Your Hens and chicks looks like Sempervivum 'Red Beauty'. Just in case you don't know, most Sempervivums need to be out in the cold in the winter so it doesn't make a great houseplant. A better garden plant for sure. i can't identify the so called zygo cactus from your picture. Maybe a closer shot? The third picture looks to be a sedum of some sort. These all look to be succulents, not cactus, to me. One last thing, most succulents are poisonous to cats so I don't recommend you let your cat eat any of them.

Sadly, just because a bagged soil is called 'cactus soil' that doesn't necessarily mean it's any good for cacti and succulents as we've said many times before, it's just sales blurb. They will die in that mix whatever their size, large or small, the result will be the same. Can't tell what the planter/s look like size wise in relation to the plants or whether it's one big planter, but whichever, there's way too much unused 'peaty' type compost. It will cause one of two things to happen...if you water thoroughly which they will need (but they also need to drain properly) it will stay wet and they'll rot. Failing that, the soil may become hydrophobic, you will think you are watering it but it will stay dry at the roots, as spray bottles don't water efficiently. Please do a search for a more suitable mix using the search box a the top, your plants will thank you in the end. Gill

If your intention was to get me to shop or ask questions regarding decorating or design you were wrong. I'm looking for GARDEN WEB FORUMS and all I got was asking what were my plans. Gardening is what I'm interested in and you have succeeded in denying me access to it. Are you hostile to horticulture? Ever since you acquired Garden Web you have made it over time, more and more difficult to access the website. CONGRATULATIONS you just succeeded! I mean, you want people who come to garden web to shop, instead of asking questions of horticultural nature. I have few other words in mind but I'll refrain from using them since this will be read by others.

Irene General advice is not to use layer of pebbles on bottom of the pot. You did say:..."Putting pebbles in the bottom of a dish is the best thing so the water can drain out of the soil"...and if you meant saucer/drainage dish, then I am reading your message wrongly and misunderstood. Using layer of pebbles to raise the pot higher will work, but there is still standing water. If you mean container itself, there shouldn't be any layers. This is faulty advice that will temporary slow down possible rotting of the roots of plant kept without proper drainage - and that is potting mix, and the container. Container should have drainage holes - anything could be a container and look good, but drainage holes should be drilled in it. Different materials need to be thoroughly mixed, they should be of approx. same size to create fast draining mix, not layered. These are considered best growing conditions for succulents. Sure, you can grow in water retaining soil or in sand, or in a container without drainage and even in water - and plants may look fine for a while. But those are not best conditions for a long term of heath of plant, and even for convenience of the grower (has to be much more attentive to the watering...)