Many on this forum raise caterpillars themselves. I use what was originally intended to be a reptile cage, but is used for caterpillar raising. There are hanging cages you could use, but there are many things you need to know when raising them yourself. The cage needs some ventilation - although some people raise early instar cats in unventilated containers, I don't, so I wouldn't know how to advise you. Providing the cats with their host plant leaves is tricky, because the leaves need to be fresh, and keeping them fresh is best done in different ways with different types of leaves. I keep most of mine fresh with water, that is, put them in water picks or plastic left over containers with holes punched in it, so you can insert the leaves/small branches but not have open areas to the water where the cats might drown. Also, if you put the cage in full sun, the cats can fry if not given a good place to seek shelter from the sun. My cages are on my front porch, with strong light, but little or no direct sunlight. Direct sunlight tends to wilt the leaves also. It's an involved deal to raise caterpillars. Have you checked the FAQ for info on this subject? Read that, and if you're still interested, we'll be glad to help you. Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: Reptarium

Y'all are so nice to me, and you have been so nice to me for so long. I am deeply grateful. I really appreciated hearing that you have had similar experiences with loved pets and loved people. I would really love to hear more. Please write to me at jimchaney@cableone.net One of my wonderful nieces had the same suggestion of getting a new kitty, and when I arrived back at the house a few days ago, my niece, who has a doorkey, told me to close the front door quickly. I asked why, and she pointed to a doorway, where I saw this little black streak running through the den and then the connecting living room. My niece had called the "pound" in five counties to find a cat that looked like Abigail. She went 50 miles to get my kitty, who is black with white on her throat and part of her belly. I named her Esmerelda and call her "Izzy." Izzy is a nine week old darling ball of black fluff who sleeps on my chest when I am in bed, except when I turn over onto my tummy and then she sleeps on my butt. And purrs. Funny sensation, the sense of whirring in your butt. The last two days I've been studying for an exam-12 hours a day, and Iz sleeps on my tummy except when that cute black furry face looks over the top of my book at me or gnaws on the edge of the book. Iz is what the term "beautiful cat" is all about. I've been at the computer for about an hour and in that time she has managed to turn over the trash can, run through the house many times, has snuggled up to my feet, looked up many time with an "Isn't it time to play?" look, and is driving her 7 year old thirteen pound stepbrother Tupelo to distraction. Tupelo jumps up on the desk to get away from her and then sits on the scanner. He's now licking his left front paw while he stands up. Tupelo is very patient and usually gives me 5 minutes before he throws the papers off the scanner so he can lie down. Cats are hilarious. Please let me hear from you. Jim

I hope I'm not butting in here. I've been a vet tech/ER vet tech for many years. Commercial cat foods are causing the vast majority of health issues in cats. Cats are obligate carnivores. They are desert creatures, evolved to get moisture from their food -raw prey- small animals. They never evolved(changed in any physical way) to eat cooked, grain-based dry diets. Pet food companies spend millions to flavor inferior foods that get cats addicted to a certain brand. Then they make billions in profits, because the cats won't eat other foods. The spray-on flavors cause a burst of flavor in every bite, so cats refuse other foods because they seem bland to them. A "normal" cat will eat/try/taste nearly any food. What they need is **raw** foods. But few people will feed rats/mice/birds/lizards/insects. So, we are brainwashed into feeding cooked beef, lamb, fish/shellfish(have you ever seen a cat in the ocean catching shrimp??), chicken, turkey. Cats that eat diets with grains, will be hungry all the time. They will get fat easily, develop diabetes, hyperthyroidism, bladder infections/blockages, cancer and kidney disease from the crappy diets that are promoted as being healthy. **Never*** feed Science Diet products- reading the list of ingredients should repel you!! Diet foods are useless. They are full of fillers and cellulose (sawdust) which are totally wrong for carnivores. You get a hungry cat that produces huge poops. Fat cats need high protein,low carbs, exercise and raw chicken necks/backs to keep them busy and satisfied. If you can do it, lock your kitty in the bathroom with a mouse. Great fun for the cat, a perfect meal, and hours of exercise. A healthy cat should look sleek, muscular, shiny, with none of the fat bags that hang under the typical kibble fed cat. If you must feed commercial, go with canned food. Wellness is a good brand that is made from quality ingredients. But, it is cooked. Cats have not evolved to cook their foods, it is us that force them to eat the wrong things. Do you know that the only creature on earth that cooks is mankind? And we are unhealthy! We should eat fruits/veggies-raw. Cats have a lousy thirst trigger. They don't drink enough to offset the dry foods, thus the high incidence of kidney disease. Dry foods do not clean teeth at all. That is a myth. We do dentals on kibble-fed cats every day, and they have horribly diseased mouths. Please look at your cats as the smaller versions of Lions. Try offering a hunk of raw meat as a treat, and see how they respond. Most cats will accept raw chicken or beef as treats, and it really helps the hunger pains! Cats can live 20 years or more. Kidney disease and cancer are the top killers. Both are definately diet related. Cancers feed off sugars, from carbs. The cancer diet from Hills (Science Diet) is all protein and fats. The fact that they have a diet designed to help pets, that have cancer, caused by their other foods, really ticks me off. Either way, they profit. Lisa P.S. I've fed my dogs raw for the past 14 years. My breed median age is 6 (giant breed, lots of genetic problems). Mine routinely live 12 years. They have perfect teeth, never needing dentals, from the raw diet. They are active, muscular, sound and cognitive until very old.

He made it home at one am. We had to get up early for an all day band practice. I didn't know it but he left without his phone today. I decided to check his GPS to see how he was progressing on an unfamiliar drive. I noticed that it said disabled, but that he was at a certain point. A few minutes after that I got a phone call from a weird number I didn't know. It was to a gas station so I looked up where the gas station was, and it was the same spot where he was disabled. My phone is not working so I couldn't talk to them I had to find a neighbor who was up and had a phone. My mind went wild , thinking he was in an accident and they called me, saying he'd been taken to the hospital. I thought the car was disabled. Evidently it was his phone that was disabled. He'd only stopped at the gas station to get directions and had gone on his way band. This whole accident thing has me shell shocked. He's okay, but evidently I need to rest. I still can't figure out how the GPS knew where he was since his GPS was sitting on the kitchen counter?! Thank you for your concern. PS I will not fix the other car.