| How to Introduce Your Kitten to the Outdoors Safely Posted: 23 May 2019 01:00 AM PDT Letting your kitten out for the first time can be nerve-wracking, but there are steps you can take to keep it safe and healthy. Introduce the outdoors gradually when it's at least 6 months old, and limit its time outside at first. Be sure to vaccinate and spay or neuter your kitten before letting it out, and remove hazards from your yard, such as toxic chemicals. Keep in mind vets recommend keeping cats inside, so consider enriching your pet's indoor environment with lots of toys, climbing perches, and hiding spots. EditTeaching Your Kitten to Go Outside - Enclose your yard before letting out your cat. To keep your cat from getting out, install special attachments to your fence that prevent it climbing over. Find these fencing attachments online and at pet stores.[1]
- Enclosing your yard with fence attachments is especially important if you live near potential hazards, such as busy roads or highways.
- Introduce your kitten to the outdoors just before mealtime. If you free feed your cat, take its food away several hours before you train it to go outside. Otherwise, let it outside for the first time just before one of its scheduled feeding times. A hungry kitten will be more likely to respond when you offer a bowl of food and call it back indoors.[2]
- Get a bowl of food ready just before you let it out for the first time. That way, you won't have to leave your kitten outside unsupervised while you fix its food.
- Choose a quiet, stress-free time to let your cat go outside. Make sure the surrounding area is free of scary, stressful sights and sounds, like a neighbor's barking dog or noisy kids playing nearby. Additionally, check the weather forecast, and let your cat out on a dry day.[3]
- If your kitten gets spooked, it could form a negative association with the outdoors or, even worse, run away and get lost.
- Cats use their sense of smell to find their way back to your home. Avoid letting your kitten out after a rainstorm since it will remove the scent and make it more difficult for your cat to find its way back.
- Open the door and let it explore on its own terms. When you're ready to train your kitten to go out, simply open the door to your yard and take a step outside. Hold the door open, and allow your pet to follow you outside at its own pace. Cats are cautious animals, so it'll probably take a couple of minutes before it's comfortable leaving the house.[4]
- Keep the door open so your kitten can go back inside if it feels squeamish. Don't pick your cat up or force it to go outside. If it darts around or hides under a shrub, try not to worry. Keep your distance and let it get accustomed to your yard.
- If your kitten doesn't want to go outside or runs back into the house, just let it stay inside. If it wants to be an indoor kitty, keep it active and entertained with toys, scratching posts, and climbing perches.
- Call your cat and offer food after about 10 minutes. When you're just starting out, keep your cat's trips outside brief. After 10 minutes, offer it a bowl of food and call it back indoors. If it doesn't come right away, give its bowl a shake and make encouraging verbal cues to get its attention.[5]
- Remember to prepare your kitten's food in advance so you don't have to head into the house and leave it alone outside. In addition, grab some of its favorite treats just in case the bowl of food doesn't catch its interest.
- It's also helpful to teach your cat to come before letting it go outside. Offer a tasty treat, say "Come," and reward your pet with the treat when it comes to you. Keep practicing until it reliably comes on command.[6]
- Stay calm if your kitten doesn't come back immediately. If it doesn't return right away when you call it, don't try to chase it, shout, or call frantically. Try calling it using a calm, normal voice instead.[7]
- Food with a strong odor, such as sardines or tuna, could do the trick. Place the food inside near the door, keep the door open, and wait for your cat to come investigate.
- Increase its time outdoors gradually. Practice going outside every day and, with each training session, add a few minutes to its time outdoors. When your kitten seems to come and go with confidence, you can start letting it spend longer periods of time outside without supervision.[8]
- Even after acclimating your cat to the outdoors, keep it inside overnight and in hot, cold, or rainy weather. Cars and predators pose a greater risk when it's dark, and bad weather could take a toll on your cat's health.
EditKeeping Your Kitten Healthy Outdoors - Let your cat out only after it's fully vaccinated. Wait at least a week after your cat has finished its course of vaccinations before letting it go outside. A cat that goes outside is exposed to more diseases than cats that stay indoors, so vaccinations are essential. Consult your kitten's vet about legally required vaccinations, and ask if they recommend any additional vaccines for cats that spend time outdoors.[9]
- Generally, a kitten completes its core vaccinations by the time it's 5 or 6 months old.
