Rabbits are very clean and easy to train for litter tray use. In nature, rabbits spend a lot of time in hutches and warrens, so learning to use a corner rather than where ever they are keeps their living area clean. This means your job as a rabbit owner is much easier as evolution has done most of the hard work. Most...
Finding their "spot"
When first house training your rabbit, confine them to a small section of the house, preferable one that is easy to clean such as an area with non-absorbant flooring, like tiles or linoleum - as with all animals, rabbits will make mistakes at first. In this confined area, in the corners you want to play several small litter trays over newspaper to catch any spills. As suggested, if you can, place something that has been soiled into the trays to reinforce the smell - however be careful with which wood you use, why is discussed below in the section on litter.
Over time you will notice that your bunny will prefer one spot over another. As they start this preference, slowly remove the other trays one at a time. If they do have accidents in other spots, return the trays and start again. But its very likely your bunny will pick up on whats happening.
Once they have a spot chosen, you can get a larger (more elborate) tray, and eventually they will imprint on the litter tray, rather than the area. This allows you to move the litter tray to a more convenient location, or if you need to leave your bunny with someone else the litter tray can go with to reduce mess.
#Choosing the right litter
Rabbits are not cats and some litters designed for cats are not appropriate for rabbits. Above all else, softwood litters such as those based on pine or cedar must be avoided!. Safer choices include paper or hardwoods. Take time to find the right amount of litter for your rabbit, as they all have different preferences.
#Dealing with mess
Number one: loose litter
Rabbits have larger and stronger legs than a cat, and a stronger urge to dig. This means that litter, especially used litter, can go flying. The best thing to minimise mess is to get a larger, deeper litter tray. Rabbits will often try to position themselves in a corner when relieving themselves, so positioning the opening in a way away from their chosen corner of the box will help reduce spillage.
Do not enclose the litter tray unlike in in nature, your bunnies litter tray is not a porous earthen enclosure with plants that enthusiastically absorb nitrogen. It is non-porous tray that needs to be emptied frequently and if left enclosed will allow nitrogen to build up. Rabbit pee can smell, so more often cleaning, or more absorbent litter is the answer. Enclosing the trya will just enclose the smell, and your rabbits nose is much more sensitive than yours, if the smell builds up too much they will just not go there, and will choose another place to go - like your bed.
Number two: "happy trails"
Rabbits occasionally suffer from excitement induced fecal incontinence, or cutely known as "happy trails". When excited, whether during positive experiences such you coming home, during feeding time, or new vistors, or negative experiences, such as for some rabbits, nail clippings, your bunny may release dropping pellets. This is outside of their control, and they will usally be very hard and dry, and easy to clean up. This is one of the joys of owning a rabbit.
#Pampering your rabbit
Rabbits are more comfortable in an area when they can eat. So add some hay to their litter box. This also helps to passively position the rabbit into a corner, as rabbits are quite clean and won't relieve themselves on their food. So by positioning the hay in one corner of the box, you encourage the rabbit to go in the opposite one.
#Waste not want not
One a final (slightly off topic) note, as mentioned rabbit waste from a well fed bunny is very high in nitrogen. If you use a recycled paper based litter, the used litter is excellent fertilizer and can be used in the garden, for example to grow nice leafy green vegetables, to feed to your rabbit... thus completing the circle of life.
