Set a baseline before the new litter appears
A fair trial starts before the switch. For a few days on the litter she already uses, jot down how often the tray is used each day, whether she steps in readily or hesitates, how much digging and covering she does, and any accidents or near misses outside the tray. Note odor at your usual scooping time and how much litter tracks across the floor. Without that baseline, the new litter gets judged against a rosy memory of the old one, and a normal day on the new product can look like a failure or a triumph for no real reason.
Log the same few things every day of the trial
Keep the daily entry short enough that you will actually complete it: date, number of tray visits you observe or find evidence of, any use outside the tray and where, hesitation or reluctance before stepping in, and a brief note on digging, covering, scattering, and odor. Add anything unusual with a time attached, such as crying near the tray, perching on the edge with paws outside, or rushing out and grooming her paws at length, since paw grooming after a visit can hint that the texture bothers her. Rate each day with a simple mark if that helps, but keep the written observations, because the reasons behind a score are what you will need at the end.
Hold every other variable still
The trial only measures the litter if everything else stays constant. Keep the tray in its usual place, keep the same tray if you can, scoop at the same times, and avoid introducing new food, new furniture near the tray, or visitors during the same stretch where possible. If something unavoidable changes, such as a house guest or a vet visit, write it on that day's entry so a dip in tray use is not blamed on the litter. Fill the tray to a similar depth each time you top it up, because a shallow fill changes digging and odor enough to distort the comparison.
Read the fortnight as a pattern, not a verdict on day one
Many cats investigate a new litter cautiously for a day or two, so early hesitation alone does not settle the question. Look instead at the trend across the whole trial: did tray use settle back to her baseline, did accidents stop or continue, and did her digging and covering return to normal? Weight avoidance heavily, since a cat who consistently chooses the floor or a laundry pile over the tray is voting clearly, while mild early suspicion followed by normal use is acceptance. If she stops using the tray altogether, strains, or shows discomfort, end the trial and speak to your veterinarian rather than persisting for the sake of the experiment.
Turn the log into a decision you can trust
At the end of the two weeks, compare the trial entries with the baseline days side by side and decide on the pattern: same or better tray use, no ongoing avoidance, and litter habits that look relaxed. Keep the log with her other notes, because the result is useful again when a litter is discontinued or a second tray is added later. A clear record also helps anyone else who scoops for her understand why this litter was chosen. When the next litter question comes up, put a follow-up question to KinsLe's Kinny; he answers using the KinsLe Answers library.