C++ query with mySQL

[Sara]

I have been stuck here, SOS call:

Using CGI.pm, I have the script calling certain categories from mySQL table.

my $cat = $q->param('cat');
my $dbh -> prepare ("SELECT * FROM main WHERE CAT='$cat'");

Sample Categories('CAT') are given below:

PHP/Ad_Management/Classifieds
Perl_and_CGI/Ad_Management
C_and_C++/Ad_Management

etc.

Calling the categories starting with PHP and Perl didn't cause any issue, but 
when I called the Categories
starting with C_and_C++, nothing was shown because CGI.pm was removing the 
characters ++.

I replaced the All ++ in the mySQL database with ASCII &#43&#43, so now the 
categories are in the DB are:
C_and_C&#43&#43/Ad_Management

And now when I am calling the script:
http://mysite.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cat=C_and_C++/Ad_Management

Since CGI.pm removing ++, so in script I did this:

my $cat =~ s/C_and_C/C_and_C&#43&#43/gi;

It should have extracted the results from DB containing C_and_C&#43&#43, BUT NO.

it's printing and calling cat within script as "C_and_C&#43&#43 /Ad_Managment"

Putting an extra Space after &#43, so mySQL failed to deliver matching 
categories.

Why an extra white space? or anything more reasonable I can do to call cat with 
"C++" from mySQL.


TIA.