I was missing a cat this morning and later I noticed there was a bottle of wine missing from the refrigerator in the garage. I think he's gonna be a problem if I can't train him.

I kind of question the idea of trying to grow vandas in vases unless you know how the original grower managed it or can ask them about it (it's a bit unusual, they usually like to dry out between waterings and need air movement around the roots). As for the bugs, that doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with, unless they were indeed mites, spidermites or otherwise. As for treatment, I don't know what to tell you - not having pets (loose ones anyway) or kids, I tend to use the big guns where plants are concerned but mites are tough, typical insecticides are not always effective. If you seem to have cleaned them off for now, I'd wait and see if they come back before treating, and then ask around, imx, you'll get more useful info from actual users of various products than from the manufacturer labels - lots of insecticides claim to "control" mites but do a poor job of it and sometimes damage plants, actual miticides are a mixed bag, hard to find in small home-user packaging. Needless to say, if you're not comfortable using "strong" chemicals in your home, you'll have to stick with things like soapy water which are marginally effective but perfectly safe; if you go for proper insecticides, one of things I do to minimize risk to myself is spray plants in the bathtub with the shower curtain pulled semi-around everything, keep windows open and wash down the tub shortly after spraying. Fwiw, I'm still here and still have the appropriate number of heads, limbs, etc (lol)

Hi Kitkat & Welcome, I'm going to assume you don't know about these plants, so if I say something which sounds obvious or that you already know, I ask in advance that you pls. excuse me. Xmas cacti are jungle cacti, not desert cacti (as some folks mistake them), so they want & need water. They naturally grow in the branches of trees in the tropics, so in these branches or crotches of trees as they're called, they don't really have soil, just leaves, debris & animal droppings that collect there. Key is that any water runs right through this debris & doesn't stay in the roots long at all. The roots of these plants can look surprisingly small & indignificant. What do you mean by the soil looks like cinder? I don't know that word, does that mean like burnt ashes of firewood as example, like burnt cinders? I agree with statement above that woody growth can be normal, just a sign of older growth, so pls. disregard that. I suggest you take cuttings & start new ones; then repot the old, original plant as well. The leaves are referred to as segments or stems. It's recommended that a cutting should have 3-5 segments on each one cutting. I'd use small plastic pots, & place a number of cuttings around the outer edge of the pot & one or 2 in the center. I just checked my reference book & confirmed that largish plants can be kept in smallish pots, say a plant 12" wide & maybe 8-10" high, could easily remain in a pot only 4-5" in diameter. The mix should be something like African violet soil readily available at nurseries, box stores, etc. w/ added perlite, say 1/3 perlite to 2/3 AV soil. This will make for light & airy mix, fast draining which is what these plants need. Only water the new cuttings lightly as without roots, they can't really take up the water. Give them bright, indirect light or place them at the edge of a window. Either water lightly every few days or spray the top of the mix w/ a plant mister. Pls. don't tug on the cuttings to check for rooting, just wait to see new growth; when you do that means the cuttings have rooted; then you can you can water more. If the original rootball & its mix are hardened, soak them first, in a basin of warm water & crumble off the old mix w/ your fingers as much as you can & repot in a fresh mix. Hope I've covered everything, you should see new growth in 4 weeks I'm guessing, if not before then. Good for you for wanting to rescue & do right by this plant. May it reward you w/ lots of blooms next year. Are the edges of the stems jagged or rounded? Jagged indicates Thanksgiving cactus, rounded indicates Christmas cactus. Good luck!

I don't know your night temps, so can't so speak to putting it outside 'til Fall. But these are tropical cacti (grow in forest w/ LOTS of humidity) so Summer Rains should be OK, BUT, I'd hang them in the trees, not leave them out open & unprotected from rain or direct sunlight. These plants DO NOT WANT direct sun & can burn from it. Even tho' you used C&S soil, you;'ll still need to add a lot of perlite to it, like 30-50%. Next time I'd use African Voilet (AV) soil, it's lighter & fluffier & still needs perlite added too. C&S mix is too heavy & lean for these plants, I learned that the hard way & switched to using AV mix w/ perlite & some park thrown in. Works well indoors in NYC where I am, w/ all Western exposures.