How long to form J?

[velodurt]

I have two cats that have made their silk button but have not dropped into the J-they are still horizontal. How long can they be that way before I should worry?

[Mona Miller]

Half a day or more. They are forming the pupa on the inside of that skin. They will drop when they are ready. Have you watched this before? They also hang for a day or more before that skin splits. When their feelers get wrinkly and limp, their skin will soon split.

[velodurt]

Hi Mona, so two of my cats now have begun the chrysalis process but stalled mid formation-just after the skin splits on their head. What can cause this? It's so sad!

[Mona Miller]

Hi Mona, so two of my cats now have begun the chrysalis process but stalled mid formation-just after the skin splits on their head. What can cause this? It's so sad!

Heat can cause this, but also OE. It weakens them.

http://www.evansonart.com/monarchdisease.html
Have you looked through this? Great pictures on info on diseases and parasites.

[velodurt]

Mona, Thanks so much for the link...I have determined that the afflicted have NPV They have been euthanized. Three other cats were in the same aquarium and have been isolated for observation.

On a happy note, I have released 15 healthy adults so far

[Mona Miller]

Congratulations!

[NickiM]

Flea killer for cats and dogs can also caused cats to not be able to finish pupating--that's how the stuff kills fleas too. I learned this the hard way last summer when I had 3 cats stall in making their chrysalises after I had used Frontline on my feline cats. Tells you how powerful that stuff is, since I washed my hands very well after using it and the felines never had any direct contact with the monarch cats.

[Mona Miller]

Wow! I don't think it is that great for animals either. I know fleas are a pain, but try to find something organic.