Someone just called and I have to call him back when the hour to let him know if I can make a 3d cougar cake, pouncing. it really doesn't need to serve more than 10 ppl mostly just for show. I have no clue how to even start or what to even charge. I usually charge by serving but I'm not going to charge $30 buck for what could be the hardest cake I have ever done. Anyone know how to make a pouncing cougar cake????[/u]

you are definatly looking at a duff style supporting structure, using pipes of some sort.
you could make life a bit easier, have the cougar pouncing off something, rather than mid-flight, so your supports wouldnt be quite so extreme.
and if its duff style, that starts at $1000...
think it through, how long to do the cake, to find and make the supports (or hire someone to do it for you, if you dont have blowtorch skills). its a lot of hours, and the challenges of covering underneath the body, adding in the details... at a guess, £100 for me. if nto more, if i really thought it through.
offer some nice substitue ideas!
xx