| How to Socialize Your Kitten Posted: 10 Aug 2018 05:00 PM PDT Early socialization will help your kitten grow up to become a well-adjusted cat who's confident around people. Work with your kitten as soon as possible so it becomes comfortable and secure around you. You'll need to gain the kitten's trust by playing and interacting with it every day. Once the kitten is familiar with you, introduce it to new experiences and interactions. EditGetting the Kitten Comfortable with You - Begin socializing your kitten as soon as its eyes open. Although kittens are blind and deaf for the first few weeks of life, they'll soon start paying attention to their surroundings. Once the kitten's eyes open, you can start to touch and interact with it. This usually happens when the kitten is around 2 weeks old.[1]
- If the mother cat trusts you, you should be able to touch the kittens starting when they're 3 days old. However, if the mother cat growls, hisses, or seems uneasy about the interaction, it's best to leave the kittens alone.
- Offer the kitten food so it becomes comfortable with you. Choose a time of day when the kitten is usually hungry and place a small dish of wet cat food in front of it or its open cage. If you prefer, place a little of the wet food on the end of your clean finger and hold it out to the kitten.[2]
- The kitten will begin develop positive associations between the wet food and you.
- As the kitten becomes more comfortable with you, it may want to sit in your lap to eat food off of your finger.
- Pet the kitten's head and shoulders to familiarize the cat with you. Use your index and middle fingers to stroke the kitten's head and shoulders. If the kitten is comfortable with you, place it in your lap or hold it securely in your hands. If the kitten runs away from you, offer it a little food on your finger.[3]
- Talk with the kitten while you're touching it so it becomes used to the sound of your voice. You can say the kitten's name to build familiarity with it.
- Distract an anxious mother with some food. If the mother cat shows signs of unease, such as growling or snatching the kitten back when you try to handle it, distract her with some food and talk to her in a calm, reassuring voice.[4]
- If she wants, let her touch noses with the kitten so she realizes that the kitten is safe.
- It will also help if you gently pet the kitten and mother so the more gets more comfortable with your scent.
- Hold the kitten securely to your chest for at least 15 minutes a day. Once the kitten is comfortable with having you touch it, set the kitten on a towel and wrap it around the kitten's body. Pick up the kitten and bring it to your chest. Talk to the kitten as you hold it so the kitten feels safe with you.[5]
- The more you hold the young kitten, the better. The kitten will be more trusting and easier to socialize.
EditPlaying and Interacting with the Kitten - Play with the kitten every day. Make time to play at least 15 minutes with your kitten every day. Playing will keep your kitten active and improve their social skills. If the kitten is very young, play can be as simple as chasing the kitten around and letting it catch you. You can also play hide-and-seek behind a cushion or around a corner.
- Introduce toys into your play when the kitten is 6 or 7 weeks old. Kittens love to play with squeaky toys, cardboard tubes, or small boxes with holes that they can bat. Avoid cat toys that have loose parts or things that could be eaten, such as string or feathers on a wand. [6]
- Leave toys out for your kitten to play with when you're not at home.
- Playing is a great way for your kitten to associate people with fun. It will also build the kitten's confidence.
- Leave the TV or radio on when you'll be out of the house. If you have to be out of the house for a while, turn on the radio or TV so your cat can listen to common sounds such as music and talking.[7]
- Try to spend as much time as possible together while your kitten is very young. Early interactions will teach your kitten a lot about acceptable social behaviors.
- Redirect misbehavior and reward good behavior. Never hit or yell at the kitten if it scratches or bites while you're playing. Instead, pull your hand away and do a mock "hiss" at the kitten. Then start playing a different game. When you see the kitten playing well, give it a reward such as a treat or praise.[8]
- Remember to speak calmly and softly around the kitten so it feels secure around you.
EditIntroducing Other Cats and Experiences - Vaccinate the kitten before it plays with other cats. Your kitten needs a series of vaccinations to protect it against common diseases before it begins socializing with cats. Your kitten needs at least 2 visits to the vet:[9]
- At 6 to 8 weeks old for rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, panleukopenia and chlamydia vaccinations.
- At 12 weeks old for the first feline leukemia vaccine and second round of rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, panleukopenia and chlamydia vaccinations.
