# Something is Stealing My Spare Key



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I was working outside near where I hid my spare key - and it's gone - again.

A few years ago, I locked myself out and went to get my hidden key and couldn't find it. I got my neighbor to help and we removed a window air conditioner and I was able to get into the house.

In January of this year, I locked myself out again. My sister was taking me to hospital, and since I wasn't driving I forgot my wallet and keys. Spare key was gone from new hiding space. I had to break a window to get into the house to get my keys and wallet. I was afraid the hospital might not let me in for a scheduled procedure without my identification and insurance card.

So I check today and it's gone again.

The suspects are mice, squirrels, or chipmunks. I guess a raccoon could get to it, but I don't know why they would.

I guess I need to put it under something heavy!

Who is the main suspect?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

MoonRiver said:


> I was working outside near where I hid my spare key - and it's gone - again.
> 
> A few years ago, I locked myself out and went to get my hidden key and couldn't find it. I got my neighbor to help and we removed a window air conditioner and I was able to get into the house.
> 
> ...


You need a security camera pointed at the location of your key.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Ummm...squirrels and chipmunks would have no attraction to a key.

It's a two-legged varmint you are looking for here. And no two-legged varmint would be interested in taking your key unless they had LESS than honorable motives.

You would be wise to get to the bottom of this pronto.
OH..and change your locks ASAP.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Where I live we have what are called pack rats, four legs not two, but they have an attraction for shiny things. Have cleaned out packrat nests from old cars and such and found all manner of chromed tools, etc.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

If it was my key, I'd be the most likely suspect.
I'm famous for putting something in a secure location, usually, never to lay eyes on it again.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

Blue Jays will do that also and them pack rats will take anything that's not too hot or too heavy ~Georgia


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I've lost my spare key a few times, gone from the place I know that I had put it. Every time, it was located in the last place I'd look, the place I'm sure I didn't put it. The other pocket......


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

One of the most common behavior in Dementia is people stealing things from you, people moving/hiding common items. I guess they recall where they put something last week, but forgot the later time that they used it and failed to return it to the original place. 

A friend's mother is 90 and lives alone. She is sure someone has entered the house, as she slept, took her good scissors, good tape measure, a screwdriver and an Elvis CD. All doors and windows are locked, a board jammed to prevent anything getting opened, plus an alarm system installed. Yet, all her ink pens are stolen along with some used insulated underwear from a box in the closet.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

insulated underwear! ? sounds like something I could get into.....

also, I love an animal that loves shiny things. 

can you hide the key in a little wallet or a bag that isn't shiny ?


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Amongst the usual subjects I would vote for the squirrel. They love shiny things. When you notice the key missing is there ever something put back in its place? Our squirrels do this. We have a large feeder for them so they will leave the bird feeders alone. All the seeds disappear but the squirrels pay us back by placing dozens of pine cones in the feeder.

Up here the Ravens are huge and very mischieveous. Also extremely clever. They would take the key if they saw it. We have several large garbage cans into which we put gardening supplies. Our spare key is at the bottom of the can in a small tin.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

yeah I so remember that Haypoint from looking after Andrew. i only hope I'm given time to end it all. funny thing dementia. none of my family had that. course we didn't know the word dementia way back. they called it old age. just never seemed to hit my family and they lived to ripe old ages.

i have 2 brothers 88 and 89. living in their own homes when they stay home long enough. driving and travelling all over.I blame it on all the fish we ate and still eating it though it's probably not as healthy these days ~Georgia


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## Weedygarden (Mar 16, 2011)

I would suspect a human. If it were me, I would put the keys in a small jar, dig a hole that the jar fits nicely into, and cover it with gravel, rocks, mulch or a potted plant.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I really doubt it's a human because they have had plenty of opportunities to use the key to rob me, and they haven't.

I think I'm going to put the key in the same place, but fasten it to something so an animal can't take it. The place where I hide it is out of the weather and out of sight, but easy to access if you know where it is. A short person couldn't reach it!


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

If you use a trail cam, don't be surprised if you catch my wife on it. she constantly moves things for no reason other than to move it..I am almost blind so I put things exactly back where I found them.. next time I go to get whatever, it is gone. I ask her where is the peanut butter jar ? Oh, I put that over on the other counter. Why ? No reason..
for your key, I vote pack rat..


