Animal litter containing twisted paper rods and method of providing a domesticated animal with mental stimulation

Abstract

An animal litter is provided for simultaneously delivering urine-absorbent and mental-stimulating properties of the litter. The litter includes in combination a plurality of urine-absorbent particles forming a litter particulate component and a plurality of unfoldable polymeric cylinders constituting a polymeric cylinder component and intermixed with the urine-absorbent particles. The polymeric cylinders have a mean cylinder height of between 1 and 30 millimeters, a ratio of cylinder height to cylinder diameter of 1:1 to 12:1, and a strip length to cylinder height ratio of greater than 10:1. The litter particulate component is present relative to the cylinders in a volume ratio of 1:1 to 25:1. A process is further provided to mental stimulation and boredom reduction of a caged animal. The process includes providing the animal with the above inventive litter and allowing sufficient time for the animal to unfold a portion of the polymeric cylinders.

1 . An animal litter comprising in combination:
 a plurality of corncob particles forming a litter particulate component; and   a plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders constituting a paper cylinder component and intermixed with said plurality of corncob particles.   
     
     
         2 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders have a mean cylinder height of between 1 and 30 millimeters. 
     
     
         3 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders have a ratio of cylinder height to cylinder diameter of 1:1 to 12:1. 
     
     
         4 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein a volume ratio of the litter particulate component to paper cylinder component is between 1:1 to 25:1. 
     
     
         5 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders each have a strip length to cylinder height ratio of greater than 10:1. 
     
     
         6 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders has a plurality of spaced zones that vary in a property selected from the group consisting of: dye coloring, flavorant concentration, and any combinations thereof 
     
     
         7 . An animal litter comprising in combination:
 a plurality of corncob particles forming a litter particulate component; and   a plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders constituting a paper cylinder component and intermixed with said plurality of corncob particles, wherein a volume ratio of the litter particulate component to the paper cylinder component is between 1:1 to 25:1.   
     
     
         8 . An animal litter comprising in combination:
 a plurality of paper pellets forming a litter particulate component; and   a plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders constituting a paper cylinder component and intermixed with said plurality of paper pellets.   
     
     
         9 . The litter of  claim 8  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders have a mean cylinder height of between 1 and 30 millimeters. 
     
     
         10 . The litter of  claim 8  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders have a ratio of cylinder height to cylinder diameter of 1:1 to 12:1. 
     
     
         11 . The litter of  claim 8  wherein a volume ratio of the litter particulate component to paper cylinder component is between 1:1 to 25:1. 
     
     
         12 . The litter of  claim 8  wherein said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders each have a strip length to cylinder height ratio of greater than 10:1. 
     
     
         13 . The litter of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said plurality of unfoldable twisted paper cylinders has a plurality of spaced zones that vary in a property selected from the group consisting of: dye coloring, flavorant concentration, and any combinations thereof