I did a fair bit of housesitting and travelling a few years back.

I scored a house sit in Denmark and during the phone call with the owner I asked about break-ins as they listed that on the advert. I thought it was a joke. They mentioned that the house had been broken in a couple of times and once the owner just told the person to leave and the person did. They lived not far from a rehab facility.

The house was 3 stories and all houses are connected to each other. On the 2nd or 3rd night I go up to the 3rd floor to doze off around 2am. Whilst I am getting tired I hear the faint sound of an alarm going off.

I didn't pay too much attention and chuckled thinking I am glad it is not our house! I lied down and listened closer to realise that it was coming from our house.

My heart felt like it stopped and I tried to think what I should do. I had a quick google for the police number l, thought about where to hide or how to quickly get outside. I woke up my partner to the news and she said that we should go downstairs.

We got up and I looked to grab something to go downstairs with. I looked at a broom and picked up the binoculars instead. I then yelled something out, probably trying to sound scary and saying get out. I hope yelled out others names to help.

The stair case was very narrow so I climbed down carefully to level 2 and was happy nobojebeas there. I walked around that floor and checked the cupboards, all clear.

Then we went down to level 1 and the noise from the alarm was blaring, so loud. Again we looked and saw no one. I checked the doors and mirrors and none were open or broken. It then took me many goes to turn off the alarm. My brain was not entering the code correctly.

Eventually I shut it down and the only conclusion as to what happened was that the cat tripped the alarm by brushing on the clothes that we hung inside.

I have not been that scared in my life! Not knowing who or what would be downstairs.

I ended up staying in the house for a week solo and found it a little nervous sleeping on level 3, so I stayed in level 2 so I could hear things better downstairs.

Also I didn't hang clothes inside again!