Here is a photo of the Catt.

{{gwi:179653}}

The new growth in the right foreground.

{{gwi:179655}}

That was quite over-divided, but not fatally so. It has two pseudobulbs and a new growth, that the new growth is what will save it.

It looks like it might be over potted. I can't imagine that small plant having that many roots, but anything is possible. It might go down to a 3" pot, but it depends entirely on the roots.

I would repot it. Not just to see the condition of the roots, although that is very important. The main reason is the mix. It is (IMO) very much to fine for a catt. It needs to dry between watering. If it is kept evenly moist it will die. Water well then let it dry.

Her advice on light is wrong too. It is in an active growth period and needs bright light. Fertilize the same as your Phal.

I agree with richardol. That catt needs repotting and soon.......unusual looking mix.

That plant looks like it could fit into a pot a quarter that size.

Let us know how you go with it!

Thank you both for your advice. The mix is Aussie Gold, and several people on this forum have had good results with Catts in it. The original potter had put little stones on it for a decorative effect.

I have been trying the Aussie Gold on my phals and they seem to be doing well. Would you recommend a coarser mix for the Catt?

I would go with the courser mix If I was you. I think you'll have fewer problems and a much happier plant. Also go ahead and unpot it and look at the root mass. I see several roots all around in that pot so It looks like a good sized root system but they could all be shallow and misleading. As with most potted Orchids, choose a pot to fit the roots not the plant.
Also, Catts need a lot more light than Phals, If you look at some culture sheets for phals and catts both you'll see they are on opposite ends of the light requirement scale. Pick the window that gets the most bright sunlight and park your Catt there. If the leaves start to turn a darker green then add a 42wt CFL about 8 to 10 inches above the plant to give it more light. You'll really need the added light in the winter.

Thank you for your helpful comments. The mix was rather coarser than it appeared, so I added a lot more diatomite and some charcoal, trimmed a number of dead roots, and repotted it in a 5" clear plastic orchid pot. I was going to try fir tree bark, but couldn't get it from the two local places I tried. I hope the smaller pot will allow it to dry out more quickly and, once I get some fertiliser etc into it, it may begin to look a bit healthier. I bought some Superthrive too. The roots are very thin and spindly.

Yes, I will have to work on the lighting for the winter. By then I suspect I may have more plants! In the meantime I am giving it as much sunlight as I can, moving it at least once. It could be a little darker green than it was, but I'll be able to assess it better in a few days.

For the most part I agree with the previous posters. The plant 'looks' very overpotted but I see roots going right out to the edges of the pot. An inexperienced potter might have applied very little compression of the root-mass but in general this is the way I usually pot! I think the right light makes any issues of potting and/or potting medium largely moot. What I actually wanted to address was the importance in establishing good and reasonable culture routines early in the addiction phase so that they will be sustainable as the collection grows. I don't care how much leisure time you have it simply isn't practical to manually shift plants around the home to follow the sun. Pick the room(s) with the best overall ledge size, temp diff, accessibility and fix its light hours with lamps. The East window would be a perfect candidate for supplementation which would continue the light beyond noon to any (un)reasonable hour you saw fit. Timers on the lights are more than just a convenience, the consistency is very desirable, you cannot match the reliability of a 24hr timer, no aspertions on your committment, just stating a fact.

H

Yes, you are right, of course, Howard. The East window is a very large one and perfect for the purpose. In winter it is full of my larger plants - hibiscus, bougainvillea etc, and they thrive. We just have to work out a way of housing the plants and extra lighting. I had originally hoped the kitchen lighting would be adequate, but the light fixture is too far above the plants. I probably could put something extra in there too.

I know I need to develop better culture habits and we will fix up something more permanent with a timer as soon as we can. I love your reference to "early in the addiction phase"!

I would repot the plant in a smaller pot. But I use Aussie Gold on small plants and they do very well. Catts need a lot of good light. Bright, but not direct light. South facing windows are the best. In summer, you can put it outside and hang the plant under a lightly shaded tree (like a locust).

My Phals are doing well in Aussie Gold. The Catt is now in a 5" pot. It is getting a reasonable amount of light now, but I have to work on a more permanent lighting solution. I'd like to get it looking a bit healthier before I put it outside.