Oops. I see that you've already been there. http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/butterfly/msg0916492919311.html?3 Here is a link that might be useful: the answer at the Butterfly Forum

What's your location? Makes a big difference, in some instances. Oops, I see that you are in the UK. You good people have more of the tent making caterpillars than we do! I'm in agreement with Larry that it resembles some of the tent caterpillars that we have in the states. This post was edited by rhizo_1 on Fri, Aug 29, 14 at 15:19

Thank you Sarah, this was the closest I came up with, but I wasn’t sure if it would have to have the orange/ red or if this is something that would show up after it grows a bit. It was almost an inch I would say.

Apatelodes torrefacta I have a little beginner's book about identifying caterpillars that I can't find anywhere! But it shows the most common, most likely to be seen, caterpillars in the eastern U.S., as I recall. And I think it's by Peterson. If I were you, I'd get it, then, when you see a caterpillar that you can't ID, go to that book first. If you can't find your cat, find one in the books that has similar characteristics and look up caterpillars in that family. I guess I'll have to order another one of those helpful little books. The common name of your cat is spotted apatelodes. They come in white and yellow, I've seen both. Sherry