- Let your kitten play with other cats. Slowly introduce the kitten to other kittens or cats so none of them feel threatened. At first, the kitten and cats may sniff or groom each other. It's also fine if they stare or hiss at each other. If the cats growl, spit, or make a lot of noise, separate them and introduce them again later.[10]
- Your kitten and the other cats may interact better if they all have their own places to escape to when they feel anxious.
- Enlist your friends to play with the kitten. The kitten needs to meet and interact with people of all ages and appearances. Ask friends to come and play with the kitten so it becomes comfortable with having guests in the house and being held by people other than you.[11]
- If it's your kitten's first interaction with someone, let the kitten approach the person once it feels comfortable. The kitten may sniff or lick the person before they want to be petted.
- Expose the kitten to as many different experiences as possible. This might include things such as letting it play in the cat carrier, hearing the vacuum cleaner, and going for a car ride. Experiences will teach the kitten not to be frightened of new things in the future.[12]
- Other experiences include going to the vet, being outside, going to the groomer, and hearing you use tools or appliances.
- Remember that all of these experiences should be positive ones that don't cause the kitten to feel unnecessary stress or anxiety. When you introduce new things to the kitten, go slowly and give the kitten plenty of space. Reward it for calm behavior, and over time introduce the kitten to the experience more frequently.
- Poorly socialized kittens are more likely to be overly cautious and fearful of people or new experiences. Aggressive behavior in a kitten may indicate that it needs to be socialized.
- Be patient if you're socializing an abused kitten. It may take time and patience for the kitten to learn that you're not a threat.
EditThings You'll Need EditGetting the Kitten Comfortable with You - Metal crate or cage
- Soft bedding
- Litter tray
- Food, water, and treats
EditPlaying and Interacting with the Kitten - Toys such as balls, wands, cardboard tubes, boxes with holes
- Treats
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Jazz Dance Posted: 10 Aug 2018 09:00 AM PDT Jazz dance is a creative fusion of traditional European ballet with the rhythms and movements found in African Dance. Originally popularized after World War I, modern jazz is evolving to include a number of street dance styles.[1] If you're looking for a fun way to express yourself, jazz dance could be just the thing for you! EditLearning Basic Jazz Moves - Study jazz terminology so you'll know how to perform the steps. If you're teaching yourself to dance, you'll need to know the terms so you can follow along as you read about jazz technique. If you're planning to sign up for a dance class, studying the terminology will help you understand what your dance instructor wants you to do.
- Stand on one leg and move the other foot away to perform a brush. In a brush, your foot will lightly skim the floor as you move your leg. Usually, your leg stays straight as you perform this movement.[2]
- Draw in your torso to perform a contraction. Imagine that you are bringing your belly button in towards your spine. Make the movement seem more exaggerated by pushing your shoulders and knees forward as you execute the contraction.[3]
- Stand with your heels together and bend your knees to plié. Your legs should be turned out at the hips so that your knees are bent over your toes. As you bend your knees, keep your spine as straight as possible to lengthen your torso.[4]
- Stand on the balls of your feet with your knees bent for a forced arch. A forced arch involves raising your heels off the floor while bending your knees. This can also be called a demi-plié with the heels up.[5]
- Quickly shift your weight from one foot to the other for a ball change. Start by standing with one foot in front of the other, with your weight slightly shifted towards the front. Shift your weight to your back foot, then quickly return to the front foot.[6]
- This can be done while you're standing still or while you are travelling.
- Step out, bring your feet together, and step again to chassé. The step-together-step is a popular move in a number of dance styles, and it's used commonly in jazz dancing.[7]
- Move your leg in a sweeping arc in front of you to fan kick. Fan kicks make a dramatic impact on the audience, so they're a popular move in high-energy jazz dances.[8]
- Turn out your feet and alternate your shoulder movements to jazz walk. When you move one foot forward, the opposing shoulder should be brought forward. Then, step again and bring the other shoulder forward at the same time.[9]
- You can add your own take to these movements for fun variations on a jazz walk, like adding in hip rolls or finger snaps.
