If they are 5th instar (and maybe 4th instar), you have choices.

Alternative foods for Monarch cats ...

I'm sorry but what is 5th and 4th instar? Also these caterpillars are outside in my garden, not in a terrarium.

A 5th instar monarch caterpillar has shed its skin 4 times, is pretty much fullsize, and will become a chrysalis next time it sheds its skin.

If the caterpillars cannot find milkweed and are not far enough along in development to pupate, they will starve.

Oh no! So they only eat milkweed? (besides the pumpkin you mentioned). If I don't provide any other food they will die?

I may have to run to the nursery tomorrow and buy some potted milkweed plants then. Do you think they'll return if I set some out by tomorrow afternoon?

There were so many on this one little plant. I dear say like 15-20 cats. I just can't let them die.

Be careful buying plants at the nursery to immediately feed to the caterpillars. Sometime they are sprayed with systemic insecticides and can harm the cats. Ask the nursery what they use. That happened to me and my butterflies from cats that fed on those plants were deformed.

Monarch caterpillars leave milkweed plants to shed their skin and to escape threats. They have the ability to find the plants again. If you put new plants in the ground, there is a chance some of the caterpillars will find them.

they eat the leaves before they go to the next stage. That is part of the plan.

I appreciate this forum for information and spend time lurking. I would like to ask the 'experienced people' to please answer questions in a way that a newcomer could understand. Instar is not helpful. Shedding skin doesn't help either. Most people have no clue about the biology of butterflies but do want to help save them.

Someone who wants to save their Caterpillars should be given simple information so they can save them. It takes time for them to return to the forum to ask what a term means. The caterpillars could be dead by that point.
Simple, to the point information is best. Not everyone is going to do research things. Saving lives is the most important task.

Jane

Jane, like any subject or area of knowledge, there is jargon that goes along with it that becomes second nature to those who have spent any time at all involved with the subject. The terms used in this thread are common knowledge to most of us who commonly post and read here, though I understand that they may be new to newcomers. Unfortunately, part of the reality of nature is that butterflies lay eggs in as many places as they can in hopes that a few of them will find adequate food and avoid predation by birds and predatory insects. But, the vast majority of the time, those eggs do not survive. I think most "experts" here predict about a 10% chance of an egg making it to the butterfly stage. As much as we want to save them all, we simply can't. The best thing you can do is grow as much milkweed as you can fit in your yard and encourage your neighbors to do the same. Ask local schools to set aside space for a Monarch Way Station, and hope that we can provide enough milkweed and nectar to get at least some of the babies to adulthood. It is frustrating as you are developing a butterfly garden, to have the mama Monarchs find your plants before they are large enough to support them. It happens all to often and we hear about it on this forum routinely. All you can do is your best. Keep up the good work.

Martha

Thank you Martha.

Jane

Jane, wow, i can't seem to keep an orchid alive for the life of me heh. My daughter does have one in fact from her sweet boyfriend on Valentine;s Day and she's begging how to keep it alive. I had two but for some reason the leaves just came off, even though they were still dark green. Any tips would be great. :)

Christina