Only use cheap guitars for stripping and painting. If you've got an old beater that you want to punk-up a bit, that's totally cool. But it's probably not a great idea for the '66 Les Paul Standard your grandfather left you in his will. If you want to change the color of an expensive guitar, buy it in that color, or have it customized at a guitar shop. It's important to understand that painting a guitar can seriously alter the tone woods and affect the sound that you get from the instrument. You've been warned. Before you do any stripping or painting, it's important to get the guitar ready for alteration mode, and get it out of playing mode. Strings can be removed by slackening them completely and then unwrapping them from the tuning pegs. Most tuning pegs can be unscrewed from the headstock using a small Phillips-head screwdriver, and then pulled from the slot. Remove the pick-guard and the pickups, if necessary, as well as any toggle switch caps or volume control knobs that you don't want to be colored whatever color you plan on painting the guitar. You can usually just pop these off and snap them back on. If you break a control knob cap during the process, they're available for cheap from any guitar shop or online guitar retailer, if your guitar is a standard model. Depending on the finish on your guitar, you'll need to use a variety of different techniques to get it off. Most acoustic guitars are stained and finished and will need to be sanded down before you attempt to repaint the guitar. In general, this is the worst idea and the most damaging for instruments. If you have a decent quality guitar, use more minor decorations, or just paint on top of the finish. Electric guitars need to be heat-blasted with a heating gun to remove the poly finish. If your guitar looks like it has a hard plastic outer shell, that's a poly finish, and you'll need to use a heat gun on low setting to soften it before scraping it off with a putty knife. Alternatively, of course, you can go the DIY punk route and just paint your skulls and panthers, or your metal band's logo directly on top of the guitar's current finish in acrylic paint or Sharpie marker. Might not look as professional, but that's probably what you're going for anyway. . Guitars should be painted like other wooden objects, first sanded gently to create a smooth surface from which to work, then primed with wood primer, then covered with at least two even coats of latex or oil-based paint appropriate for use on wood. Generally, you want to use a high-sheen variety of paint, which is more common for guitars. This also helps to hide the imperfections in the surface. Allow each coat to dry completely before moving on to the next. In general, you don't want to use rattle-cans of spray paint, unless you want a super-junky look, which can be cool too. After the base coat color is dry, you can use small paint brushes and acrylic paints to add additional details and designs as you want. Keep the additional details as basic as possible. Consider using any of the following designs for a little detail: Thorn branches Flowers Paisley designs Skulls Roses Stars Your band's logo All guitars will get beaten up over time, from use, so it's important to apply a poly topcoat to keep the guitar as safe as possible. This is what gives it that hard, plastic-like finish. Find a topcoat variety that works well with the type of paint you've used. Some won't work well with latex, for example.
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One-sentence summary -- Use an appropriate guitar. Remove the tuning pegs and strings. Remove anything you don't want to paint. Remove the finish from the guitar. Apply primer and an even coat of base paint Apply additional decoration on top, if desired. Finish with topcoat.

Check the level of your cat's water bowl at the start of each day. See if your cat has started to drink more water on a daily basis. You can also tell if your cat's water intake has increased by watching to see if you are cleaning out more wet litter than normal. Most cats are very efficient at processing water and don't require very much of it, so increased urinating and drinking can be a sign of kidney problems. When a cat has kidney disease, they lose more water when they urinate, so they need to drink more water to compensate. This is because the kidneys struggle to concentrate urine and conserve water in the blood. Cats who eat wet food will need even less water than cats who eat dry food. They will get some of their water directly out of the wet food. That's one reason why wet food is generally best if you suspect kidney issues. If your cat refuses to eat, it's possible that it is trying to avoid stomach pain. Uremia is a painful inflammation of the stomach that can result from kidney issues. A cat suffering from uremia will likely have a reduced appetite and may even vomit blood if ulcers have developed. Uremia develops, in part, because the kidneys no longer efficiently remove toxins from your cat's blood. If your cat has developed sore gums or ulcers due to kidney issues, then it will likely not want to clean its fur. Your cat might even stopping grooming itself entirely. As a result, your cat's fur may look dull or unclean in appearance. Most cats love to sleep. So, the important thing here is to notice if your cat sleeps more than normal or lacks interest in games that it previously enjoyed. If your cat lacks energy, it's possible that it has developed anemia or has low potassium levels due to kidney problems. The buildup of waste may also make your cat feel unwell. A diseased kidney can contribute to blood problems by no longer supporting the regeneration of blood cells in your cat's body, being unable to conserve electrolytes like potassium, and being unable to remove toxic waste from the body. Another sign of kidney-related anemia is if your cat's eyelids are dull or white in color instead of a healthy pink.
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One-sentence summary -- Monitor your cat's drinking habits. Watch for vomit or disinterest in food. Notice if your cat's fur is matted or unpleasant smelling. Take note if your cat seems consistently lethargic.

Make sure that the stain remover and water are thoroughly mixed. This method is best used on bears with a voice box. The oxygen stain remover will help get rid of any difficult spots, but a mild detergent will also work. Completely cover the spot with the water and stain remover liquid. Wait 5-10 minutes for the mixture to absorb, but don't let it dry completely. Use small, circular motions to rub the mixture into the spot. If it is still visible, repeat the first four steps. You can also use a paper towel for blotting. Depending on the nature of each spot and how much the stain has soaked in, you may need to repeat the process. You may blot the bear until it is dry, or you can leave it to air dry.
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One-sentence summary --
Mix a quarter capful of oxygen stain remover into a bowl of warm water. Saturate the dirty spot with the mixture. Rub the mixture into the bear with a clean towel. Blot the spot with a clean towel. Rinse the spot with cold water and blot again with a clean towel.