Oxbow Redemption is Back!

For the past one year, I have been collecting all oxbow packaging and hoping the redemption be back on one day and it did!

And I did my redemption! 

Pellets variety for Cotton

Ahhhhh! I finally found PLC Clementi selling Oxbow essential pellets for Adult Rabbit at smaller packing size, 2.25 Ibs! With the membership discounts, I paid $18,90 for the pack. Honestly, with that price, I rather stick to buy Oxbow Natural Sciences Adult Rabbit pellets at Beary.com.sg which charges $20, where PLC charges $24. Natural Sciences pellets contains more nutrients than the Essential range.

I mixed the 2 bags of pellets when I am changing his litter box. Apparently, Cotton loves both pellets and eat them first than Hays. Cotton is really well-fed now.

 

Cotton ravaging his Oxbow Hay Stack

 

Cotton doesn't like his Hay cake so I would think he wouldn't like his Hay Stack as well. What am I going to do because I did not want to waste food and money. Pssst....Hay Stack ($25) costs more than Hay cake ($12.80). Ouch!

 

I checked the ingredients of the Hay Stack and confirmed there is NO cane molasses....OH NO!!! Suddenly I realized that I depend on molasses a lot in order to get Cotton to try new things! That isn't too healthy but as long as the amount of molasses is within acceptable range (that means as long as molasses is not the top 5 ingredients listing where usually the order of ingredient listed would normally based on the decreasing order of amount added).

 

So I decided to use the pellets which have molasses in them and stashed into the Hay Stack. Cotton has very sensitive sense for smell (maybe that's normal for rabbit) and Cotton started digging for the pellets in the Hay Stack. See video.

 

Video Disclaimer: It's not for the weak stomachs. Some violence scenes are expected. :p

 

 

 

 

So does my strategy work? I do not know yet because at least it gotten his attention to ravaging the Hay Stack but not sure if he will eat his hay from the stack. Will update again in next few days if he eats the hay stack.....or not.

 

Stay tune.

 

Updated on 02-Apr-2014:

To get a clearer picture if Cotton does eat his hay stack, I have setup an 'experiment' to test it out. In his next change of litter box, I just gave him just one hay stack and no loose hays. As per instructed on the packaging, the compressed hay stack must be torn a little in an 'S' form so that bunnies can maximize their foraging pleasure. I personally think the instruction is very useful and helpful.

 

1 Oxbow Hay Stack added to his next litter box change

The compressed hay stack is loosen by hand to form an 'S' shaped 

Overnight: Cotton have dug further one small part and did eat the stack

After 24hours (Day 2): Only a small portion of 'S' shaped was left.

Cotton foraging at his hay stack

So Cotton did not waste his mummy's hard-earned monies and eat his given hay stack. It's true that at the initial stage, the hay stack is cleaner and less messier to begin with. However, once Cotton started tearing the stack apart, be expected there will be much loose hay around. Let me break down the Pros and Cons of the hay stack:

Pros:
- Clean and no mess at the beginning only
- Cotton is kept busy with the tearing apart

Cons:
- Price is not cheap
- Cotton doesn't like to work for his food so he did not eat as much than if he is fed with loose hays
- Cotton urines a lot so his litter box has to be cleaned every 1-2 days (no longer than 2 days) so recycling the un-eaten hay stack seems unhygienic and waste $$ as Cotton only ate about 40% or so of the stack
- Hay stack lacks those long hay strains types which are just important in providing the essential fibre content.....and Cotton loves eating these long hay strains which are crunchy and good for his teeth too
- Hays in the hay stack does not look as green as those in loose hays packs.

Verdict? I won't repurchase the hay stack once Cotton finishes this stock because the Cons outweighs the Pros. :P

Online shopping

Oh no.....I spent again online!

This time round, I bought the following items for Cotton:

