Q: Say your cat's name in your usual high-pitched food call. A sleeping cat will often hear you and wake up. After all, what cat will miss a chance for food? If your cat is dead or very sick, it likely will not respond. This step won't work if your cat is deaf or hearing impaired. In this case, you can try waving the food near your cat so it can smell it. Otherwise, use the method you typically use to announce that it is time to eat. Is the cat's chest moving up and down? Can you see the cat's stomach move? Hold a mirror up to the cat's nose. If the mirror fogs up, the cat is breathing. If you don't see any fog on the mirror, this is a good indication that the cat isn't breathing. Cats' eyes open after death, since it requires muscle control to keep them closed. Its pupils will also appear larger than usual if it has died. Touch the cat's eyeball gently. Be sure to put on disposable gloves before doing this test. If the cat is alive, it should blink when you touch its eyeball. Also, if the cat is dead, the eyeball will feel soft, rather than firm. Check whether the pupils are dilated and fixed. If the cat is dead, the pupils will be large and unresponsive to light. Shining a light briefly in the cat's eye is one way to test brain reactivity. If the pupils react, the cat is unconscious but not dead. You can check your cat's pulse by placing your two fingers on the femoral artery, which is on the inside of the cat's thigh, near its groin. You can feel for it in the natural divot created by the thigh muscles, right in the middle of the leg along the bone. Put some pressure on that area and wait for 15 seconds. If the cat is alive, you should feel a pulse. Use a watch or clock with a minute hand to count the number of beats you hear for 15 seconds. Then multiply by 4. This will give you the number of beats per minute. The cat's normal, healthy pulse should be between 140 and 220 beats per minute. Check a few times, relocating your two fingers to different areas in the inner thigh. Sometimes it can take a few tries to find the pulse. Rigor mortis, or the stiffening of the cat's body, sets in about three hours after the cat has died. With gloves on, pick up your cat and feel its body. If it is very stiff, this is a good indication that the cat has died. If your cat's heart has stopped, its tongue and gums will be very pale and not the normal pink color. If you gently press the gums, there will be no capillary refill. This typically means that the cat is dead or will die very soon.
A: Call your cat. Look for signs of breathing. Look at the cat's eyes to see whether they are open. Check the femoral artery. Feel for rigor mortis. Check your cat's mouth.

Q: Breast milk is only good for about 24 hours after thawing, so don't freeze more than one day's worth of milk in a single container. You can store your milk in special freezer bags or freezable bottles--two to four ounces is best for each container. If you're using a container, choose a glass or BPA-free plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. If you're using bags, avoid using normal storage bags or bottle liners. Choose bags designed for freezing breast milk. Even when frozen, breast milk will not last forever. Don't use breast milk that has been frozen more than three to six months old. Labeling your milk will help you make sure your baby is getting good milk. Store new milk in the back of the freezer where the temperature is more consistent. This will also help ensure that the first portion you use is always the oldest. Make it part of your nightly routine to take the next day's portion of milk out to thaw. That way you won't be stuck without milk and you won't be tempted to thaw the milk too quickly!
A: Store milk in small portions. Label milk with the date. Keep the oldest milk in the front of the freezer. Take milk out to thaw nightly.

Q: Responding with anger or strong emotions when your teen acts out puts them in the power position. Rather than giving away your power, maintain it by keeping your temper under control. This might involve deep breathing, counting, or deflecting with humor. Do whatever you need to keep yourself cool and collected. Try not to let your teen see you losing it, if you can help it. Troubled teens are frequently stigmatized, so they may feel like no one understands. Practice empathy and show them that you "get" what they're going through. This builds a better connection between you. Validate their experience by saying something like, "I can see this is hard for you." Reflect on a tough experience from your own teenage years and share it with them. It's important to set clear and consistent limits with troubled teens. Let them know what kind of conduct is expected and explain the consequences of not following the rules. To create a more cooperative environment, you might brainstorm some suitable rules upfront and then sit down with your teen and get their input. You'll have the final word, but they may be more likely to comply if they have some input on rules and consequences. They may not have a say in all household rules, but asking a teen "Which chores would you prefer?" or "What do you think is a reasonable curfew?" can help them feel more independent. Then, they won't need to test your authority so much. Create clear guidelines for how things work in your household and require that everyone stick to the plan. Come up with set meal times, times for homework, leisure time, and bedtimes for all your children. If your teen is struggling in school, you might decide that they need less screen time and more time for studyingat least until their grades improve. Though they may rebel against it, teens need (and actually want) structure in their lives. When you see your teen engaging in constructive activities, such as completing chores or doing homework, praise their efforts. This increases the likelihood that they will do it again in the future. Positive reinforcement may also involve ignoring negative or undesirable behaviors and only bringing attention when the teen is doing what they should be doing. For example, if the teen misses curfew by a few minutes, you might not say anything. However, when they arrive well before curfew, you might say, "I really appreciate you being responsible and making curfew tonight!" Teens might act out because they don't know how to channel the intense emotions they feel on a day-to-day basis. Relaxation exercises, yoga, martial arts, woodworking, and painting are all great activities they can use to deal with uncomfortable feelings. You might say, "Instead of punching a wall when you're angry, why don't you practice mindfulness meditation, so you can learn to sit with uncomfortable emotions?"
A:
Stay calm. Step into their shoes for a moment. Communicate firm rules and consequences. Provide structure in daily life. Reinforce positive behaviors. Teach them how to deal with negative emotions.