Summer Safety Tips for your Pet

Memorial Day is tomorrow - and it looks like summer is truly underway with people crowding the beaches, working to get fit bods, and of course, many taking their pets out to enjoy the great weather!

However, this warm weather can have a not so great impact on your pets if you're not careful. While walking, taking a drive, or just hanging out in your backyard, take heed to some of these summer safety tips for your pet(s)!

CARS
A big mistake many make throughout the year is leaving pets in the car, whether its to go get some quick groceries or dropping something off at the post office...whatever it is, you have to remember a car quickly heats up to dangerously high temperatures on even a semi-warm day. Keep windows slightly open to let air flow through.

When driving with pets, be sure to keep them properly restrained and inside the vehicle. Special seat belts and secured carriers can protect pets during accidents and prevent them from distracting the driver.

VACCINES/MEDICINE
Keep pets up-to-date on their vaccinations and preventative medications. Fleas and ticks stay busy in warm weather and summer is the prime time for heartworms. Check with a veterinarian about the best way to keep your animal healthy.

SAFE INSIDE
I'm sure plenty of you have animals that go inside and outside, or maybe even only outside...but you should always remember the dangers of your neighborhood and areas around it if you let your animal wander.

Cars, other pets and wild animals can all pose risks to your pet's safety - especially if it is a smaller pet like a cat or rabbit.

Pet rabbits should be kept indoors because they don't tolerate heat well. Keeping a rabbit indoors will provide protection from predators that might try to attack a rabbit in an outdoor hutch.

Also, never leave a dog outdoors unattended on a chain or tether. Long-term chaining during the hot summer months can result in countless insect bites, dehydration and heat stroke.

WALKS
When taking a dog for a walk on a hot day, try for shorter walks midday, when temperatures peak, and longer walks in the morning and evening when it's cooler. Hot sidewalks can burn the pads on a dog's paws, so walk on the grass when possible.

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Well those are just some of my summer safety tips for your pet. The Humane Society also has some other tips for your pet during the summer season!

A DAY AT THE SPA…FOR YOUR RABBIT!

Who can resist a full-body massage? Anyone? Anyone? I didn’t think so! Massages are appreciated – and SUGGESTED- for all social beings, and this includes our long-eared friends. The sense of touch is a powerful form of non-verbal communication. It offers both a spiritual and spiritual connection.

Massaging your pet - in this case your rabbit - is one step above “petting”. With each stroke, you can conduct a healing energy that flows through your rabbit. You may even discover certain problem areas while massaging, places of tightness, pain and restriction.
As you learn how to massage your rabbit, you will become more familiar with what is going right and wrong with their body. You will be able to find areas of inflammation, coolness, heat, lumps, bumps, warts, and tender spots. This can help alert you if anything is off and if a vet visit is necessary.

Rabbits are prey animals, which make them quite skittish. When they are healthy, they are very social beings that enjoy interacting with other animals and humans. Massage therapy will help your bunny be more comfortable with being held and create a closer bond between the two of you.

Also, bunnies can be difficult to handle during grooming sessions and visits to the vet. Their fear can disappear with regular massages to make them more comfortable with being held and touched.

The benefits of massage therapy are numerous, including: flushing out toxins, increased oxygen, blood flow, and nutrients to the muscles, stimulate healing and improve disposition.

For instructions on how to perform a massage for rabbits, check out this site:
http://www.catsandrabbitsandmore.com/massage_for_rabbits

Happy Massaging!

-Shoreh

Camelot on TV!

Hey all!

Camelot has made it to TV! Check out Ivanhoe News' report on Camelot and the wonderful recipes he has inspired!

Watch the report here!

The video goes along with a great article by Ivanhoe News.

We really appreciate the coverage of Camelot through this story and can't wait to be involved in more TV appearances!

Easter Tip: Should or Should You NOT Buy a Bunny?

When children go to their Easter baskets this Sunday, the bunnies should be chocolate – not living, breathing creatures…unless the parent and the child are ready for to take care of their long-eared companion for years to come.

Rabbits may not be the best pet option for youngsters – their energy and tendency to want to hold and cuddle is not good or healthy for rabbits. “Rabbits are not passive and cuddly. They are ground-loving creatures who feel frightened and insecure when held and restrained” - the House Rabbit Society.

Camelot showed up on my front doorstep shortly after the Easter season and it’s possible he was one of those Easter bunnies who becomes ignored and abandoned.

Check out the tips and rules of rabbits below so that you can determine if a bunny is right for you!

