Cats with failing kidneys tend to have high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). This problem places them at greater risk of throwing blood clots and having strokes. In addition, hypertension can cause fluid to accumulate between the retina and the back of the eye, causing retinal detachment and sudden blindness. Because hypertension is such an issue, you should make sure that your veterinarian checks your cat's blood pressure regularly. If your cat's blood pressure is slightly high, an ACE inhibitor may reduce it by as much as 10%. If the hypertension is more severe, your veterinarian may recommend an antihypertensive medication, such as amlodipine. The average dose is 0.625-1.25 mg once per day this is about an eighth of a 5 mg tablet. Because cats with failing kidneys have weaker urine, they are more prone to urinary infections. Lower-grade infections may produce no symptoms, but they still need to be treated because bacteria can travel from the bladder into the kidney, contributing to renal damage. Your veterinarian should perform a urine culture at least twice a year in order to identify infections. He or she may prescribe antibiotics if the culture turns up positive.
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One-sentence summary -- Understand the problems associated with hypertension. Check your cat's blood pressure regularly. Watch for urinary infections.

Add 1 cups (353 ml) of water and cup (9 ml) of tightly packed, grated castile bar soap to a medium saucepan, and place on the stove. Turn the heat to medium-high, and allow the mixture to heat until the soap completely dissolves, which should take 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove. Stir the mixture as it's heating to help the soap dissolve more quickly. Once the soap has dissolved completely and the mixture is off the heat, mix in cup (60 ml) of liquid castile soap, 2 teaspoons (10 g) of super washing soda, and teaspoon (1.5 g) glycerin. Stir well until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Washing soda is usually found in the laundry aisle of large grocery stores. If you can't find it locally, you can order it from a variety of online stores. Leave the soap mixture in the pan, and let it sit for 24 hours. Stir it periodically during this period to get a feel for the consistency. The soap will thicken up over time so it's okay if it's a bit runny. If it seems too thin, though, you can warm the soap up, mix in additional washing soda, and let it set again. If you're adding extra washing soda, start by mixing in teaspoon (3 g) and letting the soap sit again. If it's still not thick enough, mix in the washing soda in teaspoon increments (2 g) until it's the right consistency. If your soap has chunks or lumps, smooth it with a blender or an immersion blender. When the soap has reached your desired consistency, add 15 to 40 drops of your favorite essential oil. Stir well to ensure that the oil is blended throughout the soap for a fresh fragrance, and pour it into a soap dispenser for use beside the kitchen sink. You can use any essential oil that you like, but citrus oils, such as lemon, lime, and orange, are particularly effective in cutting grease. Juniper and lavender are also good options.
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One-sentence summary -- Heat the water and grated soap until the soap melts. Add the liquid castile soap, some washing soda, and glycerin. Allow the soap to set. Mix in the essential oils and transfer the soap to a soap dispenser.

You don't want to clog up the blender by filling it completely with rice. Smaller amounts will let the blade work more efficiently and grind the rice better. A good rule of thumb to follow is that 1 cup (240ml) of rice yields about 112 cups (350ml) of rice flour. You can use either white or brown rice, as long as it's raw and uncooked. Turn the blender on the highest setting to get the best results. The flour should be smooth and there shouldn't be any large chunks. Grinding rice is hard on your blender's blades. If you plan on making a lot of flour, invest in a higher quality blender that's more durable. The finer the flour, the better it will work in baking and other recipes. Any air that leaks into a container that's not properly sealed can cause the flour to spoil faster. Either a plastic or glass container or jar will work. If you use a resealable bag, squeeze out any excess air before you seal the bag. While flour can keep for a very long time, it tends to get musty or stale after 1 year. Throw it away if you see mold or notice a foul scent. To keep track of when the flour needs to be thrown out, use a permanent marker or a sticker label to note the date you should throw it out by. This will be 1 year from the day you made it. If you have different types of flour in your pantry, you may also want to write "rice flour" on the label. Keeping the flour in the refrigerator or the freezer will help the flour last longer.
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One-sentence summary -- Place 1 to 2 cups (240 to 470ml) of rice in your blender at a time. Cover the blender and grind the rice until it's a fine powder consistency. Transfer the flour to an airtight container and place the lid tightly on it. Store the flour in the pantry for up to 1 year until you're ready to use it.

Hostels may not have things that hotels nearly always provide, such as towels, washcloths, WiFi, or toiletries. Make sure you pack anything you'll need that you can't rely on your hostel to provide. You'll be sharing a room with multiple people who might snore loudly or come back to the room very late at night. If this type of late-night activity is likely to wake you up, you'll need to have earplugs and a sleeping mask to be able to get a restful night's sleep in a hostel. Some hostels have more than 20 beds in the same room, so the odds of you sharing a room with someone who snores may be extremely high. In dormitory style hostels, the best accommodations offer personal lockers for stowing your valuables. Bring a combination lock that you can use to secure this locker when you go to put your belongings in it. A combination lock will be more reliable than a lock that requires a key, since you won't be out of luck if you lose the key! Hostels are typically located in the center of a city, which unfortunately means that some locations are in relatively sketchy or dangerous areas. When you check in, just ask the people at the front desk if they have any particular recommendations or suggestions on places to avoid or steps to take to stay safe. For example, ask if there are any parts of town that you should probably not venture into after dark.
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One-sentence summary --
Find out what amenities the hostel offers and pack accordingly. Bring earplugs and a sleeping mask if you're a light sleeper. Pack a lock if the hostel doesn't provide one for their lockers. Ask the staff about how to stay safe in the area.