Three fluffy cotton bolls of approx. 3 to 4 cm, straight from the cotton plant. To pick apart and shred. Give a small amount, under supervision. Read more.
Rodents love taking things apart. They pull, pick and shred, and then drag the pieces off to their nest. Hug Cotton from Back Zoo Nature plays into that. These are fluffy cotton bolls, straight from the cotton plant. According to Back Zoo Nature it is pure cotton fluff, without additives or chemicals. The pack contains three bolls of about 3 to 4 cm. Because it is a natural product, they can vary slightly in colour, size and shape.
Back Zoo Nature markets Hug Cotton as nesting material. We are a little more careful with that. Cotton fluff consists of long, fine fibres. We prefer not to use cotton wool or fluffy material as the main part of a nest, because long fibres can wrap around little feet. So use Hug Cotton mainly as enrichment: something to pick at and shred, in a small amount. For the nest itself, natural Zooply nesting material for rats or Zooply nesting material for mice remains the basis.
So how do you use it? First pull a boll apart a little yourself, so you get small tufts instead of long strands. Place a tuft on top of the bedding or tuck it into a toy, a cardboard tube or a hay ball. Your pet will start pulling and picking at it. That helps against boredom. Rats are clever and need lots of enrichment, and a new material makes them curious. Mice and gerbils love to shred everything they find. For them a small tuft is enough.
We do not recommend Hug Cotton for hamsters. Hamsters stuff nesting material into their cheek pouches, and fluffy fibres are not practical there. For hamsters you are better off choosing paper, hay or another nesting material made of natural fibres that are not long and stringy. Rabbits and guinea pigs have no use for it either. They are better off with hay and a soft straw bed.
Watch the first few times you give Hug Cotton. If a fibre wraps around a foot or toe, carefully remove it and stop giving the cotton. Also remove fluff that has become wet or dirty. The idea is that your pet picks and gnaws at the cotton, not that it eats it. If you see it eating the cotton after all, stop using it. Store the remaining bolls in a dry place.
Back Zoo Nature calls it nesting material. We prefer to use it as enrichment in small tufts, with regular nesting material as the basis.
Hamsters fill their cheek pouches with nesting material. Fluffy, long fibres are not suitable for that. For hamsters, choose paper or hay instead.
A small tuft at a time is enough. That way the three bolls last quite a while.
No. According to Back Zoo Nature it is pure cotton fluff from the cotton plant, without additives or chemicals.
Remove it carefully. If it is stuck or the foot is swollen or red, contact a vet with knowledge of rodents.
Knaagplaza is the online shop of 't Knaagplein in Bodegraven, specialised in rodents and rabbits. We are honest about how best to use a product, even when we take a slightly more careful approach than the manufacturer. For a safe nest and a deep floor layer, choose Zooply, our own brand.
