Introducing Erasmus... bonding ud pg3

After the deaths of Takumi and Apollo, I haven't felt comfortable with Athena and River's bond. It was ok, but there felt like something might be missing. I discussed this with my family and with Jill of Honeybunnies, and considered adding a buck to the fray. We then started talking about specific bucks and the pros/cons of adding them to our family. Well, when I say specific bucks, I mean a. specific. buck. Chipper, a special needs Honeybunny.

In the end, we decided that it would ultimately help the girls and help Chipper as he'd have a home with two wifebuns, and in the 10 or so years I've had rabbits, I've had a lot of lops. And he is beautiful, and I accept that he may always have his difficulties. Especially so as Jill messaged me this morning to say that she thinks she's figured out the reason why he sometimes bites... he's deaf. Now, cue he questions on dealing with deaf bunnies.

Long story short, Erasmus Chipper is home. He was brought over today, by a really kind volunteer who was happy to do a bunny run, alongside a pair of guinea pigs for my brother. We've dropped the boys off at his home already. He's thrilled with them.

Anyway, back to Erasmus. He's met the girls, and is being a bit of a humpy pest to them. Athena has submitted to him. ATHENA. Athena who has always been super dominant. River, meanwhile, just likes to run away at the moment. :lol: I'm fairly confident that this bond will work. As it is a trio, I am expecting it take a little longer than any pair of mine (and probably longer than my previous trio/quads have taken, but they all went extraordinarily fast), but I'm also feeling ok about how it's going so far.

As with all my buns, he already has nicknames: Ras and Rassie. I adore him. He loves noserubs and was kind of folorn when I stopped earlier - but only to give River one instead! Bless him. He'll make a wonderful addition to the family.





...and then the camera died. :lol:

tlcwrites said:

After the deaths of Takumi and Apollo, I haven't felt comfortable with Athena and River's bond. It was ok, but there felt like something might be missing. I discussed this with my family and with Jill of Honeybunnies, and considered adding a buck to the fray. We then started talking about specific bucks and the pros/cons of adding them to our family. Well, when I say specific bucks, I mean a. specific. buck. Chipper, a special needs Honeybunny.

In the end, we decided that it would ultimately help the girls and help Chipper as he'd have a home with two wifebuns, and in the 10 or so years I've had rabbits, I've had a lot of lops. And he is beautiful, and I accept that he may always have his difficulties. Especially so as Jill messaged me this morning to say that she thinks she's figured out the reason why he sometimes bites... he's deaf. Now, cue he questions on dealing with deaf bunnies.

Long story short, Erasmus Chipper is home. He was brought over today, by a really kind volunteer who was happy to do a bunny run, alongside a pair of guinea pigs for my brother. We've dropped the boys off at his home already. He's thrilled with them.

Anyway, back to Erasmus. He's met the girls, and is being a bit of a humpy pest to them. Athena has submitted to him. ATHENA. Athena who has always been super dominant. River, meanwhile, just likes to run away at the moment. :lol: I'm fairly confident that this bond will work. As it is a trio, I am expecting it take a little longer than any pair of mine (and probably longer than my previous trio/quads have taken, but they all went extraordinarily fast), but I'm also feeling ok about how it's going so far.

As with all my buns, he already has nicknames: Ras and Rassie. I adore him. He loves noserubs and was kind of folorn when I stopped earlier - but only to give River one instead! Bless him. He'll make a wonderful addition to the family.

...and then the camera died. :lol:

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He certainly looks like a bun who knows his own mind!

Welcome Erasmus Chipper :wave:

What are his special needs tic? (apart from needing two wives )

MightyMax said:

He certainly looks like a bun who knows his own mind!

Welcome Erasmus Chipper :wave:

What are his special needs tic? (apart from needing two wives )

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:lol:

Stubbornly insisting he's top bun... but more seriously, deafness. It was initially believed to be food aggression, but seems more likely that he's deaf.

tlcwrites said:

:lol:

Stubbornly insisting he's top bun... but more seriously, deafness. It was initially believed to be food aggression, but seems more likely that he's deaf.

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That's really interesting. My deaf bun is also food possessive/aggressive.

