It is not a cactus, but a succulent. Cacti are also succulents ("all cacti are succulents, but NOT all succulents are cacti")

It looks like it is Echeveria Perle von Nuernberg. It is not growing best it could be: taller is not better. It is not getting enough light, so it is etiolating - stretching, in order to reach more light. You need to keep it somewhere where it gets more sunlight - succulents, in general, need at least 6hrs of sunlight/day. More hours is even better. It doesn't need to go into bigger pot as much as it needs more light. You need to acclimatize it to sunlight, or it may burn.

It is also important to have it potted in well draining mix. Has it been re-potted since you got it? If so, what kind of soil did you use?

Many succulents have powdery coating on leaves that should not be wiped off. Try not to handle it by the leaves.

Right now, I would first acclimatize it to much better light-sunlight. Let it grow for a while, and after couple of months decapitate it. Look at these 2 threads -BEHEADING PLANTS 1&2 - click me please- to read, see photos and get more advice about what it means and how to do it.

Ask should you have more questions...

It looks like a Dusty Rose Echeveria. It's a type of succulent. It loves direct sunlight so I'd put it in front of a South facing window. It's better to grow out than up. When it grows up like that, it's seeking sunlight. The same way that houseplants will bend and grow towards an open window.

It looks healthy, for the most part so just give it more direct sunlight. You can even clip off the top and place it in the soil to grow another plant!

Good luck with it!

Rina and Trish...thank you both for your help. This afternoon I spent quite awhile trying to find it on Google images. The one I found it looked like was Dusty Rose Echeveria. I will look up Echeveria Perle von Nurnberg as well. I've had this plant sitting in a north window since last year when I got it. I don't have a southern window. I have north, east and west windows in my house. This plant has never been re-potted. I was just going to do that because the soil dries out too quick in a 4" pot. So, if I put it on my window sill in direct sun in the morning and remove it in the hot afternoon is that acclimatizing? Will it eventually sit in direct sun without burning the leaves?

Rina: Thank you for the links. I will go read how to do that.

Thank you both for your help.

It could be Dusty rose. Photos I have seen of Dusty Eose have thicker leaves, and are smooth (are not slightly keeled as PvN tends to be) - but your plant is not in "perfect" shape, so it is difficult to tell. Also, I only seen Dusty Rose in photos. Both are hybrids, and quite similar. Blooms would help to ID - they are slightly different in color - post again if it blooms for you. There are also 3 slightly different forms of PvN...Regardelss which one is your plant, care they need is likely same.

West window would be best for sunlight - it all depends if it is obstructed at all or not. If unobstructed and you are getting lots of sunlight, you could move it for couple of hours, when sunlight is strongest.

I keep all succulents outdoors during appropriate weather, and they are in full sun most of day, and they do not burn. Obviously, after acclimatizing them. I put them in full sun right away (do not want to keep moving them around), but usually keep some taller plants in front to create dappled shade for sunniest part of day. After about week or two, I move tall plants away. Many get darker color, which is often desirable. Indoors, I keep them under supplemental lights.

Original potting soil is often mostly peat, and not best for succulents. It either stays too wet, or dries up completely, depending on frequency of watering. Succulents should be watered when potting mix is almost completely dry throughout. You could easily check using wooden-bamboo skewer or chopstick. Insert deep into pot, leave in for 5-10 min. If dry when pulled out - time to water. Otherwise, wait.

You can make better potting mix by using mix of Cactus & Succulent soil and sifted perlite, in 1:1 ratio. Or, even better, you can add more inorganic ingredients - grit, pumice and so on.

Kara

Glad you commented...I was judging only from photos. I have PvN, but not Dusty Rose.

Thank you everyone for your help on this.