Try your question on the Tripadvisor Sicily forum.

In reviewing the ferry schedules you can get there on another day but will have a problem getting back to Sicily the same day (checked Palermo and Catania).

You could fly from Catania and then get a private guide in Malta or take the buses.

IMHO you don't have very much time on Sicily and I would opt to stay there for the entire trip.

As Adrienne said, there is a short flight from Catania to La Valetta (1 hour). This will give you more time to visit Malta.

Virtu Ferries (www.virtuferries.com) run all year between Malta and Sicily. Their schedules for next October haven't been published yet, but they do operate at that time of year.

Thank you GeoffHammer...reading the ferries schedules I
thought the ferries did not run in Oct...
to Valtor...
I did not know there was a flight to Malta from Catania..Thanks
To you other folks...
Thanks for the imput...
Oldie

Not to be too picky about this Oldie, but I'm the one who said to fly from Catania. But I'll just be one of the "other folks" AKA chopped liver.

I am glad to see that I am not the only cranky one when my helpful and pertinent reply to a query is brushed aside.

The flight from Malta to Catania is only 25 mins and the ferry takes hours. I'd opt for the flight (Air Malta but there may be other airlines). Hopefully you are not spending just one day in Malta? It deserves a lot more, we enjoyed it more than Sicily.

Kay

Sorry, I did not mean to neglect saying thank you to you Adrienne and to you tarquin. But since I am new to this method I did not want to elaborate on thanking everyone..
Therefore Thank you also KayF
Oldie

Oldie - the same rules apply in cyberspace that apply in person. If you were in a group of 4 people who were offering you advice you would not thank 2 of them by name and ignore the other 2 people. You would say thanks everyone.

No thanks due to me, my comment was just an irritated one about manners on this board, really arising from another thread about jewelry in Venice.