Products 1 x Pet Link Metal Hay Holder with Chain   - Size: large SG$5.60 1 x Oxbow Multi Vitamin   - Weight: 60 tabs SG$20.95 1 x Ferplast Flea Comb – 5838 (Small Animals)   - Design: Comb SG$8.00 1 x APD Senior Rabbit Tropical Cookie   - Weight: 1.75oz SG$6.40 1 x APD Timothy Gold Hay   - Weight: 24oz SG$17.60 I feel encouraged by the fact that Cotton does take his hay from his Timothy Ball so I decided to invest a metal hay ball container for Cotton. :D I also wanted to try APD Golden Hay where it claims to contain 2nd-cut Timothy Hay and only the green colours is expected. Cotton loves his Momi 1st cut Timothy hay and so I would assume he will love the 2nd-cut as well. The differences between 1st and 2nd cut are the softness of the per fibre strands and also the fibre content as well. I read that 1st cut contains higher fibre content and is tougher (rougher) cut and so bun will need to chew harder and more. My intention is to mix and alternate 1st cut and 2nd cut with the Oxbow Timothy Hay because the latter is still more economical in terms of $$ to sustain 80% of Cotton's diet. Not forgetting that Cotton eats quite a big despite of his age seniority. I need to spend a minimum of $50 to get the free delivery (or else $10 for delivery fee) and so it's a good time to refill some of his cookie treats and letting him try Multi-vitamins as well. I am so tempted to get the Oxbow Natural Sciences Skin and Coat support supplement but I guess I will get it in the next purchase. I did not want to feed Cotton with too much supplement at one time, given that he is on long term Senior Support supplement as recommended by the vet. I can't wait for the items to come now. Cotton is just as excited as his mummy too. The only person who is not so forward looking is none other than Uncle Hubby for sponsoring the above. Hahaha...Thank You, Uncle Hubby! *wink wink* PS: Pictures of the items will be uploaded once they are arrived. :) Stay tune
	Updated on 20-Apr-2014: The cookie was a repurchased so I did not take picture of it. Repurchase means Cotton loves eating it.
	Cotton's new favourite now and is hanged in the metal ball His new favourite too   My new favourite because this comb is so effective Metal Food holder
	The metal food holder, despite the invoice said comes with the 11cm chain, but there is no chain. I did not realize until later so no point for me to pursue further. Anyway, I bought the metal chain from our local store for $2 and the problem was solved. I stuffed APD Timothy Gold Hay in the metal food holder because it's more costly to be used as loose hay as part of his litter bedding as well. Cotton does finish his hay at the metal food holder so it shows my strategy works! The metal holder also serves as an extra hay for Cotton. Cotton will eat up most of the hay at his litter box and then attack the hay at the metal holder. It's not because Cotton prefers to eat the hay at his litter box so he eats them first but because (I suspect) it is easier for him to graze at his litter box than from the metal holder. Well, whatever it is, whenever he starts to eat from his metal holder, it also means it is time for me to change his litter box.

Hays, Pellets and Treats!

I decided to do an entry about Cotton's hays, pellets and treats and their ingredients, of course!

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.

  

 

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   - Weight: 1.75oz	SG$6.40
1 x	Oxbow Natural Science Adult Rabbit Food   - Weight: 1.8kg (4lbs)	SG$20.90
1 x	Oxbow Hay Cakes   - Size: 453g (1lb)	SG$12.80
1 x	Pet Link Rabbit/Chinchilla Wooden Stick Tunnel   - Design: House	SG$7.70
1 x	Oxbow Simple Rewards Lavender-Chamomile Medley   - Weight: 70g	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.

Taking care of Cotton

Taking good care of Cotton is now my priority. Giving him the best without breaking my wallet is just as important. Cotton may not have the best of things in his earlier life but he sure be pampered by me and Uncle Hubby from the rest of his life.

His litter, I bought 30L cat litter Breeder Celect ($29);
Initially I bought CareFresh Ultra pet bedding because I read online somewhere that Cat litter is not suitable for rabbits as they contain zinc dusts which can cause breathing problems to rabbits. Cotton is used to having newspaper as his bedding which SPCA is also using. So there was a transition to let Cotton used to non-newspaper bedding. After consulting the vet that as long as the cat litter is made of recycled paper, then it should be fine for Cotton. Breeder Celect is definitely cheaper than using Carefresh Ultra bedding, in my opinion.

His diet, I bought Oxbow Western Timonthy Hay as his main diet;
Later, I bought Oxbow Alfalfa Hay with the intention to let him have an alternative main diet but later learnt from the vet that Alfalfa is not suitable for older rabbit. Alfalfa has high calories and is therefore suitable for growing young rabbits (below 07 months) and lactating rabbits. But I could, however, still able to use Alfalfa as small treats for Cotton. He loves Alfalfa Hays because it is sweet tasting and Cotton, like all other rabbits, has sweet tooth.

His supplement/treats, I bought Oxbow Natural Sciences Senior Support as per Vet recommended and fresh vegetables. I have tried Chye Sim, Lettuce and Xiao Bai Chye but he did not like them at all. I bought Burgy treats and he likes them so far but can only give him on once a week basis.

Cotton drinks a lot of water per day such that about 500mL of water intake for 8hrs period. So we have 2 water bottles for him to tide him through the day while at we are at work. Cotton has a certain devoted preference when using his water bottle - he will only drink one bottle and finish it before drinking from the 2nd bottle.

Cotton doesn't like his cage floor be laid with anything - newspaper or towel. He will push or kick them away. He prefers the original cage base and it seems that his paws are larger to be stuck in those holes. I let Cotton does whatever he likes since it's his territory.

Basically, Cotton is quite easy to maintain and my local pet store also sells me Oxbow products at an affordable price. My handsome Cotton is now in tip-top healthy condition.