Aww

He's gorgeous I remembered him from when Jill had posted about him in RIN. I hope the bonding continues to go well. It must be very frightening for a rabbit to be deaf

Omi said:

He's gorgeous I remembered him from when Jill had posted about him in RIN. I hope the bonding continues to go well. It must be very frightening for a rabbit to be deaf

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My deaf boy is anything but afraid :lol: He thinks he owns everything in the house!

Aww I remember reading about him in Rabbits in Need as well so I'm so pleased he's found a wonderful new home with you and his lovely wife buns

All fingers, toes and paws crossed here that the bond continues to go well xx

Wishing you lots of bonding vibes

He's lovely, I've seen him before too. Lucky to now have two wives to look after him x

Thank you all. He's a stunning fellow; hopefully I can get better pictures of him soon, but I think I want to wait for that until the bond is stronger and they have more space.

Speaking of bonding, it's a bit quieter now. Ras has stopped humping the girls every single time they dare to move. Of course, it still happens, just literally not every time they move! Food was very well received, of course, and it's all a lot more peaceful than it was. I do believe now that introducing Erasmus was the thing River and Athena needed. It certainly has strengthened their bond already, if only due to their needing to get away from the large humpy maniac.

He is gorgeous

I know I only just posted an update - but I just caught sight of River grooming Erasmus's ear.

This is lovely news and thank you for adopting another Honeybunny,
Re him being deaf.he was food aggresive and territorial..yet once he knew i was there and it was me would flop down for a cuddle. Only worked out that he could be deaf when I had him indoors. He would be fast asleep and not hear me come in , open his cage .ect..A Lovely boy who just needs to know you and to know you are approaching. He may still guard his food a bit but as he was skinny when he arrived ( he's a bit of a lump now! ) understandable.
Good luck Chipper..I'm missing you xx
Here he is having a last cuddle with me just before he left for his new home

Aww he's gorgeous! Though I have a soft spot for tri coloured lops.My bridge bun "Rio" had similar markings and he was a gentle soul who loved ear/nose rubs and all over stroking.Only on the floor though.He didn't like being picked up.

honeybunny said:

This is lovely news and thank you for adopting another Honeybunny,
Re him being deaf.he was food aggresive and territorial..yet once he knew i was there and it was me would flop down for a cuddle. Only worked out that he could be deaf when I had him indoors. He would be fast asleep and not hear me come in , open his cage .ect..A Lovely boy who just needs to know you and to know you are approaching. He may still guard his food a bit but as he was skinny when he arrived ( he's a bit of a lump now! ) understandable.
Good luck Chipper..I'm missing you xx
Here he is having a last cuddle with me just before he left for his new home

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I love that picture of you two.

He's also helped me figure something else out: Iris (blue butterfly lop) is also deaf. :shock: I didn't click before.

I wonder if it's a thing for deaf bunnies to constantly assert their dominance...? Both Ras and Iris are frequently trying their luck when it comes to humping...

And thank you for rescuing him in the first place and then, letting him join my family.

Aww, he is lovely - welcome to your forever home :wave:

Like MM's my deaf bunny is super confident ...they are really easy to photograph sleeping too as they don't wake up on approach:lol: I think she dreams she can hear though, sometimes whhen she is asleep she has upright ears that move like a regular rabbits do

Oh isn't he just gorgeous - and what a lucky bun! Two wives :shock::lol:

honeybunny said:

This is lovely news and thank you for adopting another Honeybunny,
Re him being deaf.he was food aggresive and territorial..yet once he knew i was there and it was me would flop down for a cuddle. Only worked out that he could be deaf when I had him indoors. He would be fast asleep and not hear me come in , open his cage .ect..A Lovely boy who just needs to know you and to know you are approaching. He may still guard his food a bit but as he was skinny when he arrived ( he's a bit of a lump now! ) understandable.
Good luck Chipper..I'm missing you xx
Here he is having a last cuddle with me just before he left for his new home

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Lovely photo Jill

Thank you all, and especially Jill - I am SMITTEN with this boy and can see why he's so special already. I know I made the right choice for me and my family now.

Bonding is going well. Extended their space today and the girls especially love it. Athena, as expected, is the brains of the operation, though. Poor Ras is more than a little bit daft.

Today, I also said to him, "Your ears are huuuge and useless." Doesn't matter if he can't hear, right?