- Keep in mind some important vaccines aren't always legally required. For instance, although it isn't always a core vaccination, your vet will still recommend vaccinating your cat against feline leukemia virus (FeLV) if you plan on letting it go outside.[10]
- Spay or neuter your kitten before letting it go outside. If your cat isn't already fixed, schedule an appointment with its vet. When kept as pets, kittens are typically spayed or neutered by the time they're 6 months old. However, with proper veterinary care, even an adult cat well into its teens can be fixed.[11]
- Spaying or neutering your kitten lowers its risk of developing cancer and other illnesses. In addition, you wouldn't want to deal with a litter of kittens after letting your female cat outside unsupervised. Finally, fixing your cat will lower its risk of getting into fights with other felines.
- Give your cat routine flea and tick preventative medicine. While oral medications are available, topical treatments are the most popular routine parasite preventatives for cats. To use the treatment, apply the medication between your cat's shoulder blades once a month. Follow the dosage instructions on the packaging; doses vary and usually depend on a pet's weight.[12]
- Discuss parasite preventative treatments with your cat's vet and use your product as instructed.
- While over-the-counter products are available, treatments prescribed by vets are more effective, and it's wise to have your vet recommend the right product and dosage for your pet.
- Keep your cat away from chemicals, toxic plants, and other hazards. Check your backyard for hazards, and make sure anything that could hurt your cat is out of its reach. Store chemicals, such as antifreeze, on shelves in a garage or shed. Research any plants you keep in your garden and make sure they're safe for cats.[13]
EditPreventing It from Getting Lost - Get your pet acclimated to your home before letting it go outside. It usually takes a few weeks for a cat to adjust to its surroundings. However, the right length of time depends on your kitten. Observe its behavior, and make sure it appears confident, interacts with you and your family members, and knows where it can find its food, litter box, and toys.[14]
- Place a tag with your contact information on your kitten's collar. To stay on the safe side, always keep identification on your cat. Secure a collar to its neck with a tag that lists your name, your cat's name, your phone number, and your address.[15]
- Cats can squeeze in and out of tight spaces, so make sure the collar fits securely around its neck. The collar shouldn't be so loose that it can slip off, but you should be able to fit 2 fingers between the collar and your cat's neck.[16]
- Microchip your cat just in case it gets lost. A pet microchip is a device the size of a grain of rice that, when scanned, reveals your contact information. Implanting one is a relatively inexpensive procedure, so call the vet and invest in a chip just in case your cat gets lost.[17]
- Once a chip is implanted in your cat's neck or upper back, you'll need to keep it updated. If you move or change your phone number, go online or call the company that hosts the chip to upload your new contact information.
- Consider harnessing your cat or letting it out in an enclosed area. To prevent your cat from getting lost altogether, don't let it out unsupervised. Walk it on a leash, keep it tethered in your yard, or let it out in an enclosed patio or cat run.[18]
- Keeping your cat harnessed or enclosed is best if you live near potential hazards, such as a busy road, predatory birds, or a big dog that routinely gets loose.
- Once your cat gets used to going outside, you could install a cat flap in your back door so it can come and go as it pleases. Flaps are available with special sensors that are triggered by your cat's collar, which prevents stray animals from entering your house.
- Remember that vets typically recommend keeping pet cats indoors at all times. Unless your cat exhibits destructive behavior that can't be corrected with training, consider keeping it inside.
- As an alternative to going outside, keep your indoor cat entertained with lots of toys, scratching posts, hiding spots, perches, and climbing spots.
- Don't let your kitten go outside unless it's at least 6 months old. Even without taking vaccinations or neutering into consideration, a kitten less than 6 months old is too fragile to venture outside on its own.
- Avoid leaving your cat outside unsupervised if you live near potential hazards, including busy roads and predatory wildlife.
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| How to Unclog a Sink Posted: 22 May 2019 05:00 PM PDT A clogged sink can be a major inconvenience, but before you call a plumber, consider unclogging your sink at home. Manual removal works well if you have large clumps of debris jamming up your pipes, but you can also create natural drain cleaners or use chemical cleaners to help rid your sink pipes of unwanted material. Here are the most common methods you should consider trying the next time your sink gets plugged. EditManual Removal - Clear out the blockage with a bent wire hanger.[1] If you suspect that your sink is clogged with hair or other solid masses, you might be able to fish it out with an old, bent wire hanger.
- Straighten out a wire clothes hanger as much as possible. Bend one end slightly to create a small hook capable of fitting into your sink drain.
