Strange Noises

A few weeks ago I heard a few bumps during the night and I got up to check the windows and doors. I gathered my baseball bat and walked all three levels of the house and found nothing! I went back to bed and locked the bedroom door. The next morning after I took T to school, I heard noises again, this time in the garage. I got the bat again and took Bear with me, and took a look, nothing. I started to believe that the house I bought was haunted, so I got busy with my daily chores, somewhat uneasy and unsure of where the noises were coming from in the house! I was alone in the house! Later that day, I entered the garage to get something out of the freezer and saw thru the utility room door a strange sight, the bird cages had been moved and the dog food dish was empty. This was strange because Bear had been outside most of the day. I called my husband and asked him if he had been into the room and moved the cages, he said he did not. Now the creepy feeling came over me again. I went back into the house and locked all the doors. Later that afternoon, I went back into the garage to get a box and saw two eyes behind a box. I began to move the empty boxes around and a black cat appeared!! I opened the garage door and the cat ran out!! When I picked T up from school that day, I asked her if she knew anything about the cat. She said she had seen it around, but did not acknowledge letting the cat in the garage. I later discovered a bowl of water in the garage and dog food...the cat had obviously been in the garage for a few days, if not a week. I guess the cat made himself a bowl of water and food..it is amazing that he was able to reach my best bowls in the cabinet and make his way thru the wooden door into the garage..wow, that must be one talented cat!!! Today when I went outside, the cat was under the deck in back of our house...would you believe that he has managed to get himself another bowl of water and food?????? I am still trying to solve the mystery of how the cat gets into my house to get my best bowls to feed himself....I smell deception!!!!! I have a feeling someone in my house wants a cat..who could it be??? Maybe an 11 year old who thinks her parent's are blind?????