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LIFE SPAN
Bunnies live for up to 10 years. Having a rabbit as a pet requires as much care as any dog or cat, and thus the care of your pet rabbit should be taken seriously. If you’re not ready to make that commitment, it may be best to stick with a stuffed animal instead.

EATING HABITS
Bunnies eat more than just pellets. Their diet should be composed of good-quality grass hay like alfafa. Combine this with about a quarter-cup of pellets and some fresh green and yellow veggies. Keep in mind their feeding and exercise can be more high-maintenance than domestic dogs! You have to make sure they’re getting the right veggies and not putting the wrong kind of bedding into their little homes.

NO BUNNIES IN THE BACKAYRD
The bunny cage in the backyard is a big DON’T. Bunnies really are indoors-only animals (remember that they are animals used to living underground, where it’s nice and warm!). If you leave a bunny outside, it is subject to any harsh weather. They’re also subject to roaming predators, whether it be neighbors’ cats and dogs, or raccoons, large birds, snakes, etc.

HANDLE WITH CARE
Bunnies are not the typical hugging and cuddling with pet. They’re delicate animals and if picked up inappropriately, they may kick hard with their hind legs and possibly break their own backs or hurt the child holding them.

SAFE HOUSE FOR RABBITS
Rabbits are chewers and this can be a problem to furniture, so make sure you keep areas low to the ground covered and protected if you want to let your bunny roam the home. Also, bunnies have a tendency to like chewing on electrical cords – and this could cause them to die from electric shock. They also can get tangled up in bunches of cords, like around game systems, television sets, and computers. Keep these areas tidy or don’t let your bunny into any of those rooms.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
As mentioned before, rabbits are not outdoor pets. If you get a bunny, buy it a spacious container so they have plenty of room to walk around, do their business (yes! Bunnies can be litter trained), stand on their hind legs, etc. Don’t get a wire cage – they need SOLID flooring to protect their bunny feet!

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Now, after reading these tips, if you feel you would be able to properly take care of a bunny, here are suggestions on how to get one.

At a pet store, a bunny may cost $20-$30 BUT he/she will most likely not be spayed or neutered. That process could cost up to $250, and it is essential for calming the animal and making it an appropriate, pleasant pet.

Thus, ADOPTING a sterilized rabbit from a rescue is much cheaper - costing around $60. They're usually litter-box trained, too!

With any animal, it's always helpful to go to the shelter and see who is available for adoption than buying a pet from a store. Shelters can get crowded, and to help a bunny in need is definitely a positive feeling.

Hope these tips help you out when thinking of buying a bunny for Easter, or just any time of the year!

Camelot, Shoreh and Rane wish you all a very pleasant Easter holiday!

Camelot's Kitchen on Chef's Corner

Hello all!

Camelot and Shoreh will be appear on Chef's Corner this coming Tuesday! We taped the show earlier and can't wait for it to appear on TV! We'll post info and possibly some photos and video clips on the website shortly.

This is a big step for "Camelot's Kitchen" and we're so thankful to Chef's Corner for the opportunity!

-Camelot, Shoreh and Rane

Mixing Salad and Politics!

Hello all!

I nearly met with Governor Schwarzenegger today! My mummy, Shoreh, decided to do lunch at Cafe Roma in Beverly Hills and while we were there, the governor also stopped by.

She was able to give a copy of the book to the governor's son but unfortunately he was to busy to meet with us. Hopefully he'll like the book and contact us soon!

The governor has been working hard lately to promote healthy living and fight obesity. He recently moderated discussion with President Bill Clinton at the Governor’s 2010 Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity. I think if he takes a look at the book, he'll see how helpful it would be to a Californian family or any family in the country looking to live a healthier lifestyle and pass those ideals onto their friends, children, etc.
*Read more about the governor's work on keeping California healthy

-Camelot and Shoreh

Sample Recipe: Pampered Pomegranate Salad

Hello all!

I thought since the weather's getting a bit warmer here in Los Angeles, I'd put out a sample recipe of a salad that is deliciously cool.

"Pampered Pomegranate Salad"

Ingredients:
1 Pomegranate, seeded
1 cup Beets (from a can or a bottle), cubed
1 Blood Orange, peeled, and cut in pieces
1/2 Red Onion finely chopped

Everything is placed on a bed of greens

Dressing:
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together in a bowl until smooth and add just before serving salad.

This salad would be great to have while relaxing on the patio, and smelling the sweetness of the incoming Spring season!

Hope you enjoy!