Cat Litter Box Training & Housesoiling Problems

The most common reason a cat will not use its litter box...
Because the litter box is dirty - from the cat's viewpoint, not yours. Cats often react to any type of stress by suddenly urinating or defecating outside the litter box. The stress may be caused by a new cat in the neighborhood; children home on vacation; too many cats in the house; your going away on vacation or a new piece of furniture. Urinary tract problems also cause cats to urinate in places other than the litter box. Any sudden change in elimination habits should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Prevent House Soiling
Until your cat is reliably house trained, she should not have free run of your home. If your cat continually makes mistakes, the behavior can simply become a habit. Punishing a cat after the fact teaches her to be afraid of you. Scolding and then taking the cat to her litter box after she has already eliminated teaches her to associate the litter box with punishment. Basically, punishment doesn't work with cats: prevention and praise for getting it right are the keys to training. When you leave the house for any length of time, your cat should be confined to a single room, preferably one with non-porous floors, such as a kitchen, bathroom, utility room, basement or garage. Provide your cat with a bowl of water and a warm place to sleep at one end of the room and a freshly cleaned litter box at the other end. Until the house soiling has been cured, your cat should have a regular feeding schedule so she will develop a corresponding elimination schedule.

The Litter Box
Your cat does not simply need a litter box - she needs a clean litter box with fresh litter. Your cat will be inhibited from using her litter box if it smells of urine. Think about it from the cat's viewpoint. When she soils your dining room carpet, the area is immediately and thoroughly cleaned. Given the choice between a regularly cleaned place and a litter box that gets changed only once or twice a week, your cat will naturally prefer the carpet.

Vodka the Secret Ingredient

Vodka in the batter is really what makes this recipe work. I have always had difficulties with creating the perfect tempura batter.

Shrimp Tempura

Perfect Shrimp Tempura
Serves 4

3 quarts vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds colossal shrimp (8 to 12 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on.

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 large egg

1 cup of vodka

1 cup seltzer water

Kosher salt



Note: Do not omit the vodka; it is critical for a crisp coating. For safety, use a Dutch oven with a capacity of at least 7 quarts.
Be sure to begin mixing the batter when the oil reaches 385 degrees (the final temperature should reach 400 degrees). It is important
to maintain a high oil temperature throughout cooking. If you are unable to find colossal shrimp (8 to 12 per pound), jumbo (16 to 20)
or extra-large (21 to 25) may be substituted. Fry smaller shrimp in three batches, reducing the cooking time to 11/2 to 2 minutes per
batch.

Technique: When cooking shrimp for tempura, the underside tends to shrink more than the top, causing the shrimp to
curl tightly and the batter to clump up and cook unevenly inside the curl. Here's a way to alleviate that problem.

After peeling and deveining a shrimp, hold it on its back on the the cutting board. Use the tip of a paring knife to make two
1/4 inch-deep incisions on the undersde, about 1/2 inch apart.

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. In large, heavy Dutch oven fitted with clip-on candy
thermometer, heat oil over high heat to 385 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes.

2. While oil heats, make 2 shallow cuts about ¼ inch deep and 1 inch apart on underside of each shrimp. Whisk cornstarch and flour
together in large bowl. Whisk egg and vodka together in second large bowl. Whisk seltzer water into egg mixture.

3. When oil reaches 385 degrees, pour liquid mixture into bowl with flour mixture and whisk gently until just combined (it is ok if small
lumps remain). Submerge half of shrimp in batter. Using tongs, remove shrimp from batter 1 at a time, allowing excess batter to drip
off., and carefully place in oil (temperature should now be at 400 degrees). Fry, stirring with chopstick or wooden skewer to prevent
sticking, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Once
paper towels absorb excess oil, place shrimp on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.

4. Return oil to 400 degrees, about 4 minutes, and repeat with remaining shrimp. Serve immediately with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.



Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
Makes About ¼ Cup

¼ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 scallion, finely chopped

Whisk all ingredients together in medium bowl



How to Make Vegetable Tempura

To use leftover batter to make vegetable fritters, dip 2 cups of vegetable in the batter and fry 2 to 3 minutes, following the same
instructions for the shrimp.



Vegetable Prep Required
Green beans Trim ends
Snow peas Remove strings
Scallions Trim ends
Asparagus Remove woody bottoms and
split large spears lengthwise
Shitake mushrooms Remove stems
Button mushrooms Leave small mushrooms whole;
halve medium mushrooms;
quarter large mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms Cut into ½ inch slices
Eggplant Slice into ½ inch rounds or
half moons
Onion Cut into ½ inch rings