Bonding a blind bunny into a trio?

[Bunnygem]

Hi! This is my first post so I hope I’ve put this in the right place. I have a tough decision to make and I’m hoping to get some advice.

I currently have 3 single rabbits: a female that is 3yo (her previous partner had to be PTS last year), a male that is 2yo (adopted last week to bond with the female) and a male that is 9yo. The 9yo boy lost his sister who was on palliative care yesterday which was heartbreaking to say the least. Now my 9yo boy is on his own I am considering having all 3 rabbits bonded together.

My concern is, he is completely blind (had both eyes removed due to glaucoma), has no/limited hearing, mild arthritis and is a pretty nervous rabbit. Nowadays he mostly just eat and sleeps, when his sister was around they spent 90% of their day cuddling which was the cutest. She would also nudge him to let him know when it was breakfast and dinner time.

I have the 3yo female and 2yo male booked in with a bonder this Monday, and I’m considering asking if they can also take the 9yo male to attempt a trio but I’m not sure if this is in his best interest. He’s generally healthy and a good weight (he had a health check at the vets only a couple of weeks ago) but I notice he does feel a bit ‘fragile’ when held, I’m worried he won’t be able to defend himself if there’s a fight and would get easily injured. The 3yo female and 2yo male are also very energetic and I wonder if he will find the whole ordeal overwhelming and scary with not being able to see or hear.

My other option is to get a 4th gentle rabbit and have 2 pairs but if I do this it feels like there’s a never ending cycle of multiple pairs that need to be kept separate and then bonded again when one passes which is stressful (as much as I love them all). This would also mean still putting him through the bonding process, although it may be easier with just one other rabbit as opposed to two.

My last option is to keep him a single bun. He was an outdoor rabbit but he has been brought inside since his sister passed and would remain indoors if we decide to keep him single. He enjoys human interaction, however I obviously can’t be with him 24/7

Any opinions, experiences and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Omi]

Hello and welcome to the forum Yes, you are exactly in the right place.

First of all I'm sorry about your two recent losses I can understand how distressing it was to lose the sister of your current 9 year old.

I hope also that the bonding on Monday goes well.

I think I would be having similar thoughts about options for your remaining 9 year old male. You will know your bunny best, but I have to say that from your description of him I do not think I would try bonding him with the younger two. For all the reasons you have outlined, it wouldn't appear to be the best option for his remaining years. Trios also can be more challenging to bond together than just the two and so it would be a shame if adding him increased the chances of failure of a positive bond with the younger two.

Which leaves the decision of whether to try bonding him to a gentle and less energetic female, or to keep him indoors as a single bunny. This has to be something that you would need to feel happy about and I understand about the future implications. One other option might be to ask a local rescue if they have any females that fit the character requirements, who they would like to find a foster home for. That way, if your 9 year old bunny died first, the rescue could take the female back (if you could then be parted). I think from your description of how the two bunnies spent their days, your bunny was obviously gaining a lot of pleasure from the friendship. Blind bunnies also sometimes rely on their partner more than seeing bunnies.

Good luck with making your decision and let us know how the bunnies get on next Monday