- Mambo by swiveling your hips as you move front to back and back to front. The mambo is extremely influential on jazz dancing. Incorporate this ethnic style by moving your hips in a figure-8 style as you move in a front-to-back motion and then return to your starting point.[10]
EditPracticing Jazz Turns - Focus on one spot while you turn so you don't get dizzy. This is known as spotting, and it's a trick that dancers of all disciplines use.[11]
- Turn towards your standing leg to perform an inside turn. Your standing leg is the leg that is supporting most of your weight. As such, it can also be called your supporting leg. If your weight is on your right leg and you turn towards your right, that is an inside turn.[12]
- Turn away from your standing leg for an outside turn. This is the exact opposite of an inside turn. If you are standing with your weight on your right leg and you turn to the left, you have performed an outside turn.[13]
- Pivot with one foot touching the other knee to pirouette. Start by standing with one leg in front of the other, with both feet turned outwards. Bend at the knees as if you are curtsying, then push off of your back foot as you lift it towards your standing leg. As you turn, keep your toes pointed.[14]
- The pirouette is one of the most common dance moves. It is especially popular in ballet, but it is often used in jazz as well.
- Cross your legs, then unwind and cross them again for a soutenu. In a soutenu, your feet will swivel, but they will stay planted in the same spot. If your left leg is crossed in front of your right, turn 180 degrees towards the right until your right leg is crossed in front of the left. [15]
- Perform half-turns while you travel to perform a chaîné turn. Chaîné is French word meaning "chains", and this move is called that because the half-turns link together to form one fluid motion.[16]
- Practice performing these as smoothly as possible.
- Push yourself with one foot for a paddle turn. In a paddle turn, one foot stays stationary and pivots while you use the other foot to push you in the direction of your turn. A single paddle turn will turn you 360 degrees.[17]
- Spin on one foot with your body straight for a pencil turn. The pencil turn is the spin most people think of when they picture dancers spinning. Step backwards with one foot, then shift your weight back to your front foot. Push off your back foot, lifting onto the toes of your standing leg as you rotate. Bring your arms in front of your body as you spin.[18]
EditPutting it all Together - Breathe deeply as you dance. It can be easy to hold your breath or get winded as you're practicing new dance moves, but focus on keeping your breathing steady and slow. This will naturally make your movements seem more graceful than they will if you are out of breath.[19]
- Practice controlling your movements. Graceful dancers make their moves seem effortless, but in reality, it's control that allows them to move so fluidly. You can improve your control by exercising the muscles that stabilize you, like doing sit-ups to strengthen your core.[20]
- For example, if you perform a fan kick, don't just throw your leg into the air. Instead, control the movement from the moment your foot leaves the floor until it lands again.
- Pay attention to the transitions between steps. The movements between steps are just as important as turns and jumps themselves. Pay attention to how you hold your arms, head, and feet when you are travelling or in the counts leading up to a step.[21]
- Listen to the music you'll be dancing to. Even when you're not dancing, you can listen to the music and imagine your moves. Picture yourself moving gracefully to the music, then try to emulate that as you dance.
- Move with the rhythm of the music. If you're focusing on counts or thinking about what you're doing next, it can be easy to forget about the fluidity of the music you're dancing to. Once you've mastered the basics of your dance, practice it to music.[22]
- Spend several minutes stretching before you dance to avoid injury. Especially focus on your hamstrings, quads, and shoulders.
- Wear supportive footwear. If you don't have jazz shoes, wear a pair of sneakers as you get started.[23]
- Stop any movement if it causes you pain, and try not to move in ways that feel unnatural. Instead, practice a move gradually, bending a little further or stretching a little more each time.[24]
- Your knees should never be extended past your toes as you bend.
- Imagine keeping your spine directly above your hips to help prevent a back injury.
- Bend your knees slightly as you jump to cushion the impact from landing.
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Care for Your Lawn in the Summer Posted: 10 Aug 2018 01:00 AM PDT Summer is the peak growing season for your lawn, which means that it needs some extra attention during this time. Aside from mowing your lawn, you will need to ensure that your lawn gets the right amount of water. You will also need to attend to your lawn's soil fertility and weed control. By using some simple strategies, you can have a beautiful lawn all summer long! EditMowing Your Lawn - Mow your lawn once or twice a week. Mowing your lawn regularly is one way to keep it in good health. Mow your lawn twice a week if you have been getting the usual amount of rain for your area, and once per week if your area has been experiencing a drought.[1]
- Keep your lawn at about . This is an ideal height for most types of grasses. Measure your grass with a ruler to check the height.[2]
- If you prefer your lawn to be a little shorter or taller, that is fine, too.
