Thanks everybody, I appreciate the pointers. We moved everybody into the sun porch. I have a huge brass planter out there. It's about 2 feet high with a 24" diameter. I placed the plastic milk crate down inside of it. There was also plenty of room for several small tree brances with nylon screen covering the top to keep them inside. The cat that I'm concerned about was also moved there. Honestly, last night I thought for sure the big cat was dead. Well, this morning he was still moving around. I did put some tender leaves inside for him but he wasn't interested in them. I also misted a few leaves with water in case he was thirsty. Should I be concerned about that? I thought about putting him back on the tree. He's not as big as he was when he left the tree...he looks shorter. Anyway, for the past 2 or 3 hours, he's been in the same spot. Keep your fingers crossed! I wish that our lime tree was huge. Unfortunately, we just purchased it this year. It's less than 5 feet tall. The inverted wire basket is a great idea (thanks for the photo). I have a couple of them in the garage. I also have some plastic broadcloth. I use it in the pond to keep the fish away from my plants. Honey, honey hush, Texaxpuddyprint, I never would have thought of that one! I'll certainly give it a try. I know that I need a better place to keep my cats. I'd sure like to see some pictures of your cat/butterfly homes. Perhaps you know of a website that tells you how to build a good, safe place to raise your cats. I'll let you all know what happens with Mr. On-The-Move. Thanks again, everybody. B

This one is right up my alley!!! I have raised about 60 GSTs this season and after having a few fall and tear their wings on the sticks I went with Ladobe's (I think it was Larry's) suggestion to just remove them from the sticks altogether and lay them on their side on the bottom of a big mesh pop up hamper (or in a container with mesh, paper towel on the bottom and all sides). Needless to say I handled them quite a bit to get them off the sticks or remove them from whatever lid they had attached to, and not a one had a problem, it has worked really well. Now I don't even put sticks in the containers when they are cats and they pupate just fine on the top or sides of the plastic container, it is actually easier to remove them from that than from a stick. So bottom line: No, they do NOT need to be suspended and you do not need to go to any great lengths to recreate a hanging position. Just lay them on their sides - doesn't matter which side as long as they are facing the outside of the cage (picture how they face the stick, with their midsections kind of curved inward toward the stick, you want them curved toward the wall of the container). As long as they have something to cling to/climb on they will be fine! One more thing, I would snip the sling so that the BF does not get stuck in it coming out. MIght not eveen be necessary, but it is easy to do and won't hurt them. Good luck!

Thanks!! It has been quite the learning experience, lol. It has been so difficult to find food for them, and I felt so bad for them when I would see them wander around looking for "better" leaves, when I was out of tender leaves, and didn't have anything better to offer them. One of the cats, maybe third instar, went on a hunger strike for quite a while, he was so weak he was falling off of the old leaf i was trying to get him to eat. Some of them have been easier to please than others, maybe half and half. But the ones that kept wandering around and trying to crawl out of their little habitats, kept me worried. I am thinking that there must not be a GST host plant anywhere else near my house, if the GST chose my sad little dward navel tree to lay eggs on, lol, because when I say it is sad, I mean it, only has foliage on one branch, I think it is damaged from sunburn from what I have found out by researching. I think my tree must have been the last resort around here, haha. THis morning I had just ran out of the last bit of new tender leaves I had, which I got from my mother's neighbor earlier this week, so I am thrilled to know that I can stop worrying about what I am going to feed these guys now, finally!! I have given some of the leaves to a few already, about an hour or two ago, and so far so good!! I do remember that the ones who got sick, got sick almost immediately after they ate the leaves, so I think you must be right Missherry, thanks for all of your advice and info!! You have been so helpful!! I really appreciate it!

Thanks! I think you are right, that he got stuck when climbing out. ÃÂ It occurred to me later on that the pupal case?? was in a different spot after he eclosed, quite a few inches from where the chrysalis wAs when I checked on my lunch break. Now I'm concerned ÃÂ about the others (chrysalides) that are lying on floor! ÃÂ I raised them (about 50 cats) in plastic critter cages, grouped together by age/stage. So had anywhere from 5+ cats in each container. Whenever they got ready to pupate, I moved them to a plastic container with some sticks in it, covered with tulle. Of course, ÃÂ most of them chose to pupate on the container itself, rather than on the sticks. So I removed those chrysalides so I could put them in mesh reptarium where they could climb and had enough room when it was time to eclose. ÃÂ I've ÃÂ had quite a few eclose, that were also placed on their sides on paper towels on floor of cage, ÃÂ all have been successful, except This one.ÃÂ ÃÂ I'm wondering now, if I should "stabilize" the pupa that are lying on theÃÂ floor somehow, because it seems like this one's trouble was caused by the chrysalis not being set in place, firmly attached to anything? I really don't think the butterfly is diseased, he was a fast growing, healthy cat, and other than the wings being deformed, he seems perfectly normal. ÃÂ Eats on his own,pretty much, if I just place him on the Gatorade soaked cotton. This is why the thought of euthanizing him bothers me, but if i knew for a fact that he would rather not live at all, than live inÃÂ captivity, ÃÂ unable to fly, reproduce & carry out its purpose in life, I would feel better about it. It's no trouble at all for me to feed him & keep him comfortable while he is alive, but if this quality of life isn't really "keeping him comfortable" and is only making me feel better, so to speak, then I would rather do what's in the best interest of the butterfly. And i just checked & another butterfly eclosed, and it's perfectly fine, it was attached to a stick, still worried about the ones that are on the floor! If you have any suggestions as to how i might prevent same from happening with others on floor, id appreciate it! Thanks!ÃÂ