awwww. wish you could beam him down to Florida.

Yeah, if only. I suppose this happens in nature all the time except now I'm actually aware of these things because of raising butterflies. I think I'll put it back outside because it's pointless feeding it and having it eclose in November.

I think I'd do the same. sigh.

as I see it, the caterpillar has NO chance if you put it outside and SOME chance if you keep it.

I have a chrysalis that will eclose sometime next week. In some years(2009), this would be too late to escape the cold...but the 10 day forecast suggests this butterfly will probably have a happy ending in Mexico.

You could always send the caterpillar priority mail to someone down south like Miss Sherry or someone else who would give it a good home with plenty of food for the long migration

Whatever you do, Good Luck! Tony

If you can manage to feed the cat to pupation, even if the adult butterfly emerges in cold weather, it might make it. The area where monarchs overwinter in the mountains of Mexico gets real cold, and that's where they choose to go. They say the cold weather keeps them from aging like they would in hot or warm weather. I think it's worth a try.
If I thought you could send a caterpillar to me by mail, and it'd survive the trip, I'd say send it to me. My A. curassavica was completely eaten by cats, but it's making new growth again, so I could easily feed one little cat!
Sherry