Q: You can use dry grass, leaves, small sticks, and bark. This nest will be used to create a flame out of the spark you create with the battery and steel wool. The terminals are the two circular receiving prongs located on the top of the battery. Any battery voltage will work, but 9-volt batteries will ignite the quickest. The finer the steel wool, the better for this process. This process works by creating a current through the tiny steel wires that then heat up and ignite. Another way to do this is to take a 9-volt battery and a metal paperclip and rub the paperclip on both battery terminals at the same time to create sparks. This is similar to how the wires in light bulbs and toasters ovens operate. This helps nurture the flame and encourages it to spread.
A: Make a tinder nest out of any dry plant material that easily catches fire. Find a battery and locate the battery terminals. Take your steel wool and rub it on the battery terminals. Continue to create friction by rubbing the steel wool on the batteries. Blow gently on the steel wool as it starts to glow. Transfer the steel wool to your tinder nest quickly, once the steel wool is glowing brightly, continuing to blow lightly on the nest until the tinder ignites, creating a flame. Add increasingly larger pieces of dry wood to build your fire once the tinder nest has ignited into a flame and enjoy your fire!

Q: Follow the power cable from the back of your fridge to the outlet where it’s plugged in, and pull the plug. If you leave the fridge plugged in as you clean, you’ll find that your next electric bill is extremely high! Go through every storage area within your fridge—shelves, drawers, and door bins—and pull out all of the organic food items. Look closely at the food and, if anything is spoiled, rotten, or emitting a bad smell, throw it into the garbage. In most cases, bad smells in your fridge are caused by spoiled foods. Try to start and finish the entire job within 4 hours. The USDA warns that food left out for over 4 hours may spoil or become unsafe to eat. Depending on the amount of food you store in your fridge—and how long it takes to scrub out—unspoiled food could be sitting out for quite some time. To avoid ruining good food, place it in a cooler while you’re cleaning the fridge. If you keep the lid shut, the refrigerated food will keep itself cold. Add ice to the cooler if it will be out for over 60 minutes. This will keep the food well preserved. Dissolve 1 cup (128 g) of baking soda into 1 gallon (3.8 L) of warm water. Dip an ordinary dish sponge into this mixture, lightly wring it out, and scrub out the interior of the fridge. Wash the fridge walls, ceiling, and bottom. Take the time to soak, scrub, and remove any lingering food stains. If the mixture loses its potency or the sink fills up with food bits, throw out the batch and mix up a new one. Remove all of the components of the fridge that aren’t attached to the walls, including the vegetable drawers and the shelves themselves. Wash and rinse all of the parts with your baking soda mixture before thoroughly drying and reinstalling them. Also be sure to look underneath the vegetable bins. Sometimes bits of food and old water can accumulate beneath the bins and create a foul smell. The drip pan is a thin plastic tray that clips into place beneath the bottom of the refrigerator. Remove the drip pan from beneath the doors, carefully pull it out and dump the contents. Then, dip your sponge into the baking soda mixture and scrub any food stains off of the drip pan before reinstalling it. Not all refrigerator models have a drip pan. If yours doesn’t, you can skip this step. Do take the time to scrub the bottom of the fridge, though.
A: Unplug your refrigerator from the wall before you begin cleaning it. Remove all of the food items from your fridge. Place any food you choose to keep in a cooler while you work. Scrub the fridge walls and floor with a mixture of baking soda and water. Take out and wash all shelves, bins, and other removable parts. Clean any food scraps from the drip pan under the fridge.

Q: Different breeds of cats have distinct characteristics, and it is important to do some research to determine the best breed to fit your lifestyle.  While less than 10% of cats are considered “purebred” to one specific breed, an understanding of the breeding groups in general will be very helpful even if you are adopting a common house cat:  Natural breeds:  These cats have long, thick coats developed in cold climates; heavy, square bodies; and are the most sedentary group of the three purebred groupings.  Common breeds within this group are American and British shorthairs, Persians, and Maine coon cats. Semi-foreign or Hybrids:  Considered an in-between group, these cats have slightly oval eyes; moderately wedge-shaped heads; and a leaner, more muscular body than the other breeds.  They have a moderate energy level in comparison, except for the Abyssinian breed, which is high energy.  Other common breeds within this group are the Russian blues and Ocicats. The Orientals:  These cats originated in warmer climates and so they have very little body fat, lighter coats, and very long legs, tails, ears, and bodies.  This group is the most active and talkative of the three purebred groupings.  Common breeds within this group are Siamese, Burmese, and Cornish rexes. It is important to consider the time you have available to train and play with your cat, as well as your expectations for its behavior.  If you work full time or have young children, it might be best to adopt an older cat since kittens and adolescents are a lot of work to train and watch over. If this is your first cat, try to avoid cats that are very demanding (of your attention, of their space, etc.) as it may be too big a challenge for a beginner. After doing some research to determine the best breeds for your lifestyle, it is important to realize that this is just a “best guess.” Be sure to go and interact with your cat in person a few times before making a decision.  Also, adoption counselors at shelters often have great advice to help you find a cat whose personality matches your own. It is very important that any cat you get feels safe and comfortable interacting with the other people and pets in your life already.  When visiting the shelter or breeder, be sure to bring your kids, partner, or anyone else that will have regular contact with the cat along with you.  If you have existing pets, talk to the breeder or the shelter counselors about the best way to introduce the pets to see if there are any potential issues. A breeder will have a better understanding of the cat’s history and tendencies, but an animal shelter or rescue group will only be able to hypothesize about a cat’s past illnesses and elaborate on its current state.  While no shelter would want to release a sick cat for adoption, it is still important to educate yourself about common signs of illness in cats so you can ask questions and make observations:  Changes in water intake (both drinking more and drinking less) can indicate that the cat has diabetes or kidney disease. Unexpected weight loss or weight gain despite normal eating habits can indicate diabetes or hyperthyroidism. Bad breath can mean tooth decay, dental disease, or a digestive disorder, while sweet or fruity-smelling breath can be a sign of diabetes. Pay attention to the cat’s grooming habits.  If a once well-groomed cat starts to appear unkempt, this is a sure sign of potential illness.  Alternatively, over-grooming can indicate that the cat is very stressed out, anxious, in pain, or has allergies. Before bringing your cat home, pick out a local veterinarian and schedule a visit within the first couple of days of its arrival.  Be sure to ask for any medical records from the shelter or breeder!  Get your house in order and buy everything that the cat will need in your home.  For a list, see "Things You'll Need" below.
A:
Research the temperaments of different breeds. Consider the cat age that is most appropriate for you. Find a cat whose personality is a great match with yours. Discuss introductions with the breeder or shelter. Check for obvious signs of illness. Start preparing for your cat to come home.