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

you have to be some careful when you live with a blind or mostly blind person to put things back in their proper place. one of my husbands was blind and I'd make sure everything chairs etc. etc. were where they were supposed to be.


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## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

it's likely a **** . I catch them in my havahart trap with nothing more than tin foil . 
google will confirm their love for things that shine


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I built our house in 2005, when I made a big event out of handing my wife her key to our new house. [I thought it would make a romantic gesture].

When I installed the front doors, I tested the keys.

That was the last time our front door was ever locked.


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## 101pigs (Sep 18, 2018)

MoonRiver said:


> I was working outside near where I hid my spare key - and it's gone - again.
> 
> A few years ago, I locked myself out and went to get my hidden key and couldn't find it. I got my neighbor to help and we removed a window air conditioner and I was able to get into the house.
> 
> ...


Had the same problem. Twice in the last 20 years key would be lost from where i had paced it on a nail on a tree in back yard. Last time i put it up about 15 ft. on the same tree with two nails to hold it in place. They would have to remove one of the nails to take it and also have a ladder or something to get high enough to reach it. Been there for 10 years on with no problem. In 20 years i have never had to use it.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My spare house key is hid inside one of the dog houses. It also will not work on the back door.
Couple weeks ago I went shooting with Chuck as we were going out the club house door I checked my pocket and said I locked the truck key in the truck. I waited till we got to the last station to call Kare to bring the spare (her) key to open the truck. 
I had taken my tool box out a few weeks before which has my slim jim so I couldn't open it.
She pulls in the parking lot and I decide I want a mint from my jacket pocket and there I find my key. ELDER MOMENT ALERT!!!
But since she was there we tested to see if i could indeed lock the key in the truck. I cn't I am happy to say.

 Al


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I made a fake bird house to hide a key.
There is screen covering the inside of the entry hole to keep wasps from getting in.
Unless you walk up an look directly into the hole it looks like any other bird house.


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## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

[QUOTE="haypoint, 

A friend's mother is 90 and lives alone. She is sure someone has entered the house, as she slept, took her good scissors, good tape measure, a screwdriver and an Elvis CD. All doors and windows are locked, a board jammed to prevent anything getting opened, plus an alarm system installed. Yet, all her ink pens are stolen along with some used insulated underwear from a box in the closet.[/QUOTE]
A sad reminder of my dear mothers final year , everyone was stealing from her , even my father who died 13 years earlier.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

MoonRiver said:


> I was working outside near where I hid my spare key - and it's gone - again.
> 
> A few years ago, I locked myself out and went to get my hidden key and couldn't find it. I got my neighbor to help and we removed a window air conditioner and I was able to get into the house.
> 
> ...


I didn't do it, nobody saw me, and you can't prove anything!


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

we built this house 50 years ago. I think we locked the doors when we went on vacation with the kids about 40 years ago. If I had to lock the house today I would have to put new handles on the doors because I have no idea where any keys are..
we came home from a weekend out of town once and found a note that friends from out of state had stopped in and stayed over night..


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## poppy (Feb 21, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> we built this house 50 years ago. I think we locked the doors when we went on vacation with the kids about 40 years ago. If I had to lock the house today I would have to put new handles on the doors because I have no idea where any keys are..
> *we came home from a weekend out of town once and found a note that friends from out of state had stopped in and stayed over night.. *


I'd suspect squirrels on that one. They like a comfy bed and have been known to impersonate other people and they are also good at writing notes.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

haypoint said:


> A friend's mother is 90 and lives alone. She is sure someone has entered the house, as she slept, took her good scissors, good tape measure, a screwdriver and an Elvis CD. All doors and windows are locked, a board jammed to prevent anything getting opened, plus an alarm system installed. Yet, all her ink pens are stolen along with some used insulated underwear from a box in the closet.


It sometimes seems like when I cant find something anywhere that somebody must needed it more than I did. But seriously if its either trivial consumer stuff or even on more expensive single thing like tool, then its likely its that I put it somewhere and forgot. Cause a thief isnt going to bother stealing stuff he cant convert easily to significant cash. And thief isnt just going to steal just one item unless its something like UPS package off your front porch. Then its likely a thief following the delivery truck around and stealing packages off lot porches.


