best timothy hay brands for rabbits in Singapore, 2026 comparison

updated 12 May 2026 by xavier fok

timothy hay is the single most important purchase you will make for a pet rabbit. it is 80 percent of the diet, the main wear surface for the molars, and the bulk fibre that keeps the gut moving. brand differences matter, especially in Singapore’s humidity, where even good hay can go from fresh to musty in two weeks if stored badly.

this guide compares the brands SG rabbit owners actually buy, ranks them on quality, freshness, and storage performance, and gives the realistic price-per-kg picture once you factor in shipping or local rebagging.

what we look for in a good timothy hay

before the brand-by-brand breakdown, the criteria:

green colour, not brown or yellow. brown hay has lost most of its nutritional value and is harder for rabbits to digest
long stems with seed heads visible. stalky, second-cut hay is generally better than soft third-cut for adult rabbits because it forces chewing
dry, no clumps. clumps mean moisture exposure, which means mould risk
smells fresh, not musty or fermented
survives 2 to 3 weeks in SG open storage without going stale. this is where most brands fail

the brands

Oxbow Western Timothy

the most widely available premium timothy in Singapore. consistent quality across bags. predominantly second cut, balanced stems and leaf. comes in 425g, 1.13kg, and 4.54kg bags.

quality: very consistent. SG owners rarely report bad bags
freshness: typically 6 to 9 months from packing date when sold locally
storage: holds up well for 2 to 3 weeks after opening in an airtight container with a humidity packet
price per kg: roughly SGD 25 to 35 depending on bag size and retailer
where to buy: Pets Station, most SG pet shops, Shopee, and Amazon SG

verdict: the default choice. boring, reliable, slightly expensive. if you do nothing else with this comparison, buy Oxbow.

Small Pet Select 2nd Cutting Perfect Blend

US-direct brand, sold in SG by a few specialty retailers and via direct import. usually fresher than retail Oxbow because it ships closer to the packing date.

quality: excellent, especially the 2nd Cutting variety
freshness: ships within weeks of harvest. often noticeably greener than locally-stocked Oxbow
storage: holds up to 3 weeks in open SG storage
price per kg: SGD 35 to 50 with shipping factored in, more expensive than Oxbow
where to buy: Amazon SG, Shopee SG resellers, or direct from smallpetselect.com

verdict: best if you want the freshest possible hay and do not mind paying for it. some SG owners alternate this with Oxbow.

Kaytee Timothy Complete

mid-tier US brand, sold in supermarkets and big-box pet retailers. variable quality. some bags are excellent, others are dry, brown, and dusty.

quality: inconsistent across bags
freshness: depends on the retailer’s stock turnover
storage: middling. drier bags go stale faster
price per kg: SGD 18 to 25
where to buy: most SG pet shops, Amazon SG, Shopee

verdict: cheaper than Oxbow but you will buy 2 bad bags for every 5 good ones. open and inspect before feeding.

Sherwood Pet Health Timothy

US small-brand, prized by US rabbit forums but harder to find in SG. when available, quality is excellent.

quality: top tier when fresh
freshness: depends entirely on importer
storage: good
price per kg: SGD 40 to 60 by the time it lands in SG
where to buy: Amazon SG, select SG specialty retailers, or direct import

verdict: premium option, hard to source consistently. not the first choice unless you are already deep in the rabbit-owner forums.

Local rebagged timothy (varies by shop)

several SG pet shops buy bulk imported timothy and rebag it into 500g or 1kg portions. quality depends entirely on the shop’s source and storage.

quality: variable. some shops sell genuinely fresh repacked hay, others sell what is essentially old stock
freshness: ask when it was bagged; if they cannot answer, skip
storage: usually fine if you turn it over quickly
price per kg: SGD 10 to 18, the cheapest option by far
where to buy: local pet shops, often hand-bagged

verdict: best price if you find a shop that turns inventory fast. ask, smell, look at the colour before buying.

the SG storage problem

even the best hay goes bad in two weeks if stored in a humid SG cabinet. before judging a brand by smell or texture, fix storage:

airtight container with a tight seal. plastic bins, repurposed cookie tins
humidity absorber like silica gel or food-safe desiccant
dark, dry location, not near the kitchen or laundry
buy in smaller bags if you cannot finish a 4.5kg bag in 4 weeks
freeze long-term stock in zip-locks if you bulk-bought, defrost in airtight container for 24 hours before serving

with proper storage, even Kaytee can stay edible for 3 weeks. without it, even Oxbow turns musty fast.

the rabbit-by-rabbit truth

your rabbit is the final judge. a rabbit that refuses Oxbow might love Small Pet Select, and vice versa. when introducing a new brand:

mix 50/50 with the current brand for 5 to 7 days
watch for changes in droppings or appetite
if the rabbit pulls only stems and ignores leaf, or vice versa, that is a quality signal worth paying attention to

if you have two rabbits, buy two brands and let them choose. owners often discover their rabbits have strong preferences they were not aware of.

what owners often get wrong

buying the biggest bag to save money — false economy if you cannot finish it before it goes stale in SG humidity
storing hay in the original bag — those bags are not airtight; humidity gets in
feeding hay that smells “a little off” — if you would not eat it, do not feed it
mixing in alfalfa for adult rabbits — alfalfa is high-calcium, fine for juvenile rabbits and pregnant or nursing does, but adults get bladder sludge from it. timothy or other grass hay only past 6 months old

feeding rabbits in Singapore’s climate — the broader diet picture
timothy vs oaten vs meadow hay — when to use each
hay, where to buy in Singapore — the physical-shop angle
cost of owning a rabbit in Singapore — hay is the biggest line item

community-sourced information here is not veterinary advice. for any diet concern see a licensed SG exotic vet. some links on this page are affiliate links — buying through them costs you nothing extra and helps fund our directory verification work.