Etiquette around finding a cat...
agmss15
7 years ago
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Comments (12)
Jennifer
7 years agoRelated Discussions
So I find this cat....
Comments (9)So I find this other cat...... LOL My son an I went to get some fresh milkweed for the cat we had, and low and behold, another one! Except this guy was stuck under a garden spider and next to a ladybug. That spider wasn't gonna give him up, I thought for sure he'd already paralyzed it the way it was gaurding his food. But I got him away, unharmed (I'm a spider lover, so it was hard for me to steal his food, but I did anyways) I took the leaf he was on, and grabbed some extra milkweed. He wasn't bitten, started moving around as soon as I got him away from the big bad spider. Same kind of cat as the first, but about 3 times the size, still really little though. I'm pretty sure they are monarch cats. Oh, and remember I said I felt guilty about mowing down a bunch of milkweed when i first got here, This new guy happened to be on one of 3 that I just happened to skip over and never got around to going back to mow it. I find that kinda ironic....See MoreHaving a hard Time Finding an ID on This Cat
Comments (14)Excellent picture of the cat. And a great find. As suggested, it was probably wandering to pupate as they dont turn this color until the last two instars. The Automeris is a very variable group. In your region it is probably either the nominate species A. io io or A. io neomexicana. There is even a chance it could be A. io lilith, but which one would not be confirmable until the adult emerges next spring. Many people get "into" the larger silk moths and really enjoy rearing them. But unfortunately the Hemileucinae are often overlooked... mainly because people are afraid of their urticating hairs/spines when they really donÂt need to be. So maybe a FWIW on the stinging cats in the Hemileucinae subfamily (Buck and Io moths) would be of interest to someone here. While all of the Bombcoidea are one of my lep specialties, the Hemileucinae is my favorite subfamily that I have studied the life histories of in several countries and reared many thousands of them over the years. While many of the tropical species/subspecies are polyphagous feeders accepting a fairly wide variety of larval hosts, the NA species (especially the Buck Moths) are mostly very picky feeders that use only one or maybe 2-3 closely related hosts naturally within a given region. A. io is an exception being a general feeder that accepts a wide range of LFPÂs, suggesting its ties with the tropical species (where almost all of the approximately 100 species of Automeris are found). They are also a group that gets heavily parasitized most years. Why most of their females tend to lay large multiple egg rings in several locations. On good years their larva can reach infestation levels and decimate large tracts of LFPÂs, while on poor years it can be next to impossible to find a single cat. Our resident species as a whole do not have the severely toxic and as dangerous of a sting that their tropical cousins have. So the NA species can be safely handled with bare hands and a light touch easily, including the 4 species of Automeris found in NA. What works best is to use your finger tips where your natural calluses act as a shield. I have collected thousands in the wild with very few stings that way (but then I am not effected much by insect or plant stings - have some sort of immunity after so many of them I suppose). But my ex and young son collected them fairly easily too (even the tropical species) and only got stung rarely. The tender spot most often hit is between your fingers, but its possible on any tender bare skin on your body. When handling them never rub your eyes or any other mucous area and always wash your hands very well after handling them. If you are not seriously affected by other insect stings (bees, wasps, ants, etc) or plant toxins then you probably won't be by those from these cats either beyond local irritation/redness of varying degrees that can last for hours to even days. Plain vinegar will neutralize some of the toxin, and keeping antihistamines on hand is a good safe guard if you are susceptible to bites/stings. This is a gregarious subfamily when in the larval stage, often with very effective camouflage up to at least the last two instars in Automeris, and all the way to pupation with the Hemileuca. The NA species tend to only remain gregarious through 3rd instar before dispersing, but the tropical species may remain en mass all the way to pupation also en mass. In tropical Mexico, Central and South America people are seriously maimed, or in extreme cases, even killed every year from accidental mass stings from some of the species of stinging cats there. Locals climbing plants to gather fruits, flowers, etc get mass stung when they climb onto a larval mass on the trunk or a branch with bare skin exposed, or brush against them on plants along forest pathways. Even a single sting, besides being very uncomfortable can leave a permanent scar with most of the tropical species. Both are also possible (but to a much milder, less erious extent) with some of our species. The Hemileucinae as a group are very interesting though and are well worth any extra precautions to get to study the life histories of IMO. And they turn into very beautiful and striking adults. Just be careful and you too can enjoy rearing them. HTH and was of interest L....See MoreI think we can all benfit from a little forum etiquette
Comments (6)The Internet is a place where folks who ordinarily could never speak can socialize to their hearts content. Seme to me there are several good things about that ability and at least two not so good things. One not so good thing is the anonymity---you have absolutely no good way to verify who is actually typing what you read. And, along with that facelessness people find it much easier to sweep normal face to face social rules aside---after all, how does one get back at a person in a computer? The second not so good thing is related to the anonymity---how do we actually decifer exactly what a person means when they use only words? Human conversation relies heavily on manerisms---- facial expressions, hand gestures, and vocal inflection. When print is all there is, all those modifiers are absent and words/phrases can easily be read/defined differently by everyone who reads them. One other item---internet legends(old wives tales) have created an entire new false/true data base---causing several folks to start debunking websites in an attempt to correct the spread of these stories. Believe it or not, I am the Senior Moderator for an internet woodworkers website---with some 28,000+ members. It is my duty to make sure anyone who breaks the four simply rules we have found it necessary to initiate gets the appropriate correction. So far, we have permanently banned(denied access) over 200 former members because they could not be nice and cease attacking(verbally) other members. That has boggled the mind of the forum administrator---whose initial rules were---Be Nice, Stay on topic, and Have Fun. I agree whole heartedly forums need minimum rules of operation/decency. What is the actual result is that a certain number of people just do not interpret what is printed in the same manner and have different reactions. I also feel incorrect information should be corrected. In woodworking, incorrect information can result in a severe mistake. When incorrect information is given about pets, pets can suffer. Then there is the area of belief. I have certain beliefs about dogs, mostly from 50+ years of owning/working with them. These beliefs are now facts for me, proven by repetition and modification---since no two dogs are exactly alike. But there are people who vilify me for these beliefs, even when they have no idea of who I am or what experience I have----simply because they have their own beliefs---and those beliefs do not agree with mine. It is not easy to exchange ideas when people do not listen and consider information. The definition of conversation is the exchange of ideas---if one soide does not at least consider the other persons information, there is only a lecture and no education....See MoreHow do you find the owner when you find a lost cat?
Comments (5)The newspaper issue is a hard one, isn't it? Yes on the craigslist. I would also send a flyer to all of your local vets because most have bulletin boards for such ads. Some areas have free weekly merchandiser papers they distribute to homes and businessness and that's a possibility. Ours has. Then report it to your local shelter or humane officer in case anyone should call there to see if it turned up....See MoreMDLN
7 years agoagmss15
7 years agoaviolet6
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMDLN
7 years agoaviolet6
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agosas95
7 years agoannztoo
7 years agoagmss15
7 years agoannztoo
7 years agoDebbie Downer
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
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