Something I learned with my first catts: they can live without roots! (Amazing!) I also learned I overwater. After trimming very nearly ALL the roots from a catt, I set the poor thing ON TOP of the bark in a small pot, secured it to a bird perch poked down through the bark mix (Hey! You use whatcha got!) and misted it daily with water that had a foliar feed fertilizer, but did not water the bark in the pot. I put it under two flourescent daylight bulbs. Took two and a half months before the first shoot of green poked out. SCARY! But it lives! good luck with yours! Cindi