INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Of course, sometimes you do want to go the most timeless birthday route of them all-that of a birthday party. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with letting yourself be a little bit self focused for your birthday, and so there’s nothing wrong with giving a party in celebration of your birthday! Make sure you have the necessary items, the place, and the people to have a party or get together that will be enjoyable to you and your guests.  At the very least, you’ll want to provide some refreshments to your guests. Know how many people you plan to invite and, depending on what sort of refreshments you decide on, crunch the numbers to be sure you’ll have enough food and drink for everyone. Decide what you’ll serve. Are you having a full dinner or just drinks and appetizers? Think of who’s coming and consider what they might like. Are your guests more carnivores? Vegetarians? If you know your guests’ preferences, use that knowledge. Is it winter? Summer? Consider the climate when planning your party. If it’s cold, warm dips and hot bread can be a relatively simple path. If your birthday falls in the warmer months (or if you live in a hotter region) cool drinks, fruits, and cold dips are great. Backyards are made for parties. Be sure that if there’s a chance of rain, you have a backup plan-also consider whether your guests will be exposed to the sun, and look at possibilities for adding some shade if needed. Umbrellas or canopies can be rented at most party supply stores. Unless you’re throwing a massive ball at a French chateau, or a state dinner, and even if there’s some serious planning going into your party, i.e caterers and musicians, there’s really no need to overthink it. Parties can take some effort, but consider your guest’s enjoyment and plan a party that you would want to attend, and good times will be had.  A good birthday party involves guests enjoying themselves and celebrating the presence of the birthday girl or boy. Simple as that. Activities and even food and drink are secondary to the general ambience-people having a good time. Whether it’s a kid’s party, a backyard barbeque, or a champagne and hors’d’ouvres affair, creating a relaxing atmosphere where guests can mingle and enjoy life is the purpose. No one likes to feel that something is expected of them at a party. Guests often like to help out with what needs doing at a party; enlisting offered help is great, but don’t demand your guest’s appreciation. Your guests should simply be allowed to enjoy the opportunity to spend social time with each other and you. If you’re hosting a house party or a shindig where you will be doing some of the legwork, enlist family and friends to come early to help with the preparations-and get to enjoy your birthday glow before the larger party gets started. Rather than accepting gifts, requesting contributions to the birthday party effort. Suggesting that guests bring drinks, snacks, particular dishes, plates, or even music or games is one way to involve the everyone in the putting on of the celebration, and lessen the economic burden on yourself. Also, when guests feel more involved, and feel that they have contributed to a party or gathering, they will feel more invested in the sense of camaraderie and community that a good party creates.  If you’re going for a full meal at your party, potlucks are a great way to make your friends a part of the cooking. Ask everyone to bring a dish, or create a signup sheet with an online invite service for coordination of dishes. Know anyone who is known amongst friends for a special dish or dessert they make? Ask them if they would like to make it for your birthday-they’ll feel appreciated, and so will you!

SUMMARY: Have yourself a party! Plan your party. Don’t overplan! Get close friends and family involved. Ask friends to bring something.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When you bring your cat or kitten home, confine it to one room in the house with his litter box and food and water dishes to allow it to acclimate to its home in a quiet, unhurried manner. Of course, make sure you spend a few hours interacting with the cat to help him feel at home. After a few days, let your cat explore the rest of the house. If you have a kitten, you may want to keep it confined to the main level of the house until he can manage stairs on his own. Most cats are easy to potty train, as long as they know where their litter box is located and they are able to access it easily. One major choice you need to make is which type of litter to use. There are many types of litter available: clumping, clay, silica based, and plant based (such as pine or wheat).  You need to show your cat the litter box immediately when it arrives in your home. Cats tend to have a natural instinct to go to the bathroom in litter and usually are shown how to do it by their mother. By the time you bring home a kitten, it should have a good idea of what it is supposed to do. It just needs to know where the box is and it needs access to the box. Most cats prefer the fine-grained, unscented litters. An unscented scoopable litter meets this standard, as it probably has a softer feel on its paws. However, you may find your cat prefers a different litter type, especially if it has used a particular style since kitten hood.  If you find a litter that your cat likes, keep with that kind or your cat may decide to relieve itself elsewhere. Clean the box daily so your cat has a fresh, inviting bathroom. While training a cat the same way as a dog is trained won't usually work, you can teach your cat some things. Teach it to play simple games and what it should, and shouldn't, scratch on. For example, set up an agility course for the cat in your living room and clicker train it to go through it. You can even teach an Abyssinian to walk outside on a leash! Provide a scratching post. To keep your furniture and wood trim safe from cat scratching, provide your Abyssinian with a scratching post or similar item to scratch. Scratching is a normal, healthy activity to help remove the dead outer part of the claws, to let the cat mark its territory, and to give it necessary exercise. If you catch your cat using a non-acceptable item as a scratching post, do not yell or hit the cat. Instead, pick it up and place it near the scratching post. To keep the cat from using unacceptable items you can use a cat deterrent spray, especially those with the smell of citrus, to keep them away from these items. Abyssinian cats are very smart, and so they need to be entertained and stimulated mentally. This does not mean that the cat will always be in the mood to play with you, but you should try to when the cat acts interested. Laser pointer toys are a great way to exercise your cat. They are also a good way to have some fun with your cat. Have a bunch of toys available to your cat, so that it hopefully plays with them instead of getting into trouble. Provide puzzle feeders and balls and mice to keep your cat occupied.  Place a bird feeder outside your window where the cat can see it. This could potentially entertain your cat for hours.  Get the cat a cat tree to climb. It would be good to place it in front of a window, so it can climb and get a good view at the same time.

SUMMARY:
Introduce a new kitten or cat to its home gradually. Train your cat to use its litter box. Teach your cat basic skills. Play with your cat. Provide stimulation for your Abyssinian, even when you are not home.