One of the best ways to keep your older cat young at heart is to encourage ability-appropriate play. Playtime helps keep your cat's body and mind active.  Dangle a toy for your cat to swat at while they're lying down. Drag a ribbon across the floor. Purchase motorized toys for your cat to chase (look for items with slower settings). It's OK if your cat doesn't play as energetically as it did when it was a kitten — even a little bit of playing is good for your cat. Cats thrive on routine. Making playtime a regular, scheduled part of your day helps to keep your cat happy and healthy, while helping them to feel calm and secure.  Aim to spend 30 minutes playing 1-2 times per day. Schedule play time for before you head out for work each day. Schedule a second play time for when you return. Cats are very territorial, and may not be initially open to sharing their space with a new cat. Nevertheless, the introduction of a new animal can help to stimulate your cat. The ideal companion will be:  Younger (ideally a kitten) Smaller. The opposite gender. Fixed.
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One-sentence summary -- Play with your cat. Keep a regular routine. Introduce a cat companion.


Try to keep the decorations natural or at least natural looking. Driftwood is common and looks good. Use a colander or a plate so you don't ruin your arrangement of decorations. Some fish do not require a heater, but filters are necessary to keep your tank clean.   Follow the directions on the bottle as to how many drops are needed. Cycling a tank is important because it lets helpful bacteria form. That bacteria will later dissolve the ammonia from the fish feces.
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One-sentence summary -- Put five gallons of water in a container or multiple containers and let it rest for a day or two. Add the background, substrate and decorations to your five gallon tank. Pour half of the the water you previously prepared in the tank. Install the filter, heater, and air pump. Arrange and place your live plants. Add the rest of the water to your tank. Add several drops of conditioner (water conditioner, not hair conditioner). Let the tank cycle for at least two weeks and occasionally add some fish food in it.


If you’re less fussy about what color of gray your hair turns out to be, you can skip the strand test. The patch test, however, is absolutely necessary, as an allergic reaction could be fatal. To do a strand test, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific dye that you buy. For a patch test, rub a small amount of developer on a patch of skin behind your ear and wait 48 hours to see if your skin gets irritated. If it does, don't use that brand of dye. Wear old clothes and an old towel over your shoulders, and wear rubber gloves (vinyl and latex disposable gloves are popular). Have some old hand towels nearby in case you need to wipe the dye off your skin. You may even want to rub a bit of petroleum jelly or thick moisturizer around your hairline to prevent the dye from staining your skin. Exactly what you need to do to prepare your dye mixture will depend on the specific type of gray hair dye that you purchased. Use a plastic bowl and a tint brush to mix your dye. Read the instructions on the box to learn whether your hair needs to be wet or dry during application, as this differs depending on which dye you use. If your hair is long, clip it into 8 sections—4 on each side—moving vertically from the nape of your neck up to your forehead. If your hair is thick, you may need to do more sections. Using the tint brush, brush the dye on to 2 in (5.1 cm) sections of your hair, moving up from the ends toward the roots. Stop roughly a 1⁄2 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) from your roots. The warmth from your scalp causes the color on your roots to process more quickly, so save your roots for last. Once the lengths of your hair are covered in dye, go back around your head and cover all of your roots. Then, use a mirror to check the back of your head and ensure even application. Gently work your hands through your hair and feel for even distribution. If you come across any spots that feel dry, add more dye. The processing time will differ depending on which dye you’re using. 30 minutes is an average processing time. Check the color after 20 minutes to see how it's progressing. To do this, wipe a small amount of color off a strand with a towel. If you’re happy with the color, wash out the dye. If you’d like it to be richer, leave it on longer. Make sure you don’t go over the recommended processing time. Once the color has processed, rinse it out with cool water, then shampoo and condition as normal. After washing your hair, gently squeeze the water out with a towel — don’t rub your hair quickly or be otherwise be rough with your hair while drying it. You’ll also want to avoid heat styling it for as long as possible after dyeing it. Ideally, you’ll avoid heat styling your hair altogether.
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One-sentence summary -- Do patch and strand tests before dyeing. Protect your clothes and skin. Prepare the dye mixture according to the product's instructions. Dampen and section your hair for dyeing, if necessary. Apply the dye to the lengths of your hair. Apply the dye to your roots and check coverage. Cover your hair with plastic wrap and check the color after 20 minutes. Wash the color out thoroughly and gently.


While this treatment can be effective throughout different seasons, it is usually easiest to apply it during the late fall, after most foliage has died off. Do not use the cut-and-paint method during early spring. Privet sap flows upward at that time of year, so the exposed stump will quickly become damp and sticky after you cut it, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the herbicide. Herbicides made with glyphosate or triclopyr amine are best. Mix either herbicide with water to form an appropriate solution.  When using glyphosate, choose a concentrate with 41 percent or higher. When using triclopyr amine, choose a concentrate with 44 percent or higher. For either glyphosate or triclopyr amine, combine 32 fluid ounces (945 ml) with enough water to make 1 gallon (4 L) of prepared solution. If you'll need to postpone chemical treatment after performing the cutting, you should use 26 fluid ounces (770 ml) of a triclopyr ester herbicide mixed with enough diesel or bark oil to create 1 gallon (4 L) of solution. Cut down the privet stem, leaving only a short stump. Remove any sawdust from the site before continuing.  Any cut you make should lie beneath the lowest branch of the stem. Cuts lying at ground level are best, but the process should still work as long as the stump is low and there are no branches left on the remains. If the privet is larger than 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter, you may need to drill holes into the stump to improve the effectiveness of the herbicide. Use a 10 mm drill bit to create downward holes in the cut surface, spacing them 4 inches (10 cm) apart. For the best results, you should immediately paint or spray the cut area with your prepared herbicide solution.   One of the easiest ways to apply the solution is with a spray bottle. Cover the entire cut area until it becomes moist, but do not allow the herbicide to drip off and form a puddle around the stump. Herbicide application should usually be performed within minutes of the cutting procedure. If you cannot do so, apply an appropriate triclopyr ester solution within two or three weeks of cutting. If done correctly, every treated privet stem should die off, making a second application unnecessary in most cases. If the privet does not die off within one or two months, however, you can attempt to reapply the herbicide solution following the same procedure.
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One-sentence summary --
Apply this treatment during the fall. Mix an appropriate herbicide solution. Cut down the privet. Paint the privet with the herbicide solution. Reapply only if necessary.