So close, we can smell mortgage freedom!

Cheery_Daff

Oh that's very vexing about the fleas!! I think I'd be saying no next time too!!

themadvix

Thanks Cheery - it is indeed vexing and has ruined my day just knowing I have to deal with it. I am glad I have the ultra-strength (albeit out of date) Jungle Formula - otherwise I might not be going back inside at all! (it's a flat and I fed the cats in the stairwell yesterday - none of us wanted to be in there!

Fortune_Smiles

I'm feeling your pain @themadvix - I react very badly to flea bites and they seem to make a bee line for me.  Surely, it's not down to you to sort this out though?  It sounds like a bad infestation and the house will probably need fumigating.  Treat the cats of course (you wouldn't want them to suffer) and protect yourself with spray, staying in the hall, etc.  But leave it to the owner to sort it out.  I would be refusing to go back in until the problem was sorted.  It's just not acceptable to expect you to work in those conditions.

Fortune x

themadvix

I suspect that is the case Fortune (that it will need fumigating), however, the lady is abroad and not back until 6th September (visiting her ill sister), so I've got to make it workable for me and the cats in the meantime. I'm only going to be spraying the kitchen and the hall so I can get in and make their food, but the issue is that it takes the time for the spray to dry and the cats cannot be allowed in there in that time as the spray contains permethrin which is poisonous to cats.

Cheery_Daff

Sounds like you're doing what you can to make the situation workable Vix. What a difficult thing though. I imagine the lady has her head full if her sister is poorly - you'd hope she wouldn't have left it for you if she'd been thinking properly 🙄 Let's hope she's grateful for you sorting out what you can in the meantime x

Karmacat

That's horrendous it's workable in the short term, because their welfare depends on you, but good grief - I agree, "no" to all future work.  And I hope she realises she needs to apologise.

QueenJess

Oh gosh - how horrible! That’s really very inconsiderate of her and it sounded like she wasn’t bothered about it either. Good luck 🤞 

EssexHebridean

Goodness that's really unacceptable - not surprised you're leaning towards a no to future bookings from her. I can't imagine what would possess anyone to leave a place in that way when they know someone else is going to be going in and out! 

Fortune_Smiles

themadvix said:

I suspect that is the case Fortune (that it will need fumigating), however, the lady is abroad and not back until 6th September (visiting her ill sister), so I've got to make it workable for me and the cats in the meantime. I'm only going to be spraying the kitchen and the hall so I can get in and make their food, but the issue is that it takes the time for the spray to dry and the cats cannot be allowed in there in that time as the spray contains permethrin which is poisonous to cats.

I see @themadvix - I'm sorry you're having to deal with it.  I wouldn't be going back though.  A flea infestation like that does not happen overnight.  It takes two to three months at least to get to that stage.  It's not a sign that someone's taking care of their animals properly - or indeed their pet sitter 😡

Fortune x

themadvix

Hmm, that's interesting Fortune... especially as there was a flea comb on the side. I have no experience of fleas (apart from the ex-neighbour whose cats had them and I got bitten when I was there - leading to all kinds of drama), so I didn't realise that. It would explain why she wasn't shocked and horrified too.