Let's start with his Hays. Timothy Hay for sure as I read almost every online information that at least 80% of any adult rabbit's diet should be hays and is always readily available. I bought the 40oz size Oxbow brand from a nearby local pet store. The store owner really gives competitive prices but because the store is small, there's not much varieties and stock to choose. The store only has 1 bag and I have to take or leave it. I was charged $20 if I recalled correctly.
But Cotton doesn't seem to eat as much and as fast as he previously would. Or maybe his twice a day daily dose of fresh vegetables resulted him to eat lesser hays? I don't know yet but his water intake also proportionally decreases. I was told that Cotton drank lots of water previously because he was eating a lot (his only food then) of hays. Hays being dry, he will naturally drink a lot of water after eating so much hays.
However, I read about 'freshness' of hays and the more green it is, the better. I was at another larger pet store yesterday after work and saw that their packs of 40 oz are very green and greener than my first pack which I just bought 2 weeks ago. So I bought one more pack at the larger store ($24 before less 5%) home to compare. Can you guess correctly which pack is which?
Answer: Lower pack is bought from larger store and is greener, right? Now I am trying to clear his existing hay stock as soon as possible.....
Let's move to his pellet. I bought Oxbow Adult Rabbit Food pellets and apparently pellets typically comes in one size - 4lbs. I am using this purely as treats or giving at small amount (1/5 of party plastic cup size) once a week basis. This pack will last me a long time and Cotton loves it (not surprisingly) because it contains molasses. Oxbow also have another type of pellets for Adult Rabbit under Essential category. I decided to buy the Natural Sciences version because it contains Orchard Grass and Oat Grass which means I can save on getting other types of hays without the concerns about freshness and at the same time, Cotton can also gain more vitamins from the pellets. It's definitely a win-win choice for me.
Update on 29-Mar-2014: The old pack of Oxbow is finally finished and the new pack is opened. Really lots of green hay and Cotton loves them.
The ingredients for the Natural Science pellet:
Timothy Grass, Orchard Grass, Oat Grass, Oat Hulls, Canola Meal, Whole Yellow Pea, Whole Barley, Tomato Pomace (dehydrated), Cane Molasses, Flax Seed, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Sodium Bentonite, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Vitamin C), Inulin, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
- Crude Fat (min) 3.00%
- Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
- Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
- Moisture (max) 10.00%
- Calcium (min) 0.40%
- Calcium (max) 0.80%
- Phosphorus (min) 0.35%
- Copper (min) 35 mg/kg
- Vitamin A (min) 19,000 IU/kg (min)
- Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg (min)
- Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg (min)
- Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) 0.45%
- Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) 0.90%
I also bought for Cotton to try Oxbow Lavendar Chamomile Medley Simple Rewards treats. Why Lavendar and Chamomile flavour is because I hope the aroma scent will able to calm Cotton more after each combing session. Although the manufacturer recommends 1 spoonful per day, I only uses it after each combing session or playing time with him. The package even sealed tight unopened, Cotton could still scent it and attempted to bit it opened until I stopped him. The Lavendar scent is very obvious.
Ingredient for this treat:
Timothy Grass, Orchard Grass, Brome Grass, Wheat Straw Meal, Rapeseed Meal(Brassica napus), Whole Yellow Pea (Lathyrus aphaca), Whole Barley, Tomato Pulp, Chamomile, Lavender, Cane Molasses, Chicory Powder, Flax Seed, Yeast (heat-killed), Salt, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein min 12.00%
- Crude Fat min 3.00%
- Crude Fiber max 23.00%
- Moisture max 12.00%
To let Cotton exercise a bit via running is during play-time. Uncle Hubby and I have set a play-time session with Cotton on every evening after our dinner....that would be somewhere 7-8pm. Previously, we have used his Senior Support supplement (breaking the tab into smaller pieces) to feed him from our hands but he has to shuttle run between us (about a distance 0.5m long). He will sniff and pick the treat with his mouth from my fingers and eat it, and after that, he will have to go to Uncle Hubby's side and repeat it. Then back to me again. It's also a good time to let Cotton familiarize that his name is Cotton as we always call to him for his attention after he taken the treat from one of us.
I have always this question in my mind if too much molasses intake would be harmful to Cotton since his glucose level was high in the Feb-2014 blood test. So I google and found a scientific journal which concluded that incorporation of molasses at 5% in rabbit diet is OK. Of course it is not cheap to include molasses into rabbit food so basically, you eat what you pay for.
I have always this question in my mind if too much molasses intake would be harmful to Cotton since his glucose level was high in the Feb-2014 blood test. So I google and found a scientific journal which concluded that incorporation of molasses at 5% in rabbit diet is OK. Of course it is not cheap to include molasses into rabbit food so basically, you eat what you pay for.
To increase the varieties of the play-time treat, I bought cookie snacks. So far, he loves it.
Cost of some items:
| 1 x | APD Senior Rabbit Tropical Cookie | SG$6.40 |
| 1 x | Oxbow Natural Science Adult Rabbit Food | SG$20.90 |
| 1 x | Oxbow Hay Cakes | SG$12.80 |
| 1 x | Pet Link Rabbit/Chinchilla Wooden Stick Tunnel | SG$7.70 |
| 1 x | Oxbow Simple Rewards Lavender-Chamomile Medley | SG$7.10 |
Update on 29-Mar-2014: I bought the Hay Cakes so that if I brought Cotton out, at least I can feed him with the hay cake for convenience and little or no mess in the carrier. But Cotton does not like his hay cakes. I tried to insert pellets into the cake but it's not possible to do that as the cake is too tightly compressed. I rubbed some banana onto the cake but Cotton did not take the bait. There goes my $12.80.
I wanted to buy APD Timothy Golden Hay which I read on reviews that it contains a lot of green hays and most of the owners who tried it said their buns will not take other brands anymore. But I cannot find the brand at the larger pet store and so decided to try this brand as well. I intend to mix this together with Oxbow hay for Cotton. This brand is not cheap and costs me $14 before less 5% at 15oz size.
Update on 29-Ma-2014: Cotton loves this first cut Timothy hay! I mixed this with Oxbow hay and Momi hay is drier and harder than Oxbow. Cotton enjoys both but he has finished most of the Momi serving within the 3hours.
I think I will also cut down the amount of fresh vegetable frequency to maybe 2-3 times a week so that Cotton will eat his hays. He seems to eat lesser of his hays these days and expecting treats from us as well. Naughty Cotton. I worried he may turn to picky eater if we are not careful.
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