- Cut no more than one-third of the total growth each time you mow. It is important to avoid cutting the grass too short, especially when the weather is very hot. During hot weather, your lawn has to put a lot of energy into regrowing grass shoots.
- For example, if the lawn is tall, then cut no more than .
- Even if your lawn is growing quickly, don't cut more than one-third of the growth. Cut it more often, such as twice per week instead of once per week.
- Sharpen the blade in your mower if it is dull. You can check the ends of the grass after mowing your lawn to determine if your mower blade is dull or sharp. If the ends of the grass look yellow or white, then your mower blade is likely dull. Take the blade to a hardware store to get it sharpened.[3]
- You can sharpen a lawnmower blade yourself, but you will need some special tools and mechanical knowledge of lawnmowers, such as where the spark plug is located and how to remove it.[4] If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, then taking the blade to a professional is the safest option.
- Leave grass clippings on your lawn to fertilize it. A free, effective way to ensure that your lawn is getting the nutrients it needs to stay healthy is to leave grass clippings on the lawn after you mow. Don't collect, rake up, or sweep the grass clippings into the streets. Just leave them where they fall as you mow.[5]
EditWatering and Feeding Your Lawn - Use rainwater to water your lawn, if possible. Watering a lawn can use up a lot of water, especially if you are using processed tap water. Instead of using the hose, try to capture rainwater in a rainwater collection barrel and use this to water your lawn in the summer. Rainwater is soft, so it is ideal for watering your lawn and other plants and trees in your yard.[6]
- Get a food grade, barrel that has a spigot at the bottom of it and place it outside to collect water when it rains.
- Skip watering after it rains because enough water will fall directly onto your lawn. Wait to use the rainwater until you hit a dry period.
- You can connect a hose to the spigot on the barrel and use the rainwater to water your lawn.
- Wait until your lawn starts to turn yellow or brown to water. If you have to water your lawn, water just enough to keep it from turning brown and avoid running sprinklers too regularly. For example, you could turn the sprinklers on for a full night once a week, rather than misting your lawn every night.
- Your lawn will usually recover from turning brown. Although, grass can turn yellow or brown quickly during dry periods, this does not mean the grass is dead or dying. It is only becoming dormant.[7]
- Water your lawn during the cooler parts of the day. Watering your lawn when the sun is shining or when it is hot will not do your lawn much good because the water will evaporate quickly. Water your lawn early in the morning or after the sun goes down. This will allow the grass to soak up the water before the sun dries it up.[8]
- For example, you could set your sprinklers to go off first thing in the morning, or water your lawn with a hose right before you go to bed at night.
- Watch the weather reports too and try to water your lawn on a day that is supposed to be cooler than other days.
- Apply a slow-release fertilizer to your lawn once every 6 to 8 weeks, if desired. Applying fertilizer to your grass is optional for a healthy lawn, but fertilizer can help to keep your lawn healthy. Choose a slow-release lawn fertilizer and follow the manufacturer's instructions for how to apply it. Wait until the soil temperature reaches to apply the first layer of fertilizer and then apply the fertilizer once every 6 to 8 weeks through the summer and into the fall.[9]
- Look for a granular fertilizer that you can just sprinkle onto the lawn.
EditAerating Your Lawn - Check the drainage of your lawn to see if aeration might be necessary. Aerating your lawn helps to improve the soil's drainage, absorption of nutrients and oxygen, and rooting. It can also help to prevent the pesticides and fertilizers that you apply to your lawn from running off into the sewer or ending up in rivers, streams, and lakes. Some ways to tell if you need to aerate your lawn include:[10]
- The grass looks thin or patchy.
- The lawn is heavily used, walked on, or driven on.
- The soil is a heavy clay type.
- The thatch layer (combination of living and dead grass) of the lawn is more than tall.
- The lawn is more than 1 year old. Do not aerate a newly seeded or sodded lawn.
- Dig up a patch of soil to check the root depth. If you are still unsure if you need to aerate your lawn, then dig up a section of lawn that is deep. Then, measure the roots of the grass. If the grass is only deep, then you should aerate your lawn.[11]
- Check the roots early in the summer because this is when they will be the longest during the season. The roots will gradually shrink as the summer goes on.