- Slide the wire hanger down, hook-side first, into the drain. Try to keep the wire pressed to the side of the drain rather than pushing it down the center of the pipe. Doing so will minimize the risk of pushing the blockage further down.
- Once you feel resistance, twist and maneuver the hanger in an attempt to hook the blockage. Pull the wire back up to remove as much of the blockage as possible.
- Run hot tap water from your sink and into the drain for a couple of minutes. Make the water as hot and rapid as possible, but if the sink starts to back up, turn the water off.
- Use a plunger to loosen the clog.[2] Use a standard plunger to vigorously suction the blockage out.
- If you are working with a sink that has two sink drains, hold a wet cloth tightly over one drain to seal it off.
- Place a plunger over the other drain, holding it fairly upright.
- Fill the other side of the sink with 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) of water. Doing so helps the plunger seal around the drain.
- Roll the head of the plunger into the water, forcing water into the drain. Pump the plunger up and down for a solid 20 seconds using a vigorous, rapid motion, but do not break the seal between the plunger and the drain.
- Pop the plunger off the drain on your last vertical upstroke.
- You may need to plunge the sink for several minutes in order to loosen the blockage.
- Clean the P-trap. The P-trap often catches debris and other blockages before they make it further into your pipes. This portion of your piping is located directly under your sink and can be removed and cleaned out manually.
- Place a large bucket below the trap. This will catch any water or debris that falls from the pipe once you remove the trap.
- Use slip joint pliers to loosen the slip nuts on the trap and unscrew the nuts by hand. Slide the nuts away from the connections and carefully slip off the trap.
- Use a small wire brush to scrap out any debris from the trap, emptying it into the bucket below. Also clean the trap out by scrubbing with the same wire brush.
- Carefully rinse the trap with hot water. You may want to use another sink, since you just removed a portion of the drain pipe for the sink you are currently working on.
- Reattach the trap to the rest of the piping. If any slip nut washers show notable signs of wear, replace them.
- Snake the line. If the blockage lies deeper in the sink line, you may need to use a snake to clean it out.
- Remove the P-trap and any pipes that connect to the drain stub-out at the wall.
- Pull out 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) of snake cable.
- Thread the tip of the snake into the drain stub-out. Tighten the setscrew.
- Turn the crank clockwise to feed it into the pipe. Any initial resistance you feel is likely caused by turns and corners the snake must make.
- Once you hit a blockage, continue cranking until you feel the tip of the snake cable break through to the other side. The tension in the cable will be reduced dramatically after it breaks through.
- Turn the crank counter-clockwise to pull the cable out. Clean the cable as you remove it.
- Repeat as needed until you no longer feel any blockage and restore your piping to its usual state.
EditNatural Aides - Flush the sink with boiling water. Boil at least 4 cups (1 L) of water in a kettle. After the water boils, pour it down the drain in two to three stages, pausing for several seconds in between each stage. Repeat if needed.
- If possible, flush the sink out with at least 4 cups (1 L) of water. Use more if your kettle will hold it.
- If you do not have a kettle, you can boil the water in a saucepan or electric hot pot.
- You could also use the microwave to boil water, but microwave the water only in 20 to 40 second intervals and keep a wooden chopstick in the water as it microwaves. Otherwise, the water could super-heat and present a danger.
- Pour the boiling water directly down the drain, rather than pouring it into the sink first and letting it gradually flow to the drain.
- Note that this works best on minor clogs and may not prove as effective against heavy clogs. The water must also be boiling as you pour it since the vibration of the water is part of the reason why the remedy is effective at all.
- Dissolve the clog with baking soda and vinegar.[3][4] The baking soda and vinegar solution is highly effective because the fizzy reaction created between the two cleaning products is vigorous and abrasive enough to loosen many stubborn clogs.
- Pour 1/2 cup (125 ml) baking soda down the sink drain.
- Follow the baking soda with 1/2 cup (125 ml) white distilled vinegar.
- Quickly cover the drain opening with a drain stopper. Doing so forces the fizzy reaction down through the pipes, where the blockage is, rather than up and out.
- As soon as the fizzing stops, pour another 1/2 cup (125 ml) white distilled vinegar down the drain. Cover again and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Boil 1 gallon (4 L) of water in a kettle or saucepan. Pour the boiling water into the sink to flush out any remaining vinegar and baking soda.
- Pour salt and baking soda into the drain. When combined, salt, baking soda, and water also create a chemical reaction capable of loosening most blockages.
