These little critters are really cute indeed
This is a really great photo you've taken here

Now, If my suspicions are correct...then the caterpillar you happened to find, looks a lot like and Acrea Moth caterpillar. (Or, as I am beginning to see the more I verify my claim, also known as a Salt Marsh Moth) [link]

I have personally found a lot of them in the past, including ones with a whitish yellow fur....but those may be another type of moth

One of the main things that allows you to tell apart the larva of a butterfly vs. a moth, is the fact that...
Butterfly larva usually have very little "fur" or "hairs" and will have little rounded "nobs" or spikes" on their smooth bodies...or just are smooth, with whatever stripes or spots God gave them...
Whereas moths, USUALLY, (the smaller ones anyway) have a lot of fur, like this one...
...However, when you start getting into bigger moths, like ones that spend all their caterpillar life eating, and have no "sucking" mouth parts when they're adults, Like a Luna Moth ( [link]), or Cecropia Moth ( [link] ), then they can look like some butterfly larva....but MUCH bigger

Another fairly significant difference, is that...
Butterflies, will usually make a "Chrysalis" after their caterpillar stage, before becoming an adult Butterfly.
Whereas with moths, (most of the time) will shed that fur and/or make their "Cocoon" within leaves and/or upon sticks/twigs/wood etc....of which beneath that furry shell, will be found a smooth shelled (usually dark brown) pupa.
_{("Pupa" is the term for this part of the Metamorphosis though, nevertheless, and isn't restricted to moths...I just can't think of a better term for the smooth shelled thing inside the fur made cocoon )}

As for those "false" sticky legs you mentioned...yes, they are for helping to hold on to things (Both kinds of Lepidoptera (Butterfly & Moth Larva) have them).......but as for a better/additional reason......well, I don't know quite that much about them....
Nevertheless, after the larva become adults, you'll notice that the adults have what looks like 4 legs...but looking closer, you will see they have an additional 2, tiny, legs, near their mouths, giving them a total of 6 (Like any insect has ^^)
Those 6 legs, are the same 6, "True" legs you see on your little caterpillar here...they stay there through the butterfly/moth's life, while those other ones disappear/go away, once it goes to a pupa then adult.

I hope this info helps


(By the way, based on your signature... If you're "talkin' up a storm!" ...then I certainly can contend with you on that, with this spcheal )

Aww isn't he so cute! Great shot! He looks to me a lot like a wooly bear catterpillar but with no black. We have tons of wooly bears out here usually black with orange center (The more black, the colder the winter is gonna be so the stories go!) Here's a wooly bear photo: [link]

They like to curl up in balls, and turn into quite pretty orange or white moths. ^.^

The back legs are indeed quite sticky. XD