bagpuss, I am sorry, I hope my flippant rat comment didn’t alarm you. It sounds as if not being able to keep things as you would like, is very frustrating I wonder if the type of living conditions/personal hygiene Tom and his colleagues see day in day out; are beyond the imagination of most of us, let alone what we have experienced. Bummpylady You had best get a dog then, to chase the cats round the back of the sofa.