- Combine 1/2 cup (125 ml) table salt and 1/2 cup (125 ml) baking soda.
- Carefully pour or spoon the combination down the sink drain. Get as much into the drain as possible, and avoid getting too much excess on the basin of the sink. The reaction will only be effective against the blockage if it comes into direct contact with it.
- Let the baking soda and salt sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Boil 1 to 4 quarts (1 to 4 L) of water in a kettle or saucepan. Carefully pour the boiling water into the drain.
- Plug up the sink drain as quickly as possible after adding the water to force the reaction down into the pipes rather than up and out.
- The chemical reaction produced should be enough to clear most moderately clogged sinks.
EditHeavy-Duty Chemical Help - Pour caustic soda down the drain. Caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide, is an extremely strong chemical that will dissolve most blockages clogging up your sink.
- Caustic soda can be purchased at most hardware stores.
- Dilute 3 cups (750 ml) of caustic soda with 3/4 gallon (3 L) of cold water in a large mop bucket. Mix the chemical and the water together with a wooden spoon.
- Do not use any container or utensil you plan to use for food later on.
- Do not stir the water and caustic soda together with your hands.
- The water and caustic soda should begin to "fizz" and heat up as you mix the two together.
- Carefully pour the solution directly into the clogged sink drain. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes without touching it.
- Boil 1 gallon (4 L) of water on the stove and use it to flush the drain.
- Repeat the procedure if necessary.
- Try bleach. If you are connected to a public sewer system and not to a well or septic tank, you can use bleach to both clean and deodorize a clogged sink.
- Pour 1 cup (250 ml) of undiluted bleach directly down the sink drain. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Turn your sink on and let water rush into the drain. Make sure that the water is as hot as possible and as strong or rapid as possible. Let it run up to 5 minutes.
- If your sink begins to back up and fill with water, turn the water off and let it drain before attempting to unclog the sink again.
- Do not use bleach if you use a septic tank. Bleach kills bacteria living in the tank, but the bacteria it kills eats solid waste, thereby preventing the lines from clogging.
- Use drain cleaner.[5] Commercial drain cleaners can be purchased at most grocery stores, and there are caustic, acid, and enzymatic cleaners available.
- Read the label carefully to determine which cleaner is right for your particular type of blockage. For instance, some cleaners might work better in bathroom sinks, while others might work better for kitchen sinks.
- Follow the instructions on the label carefully when you use it.
- Caustic drain cleaners rely on chemical reactions caused by hydroxide ions.
- Acid drain cleaners use a chemical reaction between hydrogen ions and the material clogging the sink. Acid cleaners tend to be harsher than caustic drain cleaners.
- Enzymatic cleaners are the least potent and rely on bacterial enzymes to eat away organic blockages.
- Deodorize the sink with a lemon juice rinse.[6] Lemon juice is not quite acidic enough to unclog a sink, but it does serve as a powerful deodorizer. After you remove the blockage from your sink, you may notice a pungent odor that refuses to go away. Pouring 1 cup (250 ml) of lemon juice into the drain should be enough to neutralize the odor.
- Add the caustic soda to the water, never the other way around! If water is added to caustic soda, an exothermic reaction will cause the solution to possibly boil and splash on you, causing serious chemical and thermal burns. Great caution is advised.
- Wear rubber gloves and eye goggles when using heavy-duty chemicals, especially caustic soda and drain cleaner. If any of these chemicals splash onto your skin, wash it off immediately with soap and water. If your skin still tingles or burns after cleaning it, immediately seek medical help.
- If you receive serious injuries while doing this, seek immediately emergency medical help.
EditThings You'll Need - Wire clothing hanger
- Rag
- Plunger
- Large bucket
- Slip joint pliers
- Small wire brush
- Snake
- Kettle or saucepan
- Water
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Caustic soda
- Wooden spoon
- Bleach
- Commercial drain cleaner
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles
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| How to Bake a Potato in the Microwave Posted: 22 May 2019 09:00 AM PDT A baked potato is a cheap and tasty treat that will brighten up just about any meal. Though normally prepared in an oven, you can also bake a potato using a microwave, creating the same great dish in a fraction of the time. - Choose the right type of potato. Russet potatoes - also known as Idaho or baking potatoes - are the best potatoes for baking in the microwave. This is due to their high starch content, which yields extra fluffy baked potatoes. If you don't have Russets, the next best thing are yellow-fleshed potatoes - such as Yukon Gold - which are moderately starchy and yield a creamy, slightly dense baked potato.[1]
- Wash the potato. It is important to give your potato a good wash before microwaving, especially if you're planning on eating the skin. Be sure to remove any stubborn dirt. If you have one, a bristled scrubbing brush is great for cleaning potatoes. After washing, pat the potato dry with a clean paper towel[2].
