I had to load the record on the turntable and listen to the song while I recorded it. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801/20 "2024-06-18T15:15:05Z")
Likely the most valuable random find: a friend of mine found a DIAMOND RING. In her toilet. She was cleaning it one day. Heard a faint clank of something metallic in the bottom of the bowl. Put a glove on, reached in… and pulled out a ring. She asked her neighbors (condo building); none of them recognized it. Best she could figure is that a former resident of the building lost it down a drain, it got stuck, and ultimately got dislodged. IIRC, it was missing one of the stones. Pretty sure she still has it - I’m visiting her in a couple weeks; I’ll have to ask. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-showed-up-in-your-house-and-you-dont-know-how-they-got-there/1002801.md?page=2)