- Purchase or rent a mechanical core aerator. If you decide to aerate your lawn, the best way to do so is to purchase or rent a mechanical core aerator. A core aerator has hollow tubes or times that punch into the ground. Avoid aerators with solid tubes or spikes because these will compact the soil.[12]
- Core aerators are expensive to purchase and rent, so you may want to band together with your neighbors to rent one for a weekend. An aerator is a heavy duty piece of equipment, so you will also need some help using the machine, such as someone to help you transport it to and from your property.[13]
- You can always hire a landscaping company to aerate your lawn for you if you do not want to deal with the equipment yourself.
- Aerate when the lawn is moist, but not soaking wet. Water your lawn thoroughly, and then wait a day or two after watering your lawn to aerate the lawn. The lawn should not be soaking wet, but it should be moist to get the best results. If your area has been experiencing excessive or prolonged rainy weather, then you may need to wait until the soil dries to aerate it.[14]
- Before you aerate, the lawn needs of watering to ensure it is moist. Measure down into the soil to make sure that the moisture extends down by and then wait 1 to 2 days before aerating.
- Go over your lawn multiple times in different directions. It is important to go over your lawn several times with the aerator to ensure that you end up with at least 20 to 40 holes for every .[15] Also, do not aerate the lawn in 1 direction only. Go back and forth across the lawn so that each section of your lawn is aerated from at least 2 different directions. This will help to improve the air, water, and nutrient flow of the lawn.[16]
- For example, you could aerate the lawn in straight lines going from left to right, and then aerate over those lines again going from right to left.
EditDealing with Weeds - Identify weeds in your lawn by sight. You'll be able to spot lawn weeds if you notice flowers (especially dandelions) growing out of your lawn. You might also see the lawn has slightly inconsistent patches where the color or texture looks different than the rest of the lawn.[17]
- Keep in mind that it is easier to spot weeds if the lawn hasn't been mowed recently.
- You can look up common weeds online and look at picture to help you identify the type of weed you are dealing with. This may be helpful if you are dealing with something invasive or persistent, or if you'd just like to know what weeds are common to your lawn.[18]
- Refrain from mowing the lawn before applying weed killer. If using a targeted weed killer, make the job easier for yourself by applying it when the lawn hasn't been mowed in a while. Doing this will help you to spot the problem areas, as weeds are easier to see when the lawn has been allowed to grow out a bit.[19]
- At the same time, try to avoid mowing right after you have spread your weed killer. Wait a day or two to allow the weed killer to spread through the entire weed.
- Sprinkle or spray the weed killer in the morning when the lawn is dewy, but not wet. Don't apply weed killer when the soil is very dry or very wet. Try to apply a weed killing chemical when the soil isn't too dry, such as in the morning when the lawn is dewy.[20]
- Avoid spraying weed killer on your lawn right after a heavy rainfall or if it is supposed to rain that day or the following day.
- Choose a weed killer that is meant for use on lawns. When you choose a weed killer, look for a product that is meant for use on lawns and that will not kill your lawn. Read and follow the package's instructions carefully.[21]
- Avoid using "weed and feed" products. These might not work for your lawn type and they may even cause damage.[22]
- Alternately you can try targeting the individual weeds you spot. This targeted weed killer usually comes in a spray or gel form.
- Apply a chemical weed killer when weeds are actively growing. When you notice multiple broadleaf weeds in your yard, this is a good time to apply a granular weed killer or to spray the individual weeds. Apply the granular or spray weed killer directly to the weeds.[23]
- Try to avoid applying weed killer right at the end of summer as weeds may be going dormant and a weed killer may be less effective.
- You may need to apply weed killer once in early summer and once later in the summer.
- Try digging up the weeds as an alternative to using weed killer. If you prefer to avoid using chemicals then you can try digging up the weeds you spot. To do this, you can use a variety of tools, including a hori hori blade or a weed puller. Use a garden spade to dig down into the roots of the weed and pull the whole weed out, roots and all. You can also put on a pair of gardening gloves and pull weeds by hand.[24]
- Pulling weeds by hand is time consuming, but you may prefer this option if you do not want to spray chemicals on your lawn due to children and pets playing on the lawn.
- You can slow down the growth of some weeds, like dandelions, simply by removing their heads. Tear them off by hand or mow over them. You may need to do this several times over the summer, however, to keep them from growing back.
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