Some tips. I'm not an expert, just a mommy of one litter-boxed trained bun.
- When you start, make sure you have litter that is meant to be used for bunnies. A lot of people say don't use clay litter because its bad for the buns to nibble.
- I strongly suggest putting hay in one corner of the box. Most little guys like to nibble while they poo.
- Putting some poops and urine-soaked paper towels in there is a great idea to give them the hint, but make sure you keep the box really clean once they start getting the idea. My bunny, Freddie, sometimes deliberately poops next to the box if he thinks it is too dirty!
- Start with a bunch of boxes. Like in every corner of the room, and especially in several places that your bun may have already peed. Gradually decrease the number. Freddie started with 5 boxes in one bedroom! Now we have one in the cage, and one outside of it.
- Stay positive! Always be watching the bun when its outside of the cage. This is annoying because you can't really do anything else, but just remember the time it will save you in the long run because you won't have to be cleaning your carpets. And it's better for your relationship if your bunny is well-trained
Point is-- use a lot of positive reinforcement. As SOON as you see the bun poop, or get ready to pee, pick him/her up and put the bun in the box! Give a reward when they actually go in the box. You have to be really vigilant with this part. Make sure you stay really calm, too, because you don't want to frighten the bun while its in the litter box, because then it will not want to go back in there.
- Keep trying. If your bun starts making mistakes after he/she has made progress, take a step back. Don't give up! Like others have said, Freddie seemed to get it overnight and around 4-5 months of age. And it took a month or so of very intensive training to make it happen.
- Finally, I've heard that buns will always leave poop outside of their litter box in their cage. This is not a lack of training, its just them marking their space.
Britters337-- try getting her a litter box with litter instead of a towel. Maybe she thinks the bed is a good place to go because it feels like the towel!! Try holding her on the bed for shorter periods, and putting her down to see if she needs to go. Freddie loved to pee on my bed when I first got him, too (I think because its really absorbent), eventually I put a litter box on the bed anytime he was up there, but the habit disappeared when he started consistently using his litter box.