Thanks for the tips! I'll take the cat post and put it in the bathroom where I can shut the door so he can't get at it. I'll keep the deck door shut because he likes to grab onto the screen window ledge on his tippy toes (or is that tippy paws?) and see outside. I plan to use the day to make my apartment more comfortable for both of us and I think I'll pick up a soft pet bed for him and sleep on the floor so he doesn't have to jump up on the bed if he wants to sleep with me. I might even tip the top mattress so its leaning against the wall so that if he does jump on the bed its on the box spring which is half the height (I planned on turning it soon, it will just sit in mid-turn for a bit). Fortunately he hasn't been actively jumping up on counters and tables and my computer desk. I've got very low window ledges for him to sit on so that will give him a place to look out and watch the squirrels and birds on the ground. I'll also vacuum and make sure all traces of catnip are gone, but he never seemed too interested in that (tho there were a couple of times I thought he had gotten into some, he gets bursts of energy and runs around and jumps like he's running an obstacle course). Thank you for the advice and support!

Do you know how old Dustin was when he was neutered? Although certainly every cat has his individual personality and behavior patterns, it has been my experience that males who are neutered before they reach sexual maturity (around 6 mos) tend to mature into more mellow boys than the ones who are neutered as fully mature adults. My family currently includes nine male felines, eight of whom were neutered after reaching adulthood. The one who was neutered at between 5-6 mos is a very mellow dude. He's no pushover, though. In fact, he is the undisputed king of my pride. He rules peacefully unless one of the other cats really pushes his buttons. It takes quite a bit to get Noddy riled. Such is not the case with the late-neutered boys. They tend to retain an obnoxious level of "testosterone memory" in their behavior patterns. They are quick-tempered with each other and often ready to rumble. My household would be a lot more peaceful if they had all shown up here as kittens who could have been neutered early. Instead, I sometimes feel as though I live in a mine field, just waiting for the next explosive device to require defusing. It's not likely that neutering would be responsible for an escalation of aggressive behavior in Dustin, but boredom surely could. Lots of interactive playtime will help wear him out and mellow his mood. A laser pointer is a great toy for many cats. They love to chase that little red beam. You just have to take care not to shine it directly in his eyes. If Dustin continues to bite, blow HARD directly into his face. That stops most cats in their tracks. Laurie

Just snooping through forums tonite- saw yours. I would be leary about 'what' is up there. I saw a bat go in my garage several weeks ago. A few days later, I heard LOUD scratching and sounded like something stuck or panicking in the wall behind the headbord of my bed. I was thinkng that bat was there- I HATE BATS!! If rats or bats were in your attic, that would be bad for a cat. Bats tend to carry rabies, and rats can be pretty mean. I would worry about the cat. Those little electric things don't work- I called the state pest/wild animal department. They said don't bother. Said the bat would leave when it got cold. It snowed 2 feet last weekend- hope the damn thing is gone-yuk.

@mazer - Dustin has been to the vet but not really seen her, I just took him in to weight him. He's 16 lbs :( I'm feeding them 1st Choice Light Healthy Weight http://www.1stchoice.ca/en/nourriturepourchats.soins.controlepoids.php but they have a Mature and Less Active formula http://www.1stchoice.ca/en/nourriturepourchats.adultes.senior.mature.php but I wasn't sure if that would be right for Muffin who's only 2 years old. I bought it at Global Pet Foods which specializes in healthy choices for pet owners. Dustin cannot jump as high as Muffin does so that is an option. I'll check around the basement to see if I can find a good place but the first thing that comes to mind is the window sills. Not sure I want her eating on the fireplace mantel. I do have a cat dancer which Dustin loves, how many times a day and for how long should I get him active? @annz - I'm not sure if an automatic feeder would help because he will act up and rush to his dish when food is in there. Once I fed Muffin and Dustin came by meowing and carrying on and I had to take him downstairs and show him the food dish and that there was food in it already. Maybe if its upstairs where he can access it easier he'll check it first before coming to me? Problem is that our puppies eat any food they find and Peanut makes a beeline straight for their dish when she can, lol. Do you think he would get accustomed to a feeder that would dispense food at exactly the same time everyday? @bizabet - I thought of locking him in the basement but our house doesn't have a door to the basement. It just flows downstairs though there is an opening that would fit double french doors but we can't afford it right now after ripping up all the carpet and putting in laminate flooring. They do have covers to protect from pets but it costs half as much as the tubing so I was waiting until I bought new tubing. I taped up the holes but now it really does need to be replaced. I read an article I found linked here and it said that even the cheapest canned food is better than dry food! My problem is that Dustin loves his kibble so much and he's very finicky, he won't even take turkey at Thanksgiving! But I think if I mixed kibble in with canned and fed it while its still crunchy then I could wean him on to the cans. I don't like them leaving the canned in the bowl outside so I was looking for a dish that had a lid I could put in the fridge if they don't finish their food. He did seem to like the beef flavour more than chicken or seafood so I think I'll grab a few cans from the store today. He usually just licks the juices up and leave most of the rest so I need to find really moist food I think. He will lick all the juice and leave the chunks behind so I think pattee is the way to go. Thanks for the replies!!