It’s important to figure out what litter is to be put in the litter box before letting your kitten use the litter box. Kittens/cats innately like to bury their waste as soon as they pee or poop, so they would need enough litter to bury it. Hence, it’s important to have an estimate of the type and amount of litter required. There is a variety of kitty litter present in the market. You can test out different types to find out which kind your kitten prefers the most.

Kittens often explore things with their mouths, so it’s important to make sure that whatever type of litter you choose to get is primarily safe for a kitten/cat if they eat some. It’s best to avoid clumping litter until your kitten turns four months old as it can cause stomach blockages/upset if ingested. Try to use non-clumping litters or pellet litters until your kitty is older.

As your kitten grows you’ll be able to experiment more with the kind of litter. There are majorly three different types of litter for cats:

• Clumping
• Non-clumping
• Crystals

The most common types of litter that you’ll find in pet stores are clumping clay and non-clumping clay. Clay-based litter can get heavy, but there are some lighter-weight options if you look for them. Clumping litter will form into solid clumps upon contact with a liquid, making it easier to scoop. This type of litter doesn’t need to be changed quite as often as the non-clumping kind. But you do pay the price for these added benefits via a higher cost. 

Crystal litter is good at odour control. It can be more expensive than other types of litter. However, cats often don’t like the feel of the crystals on their paws. Due to the odour-control and dust-free qualities, many owners think it’s worth the extra cost. If you prefer an all-natural option for your kitten’s litter, there are options made out of paper, pine, grass, walnut shells, corn, or wheat.

There really is no clear answer to which type of cat litter is the best. The choice between clumping and non-clumping litter is a personal decision that will depend on what you want in a cat litter and what your cat prefers. Many cats appear to prefer clumping litter because it is easier for them to push it aside, but some cats prefer non-clumping clay. Both clumping and non-clumping cat litter do produce some dust, although there are formulations of both types that are designed to decrease the amount of dust in the litter. 

Choosing the litter that your cat prefers makes it less likely that litter box avoidance issues and inappropriate elimination will become a problem for you. Your preferences combined with your cat’s preferences will determine what the best cat litter is for you—and which litter you will want to stick with.