- Season the potato. Rub a little olive oil into the skin of the potato, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. This gives the potato a little extra flavor and will help to crisp up the skin.
- Prick the potato with a fork. This allows steam to escape and prevents the potato from exploding in the microwave. You should aim to prick the potato three or four times on each area: top, bottom, and two sides.[3] Alternatively, you can cut a deep "X" onto the top of the potato, using a knife.
- Place the potato on a microwavable plate. If you want, you can wrap the potato in some wet paper towel first. This will help to keep the potato moist and prevent it from shrinking, but it will also result in softer skin.
- Put the plate in the microwave and choose a cooking time. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the potato and the power of the microwave. Most medium to large potatoes will take between 8-12 minutes to cook at full power.[4]
- Try putting the potato in for 5 minutes to begin with, then take it out and turn it over so that both sides cook evenly. Place it back in the microwave for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft it is already. After that, if it still doesn't feel fully cooked, continue to microwave it in 1 minute bursts, checking after each minute.[5]
- If you are cooking multiple potatoes at once, you will need to increase the cooking time by about two-thirds[6]. For example, if one large potato takes 10 minutes to cook, two large potatoes would take between 16-17 minutes.
- If you prefer crispy skinned potatoes, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5-6 minutes, then transfer to a baking sheet and bake in an oven[7] preheated to for 20 minutes. This method is great if you want oven-crisp potato skins, in less than half the normal cooking time![5]
- Check if the potato is cooked. You can check if a potato is cooked by sticking a fork in the center; if the fork goes in easily, but the center is still a little firm, the potato is ready. When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of undercooking, as an overcooked potato may burn or explode in the microwave.
- Let the potato rest for five minutes. This allows the core of the potato to finish cooking using the heat that is trapped in the inner layers. It also helps it to become fluffy on the inside without over-drying on the outside. Wrapping it in aluminum foil after taking it out of the microwave will speed up this process. Just be careful when touching the potato - it will be extremely hot!
- If you are saving a potato for someone who's running late, wrapping the potato in aluminum foil will keep it warm for a remarkably long time. Just be sure to do this as soon as it comes out of the microwave, to conserve as much heat as possible.
- Serve the potato. Cut the potato open and garnish it with your favorite toppings. Keep it simple with butter, salt and a little grated cheese, or jazz it up with some sour cream, green onions or chives and some crispy bacon. For a more complete meal, top the potato with a generous helping of chili con carne or some fluffy scrambled eggs.
- Try using parchment paper to wrap the potato, which can be saved and re-used.
- Some microwaves have a "baked potato" button; use that when in doubt.
- If you are in a rush, you can cut open the potato immediately after the microwave stops, add your toppings (or not), and then do the final cooking in the microwave by microwaving another 30 to 60 seconds.
- Using a rotating carousel for microwaving is the best way to get the potato evenly cooked all around. If you don't have a rotating carousel, pause your microwave twice during the microwaving time, and manually turn the potato a half turn each time. To decide when to turn the potato, divide the cooking time into 3 fairly equal units.
- Lengthen the time when using microwaves with less power. An 800 Watt microwave requires 1.5 times the microwaving time.
- You can "boil" potatoes for mashing more or less the same way. Use thin-skinned potatoes and be extra careful not to dry them out. Plastic wrap or simply cooking several in a plastic bag helps.
- Wrap the potato in plastic wrap. This way they don't dry out.
- Before cutting your fully cooked potato open...make a fist and punch down on it. Turn it sideways and punch down again. Make a small slit in the top. Grab both ends of the potato with your fingers (slit side up) and push down and in. Pushing the ..now softened potato up and out of slit.
- Make a hole on the potato with a toothpick to know if it's ready to eat.
- Try plain brown paper if you don't have parchment paper.
- Try bacon grease as the coating for the potatoes. The bacon grease will keep the potato skins soft and give it a different flavor.
- The plate will be rather hot from the microwave, so use a towel or oven mitt to take it out.
- Do not wrap the potato in metal foil while it is inside the microwave; this could cause sparking that damages the interior surface of your microwave.
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