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I'm voting on a **** too. You can do like I do in the future. I cant lock my keys in the house because I only lock the dead bolt...


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Might be Borrowers


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Hooray for Cornhusker!


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

My spare key is in a baggie up on a rafter in my neighbors barn. Now all I have to do is remember which rafter.....


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## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

haypoint said:


> One of the most common behavior in Dementia is people stealing things from you, people moving/hiding common items. I guess they recall where they put something last week, but forgot the later time that they used it and failed to return it to the original place.
> 
> A friend's mother is 90 and lives alone. She is sure someone has entered the house, as she slept, took her good scissors, good tape measure, a screwdriver and an Elvis CD. All doors and windows are locked, a board jammed to prevent anything getting opened, plus an alarm system installed. Yet, all her ink pens are stolen along with some used insulated underwear from a box in the closet.


My mom thinks people are stealing from her too. But that's better than my mother-in-law who last week told us she was dead. Yesterday she told a cousin that she was dead and buried in New Mexico. Doesn't make me want to live to a ripe old age.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

my mother lived to be 99. she was totally blind for the last 5 years.. she saw children.. One time I said , I don't see any children,.. she said, you should, the little girl is sitting on your lap..


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

ticndig said:


> it's likely a **** . I catch them in my havahart trap with nothing more than tin foil .
> google will confirm their love for things that shine


Good to know. Maybe I should try that. There are a couple trouble-makers here that need to be eliminated.

I lost a car key once. Had 3 others so I wasn't in desperate need of that key. About 5 years later I found it in a bag of scrap aluminum from when we had the windows replaced. I have no idea how it got there. I do have a habit of locking myself out of my bedroom, with my key in the bedroom. I hid a replacement in the house and have told no-one where that is.

If you're going to hide a key outside it should be someplace where it can't be taken by birds or animals and where people can't see it. I don't have one hidden outside because I would keep moving the thing, then forget where I hid it. Happens with my garden trowels all the time.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

MoonRiver said:


> I was working outside near where I hid my spare key - and it's gone - again.
> 
> A few years ago, I locked myself out and went to get my hidden key and couldn't find it. I got my neighbor to help and we removed a window air conditioner and I was able to get into the house.
> 
> ...


95% sure it's a raccoon. I used to have a pet one and he would turn down food just so he could climb up my leg and unzip my jacket. I came home from work one time and he had his hand in my change bottle. Once he grabbed the coin he wouldn't let go. With his hand on the coin in the bottle it wouldn't come out either. 

It was a very bad day for both of us because he was mad and I couldn't get him to let go. I had to offer you some shiny new tin foil to get him to let go.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I bet I buy more pruners than anyone. 3 or 4 sometimes more each summer and they aren't cheap. I think most of them go into the green bin. I bet the guys are mighty disgusted when pruners go through the machinery


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Green bin?


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Green bin?


Recycle.


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## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

newfieannie said:


> I bet I buy more pruners than anyone. 3 or 4 sometimes more each summer and they aren't cheap. I think most of them go into the green bin. I bet the guys are mighty disgusted when pruners go through the machinery


My husband used to work for a waste management company. You'd be surprised at the things that come down the sorting line - random garden tools, once half of a dead adult hog, and lots of live snakes to name a few he's mentioned to me. Your pruners are probably the least of their worries 

I think I personally single-handedly support the scissors and Sharpie marker industries.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

FreeRange said:


> My mom thinks people are stealing from her too. But that's better than my mother-in-law who last week told us she was dead. Yesterday she told a cousin that she was dead and buried in New Mexico. Doesn't make me want to live to a ripe old age.


Hey, if your Mom and MIL are relatively happy, who cares. 
BTW, your attitudes might change in the next 30, 40 or 50 years?...


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## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

Mom is happy, MIL not so much.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Any new leads on the culprit?


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Any new leads on the culprit?


No, but I just changed all the locks on the house and when I went to hide a copy of the new key, the old key was still where I hid it. I'm going to hide 2 keys in different places just to be sure.

I changed the locks so all 4 doors would use the same key. I didn't even have keys for 2 of the doors and the other 2 doors used different keys.


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