The oats used in Oaticakes are stoneground Oatmeal which have a great texture with very little processing. I never use rolled oats, which are far more processed, or oat flour, both of which are designed to absorb water quickly.
Every Oaticake is packed with a Timothy/Ryegrass mix to increase that all important fibre content. I will not make treats without some kind of added fibre. Most rabbit owners know how important this is for healthy rabbit tummies and teeth. However, I won’t make purely hay based treats as they require either a really high percentage of fruit or, some type of added binder to hold the treats together.
Oaticakes are flavoured with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, I never use bright powders. Why use dried powder when you can use wonderful fresh ingredients? The majority of the fresh produce used in Oaticakes is bought from the local market and we always buy British grown fruit and veg where possible. When it is in season, we use fresh produce grown on our own allotment, especially fruit such as apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.
Many Oaticakes contain dried forage to add to their flavour and fibre levels. All added forage is human grade forage, so it’s of the highest quality with no dust and dirt.
All these ingredients help give Oaticakes their unique texture. But the difference in the way they are made also contributes towards the light crumbly texture of Oaticakes. The vast majority of homemade rabbit treats are made by creating a dough of just oats and fruit, which is then rolled out. This acts to compact the dough so shapes can be cut out. Oaticakes are not made from a dough and shapes are not cut out. The moist Oaticakes mix is painstakingly shaped by hand to create individual treats. Once dried, this produces a light, crumbly yet fibrous texture which is great for rabbit teeth. Don’t assume that a hard compact texture is good for rabbits. Hard textures make rabbits crunch their food; this doesn’t wear down their teeth. It’s a grinding, figure of 8 motion, that wears down rabbit teeth. This only happens when consuming high fibre foods such as hay, grass and forage.
