Friend has fleas

[Ohdeargodicant]

I went to my friends house. They have many furry pets. The place is riddled with fleas. I've ended up infested in my own home after going there and I have no pets! Even found a couple in the car.
How do I avoid going there without being rude? She seems oblivious and her poor animals are crawling with them. It's not the first time this has happened. It's cost me a lot of time and money in flea treatment for my house and I don't have animals! It's rare that I go there and am not bitten by the time I leave. I'm obviously transferring them on my person but how do you avoid this?

She could make her pets very sick as fleas can give pets worms

The RSPCA don't operate like social services for animals. They rarely act when an animal is being physically abused & neglected so they won’t be interested in animals who have fleas, unfortunately.
However if there's kids in the house, social services likely will be interested

@Propertyshmoperty RSPCA won’t be interested. See my post a moment ago

This is a perfect response.

Also, if she's skint she could try somewhere like the PDSA, they helped me with flea treatments at a much reduced cost.

Just don’t go! Fleas are the worst!!!

Yep, RSPCA will not be interested. Tell her best treatment to get without trip to vets is Advantage. Can get indorex house spray online too.

Do this.

And suggest the free vet clinic/hospital who help people who live on benefits.

Although as a PP said, your friend's house is probably riddled with fleas so even if/when the animals are treated, don't go there.

Look, you have two options: either wash your hands of it and refuse to visit her place. Or, you agree to pony up for flea buster and combs and you both go at her pets and house from top to bottom over the course of a weekend.

Then burn your hair net, masks, and overalls.

You just say no when invited over, it’s that simple.

How do I avoid going there without being rude?

I think sending guests home with fleas is ruder. You tell her you cannot visit her house because you are arriving home covered in fleas and then having to treat your car, house, clothes (with noxious potions). It's a health hazard.

Her poor animals.

I bet her house reeks too. I wouldn't even go back in the house if I were you. Disgusting

I’d just say “Sorry I can’t come round. I react so badly to flea bites and last time I came around I had to go get antihistamines at the chemist. Would you like to meet at x Cafe instead?”.

She's being abusive to her animals. Anonymously report her please.

Yuck. I got this from someone bringing a dog to work, my house git infested and then resinfested. It was horrible! I'd tell her. Definitely don't go there again. After my ordeal I don't even think I'd want to be friends with the person out of fear of being reinfested again!

I'd tell a friend if I had fleas after going to their house. If it was the other way round, I'd want them to tell me too.

Cat/dog fleas are unable to survive very long and infest an environment without the intended host.
I am not sure that this is true. I let my flat and the tenant had a cat. When she moved out, fleas had infested not only my flat but the communal area. It was a hot, dry summer and they bred like mad. I had to get it professionally treated 3 times before the fleas went away.
I would tell her very plainly and suggest a joint trip to the vet and professional flea treatment. She should pay for your place to be done too.

Report to who though? RSPCA do not come out for reports of fleas. They barely do anything for animals actually being abused.

OP - talk honestly to your friend and get her to contact PDSA (https://www.pdsa.org.uk/) for low cost flea treatment help.

The RSPCA won’t do anything so please don’t waste your and their time.

This is a really good website for natural and inexpensive treatments, some of them actually do work:

https://hamptonspestcontrol.co.uk/9-flea-home-remedies-for-pet-owners/

There are no human fleas. Fleas are disgusting but your house won't be infested with fleas if you don't have pets.

You need to tell her to sort out her animals. She's neglecting them.

“Sorry, I can’t come round as last time I transferred fleas to my own home and it was expensive to have them removed.

Happy to meet at the park for a walk and a coffee though”

Thanks for responses. I think I must have brought in a couple of pregnant adults and they've reproduced without the host. According to a quick Google they can go a long time without a host, like 100 days. Although we viewed a house once a few years ago that was empty for a couple of years....got jumped on by fleas. They're hardy bastards.

We have 5 happy, healthy cats and always a few fleas, despite monthly and spot treatments. I wonder if your definition of an infestation is different from hers?

As she knows about them I'd be blunt and say you don't want to come round due to the fleas, you're sick of being bitten and bringing them back to your home.
She needs to find the money to sort this, it's disgusting, pets come with responsibility and this is a big one.

Well since you can see them running on one of the animals and it's an animal with a dark coat I would say it's fairly bad. The house isn't particularly skanky.... although by mumsnet standards it's a shocking hovel. I don't mind mess and I don't mind a certain level of uncleanliness but fleas are another matter.