Is Butterscotch Bunny Deaf?

Butterscotch Bunny has been in my thoughts and under my observation lately. I'm not quite sure what to think.  He and his sweetheart Jamie, a rescued Harlequin, are always cuddling and grooming. The thing is he seems to just be uninterested in other things. He lies there a lot and doesn't seem responsive to us, unlike when before he was neutered, he was overly attentive to us because his hormones seemed to surge even more than other unneutered male rabbits (like in the Buzzing Bunny video below).  I had been thinking that perhaps he was depressed or that perhaps he was too demanding of Jamie because she is extremely affectionate making Butterscotch become spoiled. But that just doesn't seem to be it.

I watched more and more.  Butterscotch seems like he might be deaf. He doesn't respond to his name or other things that seem to influence other bunnies to respond. What I think happens is that he responds to Jamie's cues. When she responds to us, he responds to her! He seems to be dependent on her.

I've been doing some "tests" of my own to see how responsive he is to noises and things that startle bunnies. I look to see if he responds on his own or if he responds to Jamie. They are inseparable, which I am glad of, especially if he is deaf. I have been blowing loud whistles, clapping my hands loud, shaking the large metal cup (with some pellets in it) that we use to give them pellets, crinkling the bag of hay- noises the bunnies respond to before they can smell the pellets and hay.  They only respond to veggie smells, so there aren't any noises from their veggies or greens that he would respond to that I know of.

I'm going to observe him more.  Butterscotch is a sweet rabbit in his own independent way and I want him to have a full life.  I am so happy he has Jamie, but if he is deaf, I want to learn how to make his life more fulfilling. What is good is that he has Jamie to help be his ears for now or while they are together, which I hope and pray is a long time!

Does anyone out there have a deaf bunny or one that is hard of hearing? Please let me know. Please share here in the comments. As I learn more, I will share it here. Anything you can share would not only be helpful to Butterscotch, but anyone else who reads these who might be dealing with something similar.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully sharing! Would truly love to hear what you think or if you care to share any experiences!

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