I tried planting plants with larger leaves amongst and close to the milkweed. It worked in some cases, maybe not in others. I've found cocoons on the brugmansia and hibiscus, but not on the taro. I thought they'd like the taro, because the leaves are so big, but they didn't. They also seemed to like the giant liriope. That's where they al lot headed when they were ready to pupate, strangely, but I never saw a cocoon on any of it. Maybe they liked the density and protection of the plant?

See the picture below for a cheap, clever idea. The holes on the sides of the box can be covered with window screening or tulle fabric. I would wrap duct table around the bottom edges to keep the part touching the ground dry. The top is just a framed window screen. If you don't have one/don't want to buy one, you could tape more tulle to the top. The caterpillars will pupate on whatever is covering the top, and you can easily set them free once they eclose.

The downside of this arrangement is that no more eggs can be laid on the plants.

click on photo to enlarge

Thanks for al the replies.
Great photo Daisy. I had my plants originally in a basket I purchased at the nursery. Something ate through it and all the cats were gone in the morning. Your idea is better predator/escapee proof. Idk if I have enough plants for more eggs! Haha.
DirtyGardener ,This other milkweed is bigger and had so many. I tried placing my other milkweeds close to it along with some other plants . Hopefully they like the other plants. Although the lizards here sleep on the large leaves at night.
One cat found it’s way to some succulents. Maybe it’s going to pupate on it? I’ve never seen one in the yard before

In the second picture you can see the milkweed no longer has any leaves. Some cats have already migrated to the fresher plants

Tomorrow {if hurricane Dorian allows} I’ll look into making something for them to start their cocoons.
Sorry if my lingo is off. For some reason I had difficulty describing what I was trying to create.
Thanks again !

I never had lizards kill any of the large caterpillars. I keep milkweed inside my screened lanai and when they are ready to pupate, I move some to a large Pachira tree I grow on the patio and they happily crawl up and make their cocoons. Some get away from me and I find them hanging on my orchids, tables and chairs. Some have hung on the screens. I never worry about them at that size.

Found this one on the floor earlier today. The winds from the storm are picking up. I tied it to another plant . Hopefully it didn’t sustain too much trauma and the butterfly will be ok

Is it normal for the cat to hang so low?? Maybe it’s too windy? Any advice ? Sorry for all the questions and posts .

It's fine. When he curls up and cocoons, it will take up some of that string.

I don't think that one looks so good. If he ends up making his chrysalis, (it's a chrysalis...moths make cocoons), I would put it in a separate container of some sort, or at least hang it somewhere not near the others. Could be a virus affecting him that you don't want to spread.

Great idea Daisy. Another cat has formed its chrysalis on the same succulent leaf. The original one did not finish. Should I dispose it?

Yes, dispose of it. The liquid that seeps out will infect any other caterpillars that touch it, because it appears that caterpillar died from what's called "black death", which can be caused by a bacterium or virus. You can google about it to learn more, using Monarch black death as the search terms. Or for broader information, google Monarch diseases and parasites.

I threw it out along with another that looked just like it. Unfortunately, even as a beginner this is something I have seen already more than I’d like.
Some of my chrysalis have turned completely blk

The chrysalises do appear black before the butterfly emerges. Actually they turn clear and the black is the butterfly.

And here is a bad one that I disposed of. It has some kind of virus and is turning dark/black irregularly...they should darken in an all-over consistent manner:

Even when you have an apparently healthy looking chrysalis and can see the wings, sometimes the butterfly is still infected with one of the diseases or virus. I had one 2 weeks ago that looked fine, but could not get out of its chrysalis. The chrysalis opened, but she didn't come out. I gently helped her and got her out but I could tell something was wrong, so I euthanized her. (I put them in the freezer, which initially puts them in a "coma" for lack of a better term, then kills them. I can't bring myself to step on them.)

I watched my first chrysalis formation yesterday. It looked so cool and beautiful at the same time. Unfortunately a few hours later the chrysalis had cracks. I watched video online where a guy showed they might still survive and be healthy. I left it but this morning when I woke up it was black -_-

Oh no! I'm sorry this happened. Because of the previous caterpillars that died and now this bad chrysalis, I'd say you have a definite virus or bacterial infection going on. I know it's disheartening.

I find the eggs on my milkweed and bring them in to avoid this as much as possible. I have a cage and raise them that way. I've been very successful, until this year where I had a few that didn't make it. I think it was my fault because I brought too many in. Too many caterpillars in one cage can be an incubator for disease I think.