Black swallowtails (BST's) eat rue, dill, fennel, parsley, etc, Giant Swallowtails (GST's) eat rue, citrus, etc. So your cats are BSTs. It should be fine to offer them other host plants that they are known to eat. The birds, spiders, wasps, lizards and other critters are probably what's behind the missing cats. If at all possible, protect them inside an enclosure which will keep out the predators. If that isn't possible, cover the plants with netting (to allow for sunlight and air flow) to keep the predators off. Some use the pop up hampers placed upside down over the plants to protect the cats. Caterpillars do not eat when they molt. It can sometimes take 24 hours or more for them to start eating again. They often will leave the host plant to molt since they are very vulnerable to predators at this time. I have several enclosures (cages) that I raise my cats in. These were made from plastic containers from Sams that had snack type foods in them, I cut panels out of the sides and cover them with screen, attached using bathroom caulk (so it is waterproof when I sterilize the cages). Good luck with your cats. Mechelle

Cat6 is not that difficult to terminate. It is somewhat more demanding than cat5e, but I would not trust someone who can't terminate cat6 to do my cabling anyway. I always have the same answer to questions like this: would you rather install cat6 and 10 years later realize you didn't need it, or install cat5e and wish you had cat6? Install more than you think you need during construction, unless it's cost prohibitive. In this case (and indeed in most cases), the incremental cost of cat6 is minuscule, because most of the cost is labor rather than materials (and labor is nearly the same for cat6). In most current applications it does not make a difference, but it does in some, and there may be more in the future. It is so much easier to run cable while the walls are open, that IMHO it's a complete no-brainer to "over-spec" a little bit to avoid regret and having to tear things up in the future. I've been through the project of adding cable to an existing home, and it is not fun. It involved literally hundreds of holes in drywall, all of which needed to be patched, texture matched and painted (not to mention the hours upon hours of labor I had to pay for the guys to fish cable through finished spaces).

dcrowex, you are a good person. I'll second the Feliway to help the cats adjust. Will they have places to get away from the dogs? They won't wish to be at the mercy of the loving, licking hounds 100% of the time-they may not want to be with dogs at all. So a room or other place where the cats can get away is excellent. If floor space is a problem, go vertical. Provide places where the cats can clamber up out of the way. They like to be over their surroundings anyway. Don't be surprised if they take to fridge sitting. It's high (perfect), it's probably warm (even better), it's out of dogs' reach and it's near food.

The 12 year-old brothers and the 8 month-old boy were rescued when they were less than eight weeks old. We bottle-fed them and they are completely happy to be anywhere we are. The addition was one large room the length of the house and about 15 feet wide. My husband has a graphic and sign business and for quite a few years now, has worked at home. We partitioned off several areas so that the workspace, while still being in the same room, was separate from the sleeping area and the kitchenette (with a sink and fridge). The half-bath and stove were removed years ago, so while we "lived" in the addition, we spent time in the house with Mom as well, for meals and to use the bathroom. Now that we've moved into the house, the addition will be overtaken by DH's printers, cutters, computers, etc. The true feral, Little Bit, gets along famously with the others. She plays ferociously with Mouse. For some reason, she thinks one of the 12 year-olds, George, is her big brother and literally walks side-by-side with him with no space between them. It's hilarious to see the "double cat" turning left and right, almost looking like a slithering snake. She has little to do with the other 12 year-old, Alfie. But Alfie is a bit of a loner, although he and George cuddle together to sleep and he loves to come and lie next to me on the couch or in my chair. None of the cats are bullies. We did have a bully who was very mean to the 12 year-olds when they were very young, necessitating more than one trip to the ER, but she passed away about 4 years ago. We have already entertained the idea that if Little Bit doesn't like it in the house, she can be his "shop cat". But I would really prefer that she have the company of the friends she's made. And I definitely am not going to leave all of them in the shop.