Animal care system and litter with reduced malodor impression

Details Animal care system and litter with reduced malodor impression Animal care system and litter with reduced malodor impression

1999-07-09

2001-09-11

Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Deodorants

For application to waste materials, solid or liquid refuse...

C424S045000, C424S076100, C424S076400, C119S171000, C119S173000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06287550

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to animal litter with reduced malodor impression comprising both odor absorbent preferably, cyclodextrin, or derivative thereof, and material for reducing the formation of malodor, preferably water-soluble metallic salt. It also relates to the preparation of the animal litter and compositions designed to augment the malodor reduction during use. It also relates to the use of various odors to control the behavior of animals, especially cats.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The control of odor in animal litter has been a continuing problem. Suggested solutions include the use of bacteriostats such as: halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,482, Arnold, issued Jan. 22, 1985); soluble salts of transition metals of Group Ib or Group IIb of the periodic table of elements, especially zinc, which are taught as both bacteriostats and urease inhibitors (U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,481, Rodriguez et al., issued Jan. 22, 1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,706, Lang, issued Apr. 12, 1988); boron containing compounds which are claimed to be urease inhibitors (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,949,672 and 5,176,108, Ratcliff et al. and Jenkins et al., issued Aug. 21, 1990 and Jan. 5, 1993 respectively); sodium bisulfite complexes (U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,531, Appel et al., issued Dec. 7, 1993); and sodium or potassium bicarbonate (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,303,676 and 5,421,291, Lawson and Lawson et al., issued Apr. 19, 1994 and Jun. 6, 1995 respectively). Other approaches to controlling odor include the use of absorbents for odor such as cyclodextrin and polycarboxylate polymers (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,727,824; 4,844,010; 4,881,490; and 4,883,021, Ducharme et al., issued Mar. 1, 1988; Jul. 4, 1989; Nov. 21, 1989; and Nov. 28, 1989 respectively).
Still another approach of “covering up” the bad odor involves using encapsulated perfiumes (U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,231, Colbom et al. issued Oct. 4, 1983). Thus, many commercial cat litter products contain a fragrance to mask the malodor and to provide a freshness impression. Many of these fragrances are developed with human aesthetic preference in mind, apparently without consideration of the effect to the animal Thus, many perfumes used in commercial cat litter compositions contain significant amounts of ingredients that are repulsive to cats. On the other hand, commercially available products which claim control of animal behavior, such as cat repellent and cat attractant products, contain only the purported active ingredients without consideration to human aesthetics.
Many types of materials are used as animal litter. Clay and various cellulosic materials are commonly used, as disclosed in the above patents and additional disclosures of materials that can be used are found in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,064,407, Peiffer, issued Nov. 12, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,600, Keller et al., issued Mar. 31, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,389, Hall et al., issued May 4, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,186, Dewing, issued May 11, 1993; and U.S. Pat. No. 5.229,348, Ivie, issued Jul. 20, 1993. Preferred animal litter materials are those that “clump” to permit ready removal of the material that has been contacted by, e.g., urine and/or feces. such as U.S. Pats. Re. No. 33,983, Hughes, issued Jul. 7, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,489, Hardin, issued Mar. 16, 1993. All of the above patents are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A pet control system is provided, optionally, but preferably comprising a solid liquid-absorbing litter material, e.g., one that is useful as animal litter, containing both an effective amount of material that inhibits the formation of odor that has at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of antimicrobial activity, urease inhibition activity, pH adjustment activity, and mixtures thereof, and also, an effective amount of odor absorbing material for objectionable odor molecules, said odor absorbing material preferably being selected from the group consisting of cyclodextrin; zeolites; activated carbon; acidic, salt-forming materials; and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the combination does not include both bicarbonate and zinc oxide, as discussed hereinafter. The term “animal litter” comprises litter for birds, etc., and any other species that creates a soil that contains urea or any other material that decomposes to form malodors. The system also optionally, but preferably, comprises providing odorants that attract and/or repel pets, while at the same time are pleasant to humans, so that the pet owner can influence the behavior of the pet to benefit both the pet and the owner. Such odorants are optionally, but preferably, provided in multiple forms, including, optionally, but preferably, either complexed, or chemically altered, so as to provide timed presentation of the odorants, and/or optionally, but preferably, in a form that allows them to be distributed, e.g., as in a spray, to create, augment, and/or sustain the desired effect, as disclosed hereinafter.
A desirable way to control objectionable odor in animal litter is to inhibit its formation. However, even the most effective inhibitors of odor formation cannot totally prevent formation of malodor and some malodor is associated with the excretions of animals. Furthermore, for many materials, the levels required for total prevention create health risks. Therefore, the most effective, and safest, way to control objectionable odor in animal litter is to combine inhibition with absorbence of the malodor that is produced.
The preferred combination is a mixture of zinc compound that provides zinc ions to inhibit odor formation and cyclodextrins or their derivatives, especially &bgr;-cyclodextrin and/or its derivatives, to absorb the odor that is created.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(I) The Animal Litter
The animal litter is a highly desirable part of the pet control system. It is used for its normal purpose, i.e., to control the undesirable odors created by the natural excretions of the pet. The animal litter herein comprises: (A) solid liquid-absorbing litter material; (B) an effective amount of material that inhibits the formation of odor that preferably has at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of antimicrobial activity, urease inhibition activity, pH adjustment activity, proteolytic activity, and mixtures thereof; and (C) materials for absorbing the undesirable odors, all of the above ingredients being present in effective amounts to provide the desired effects.
(A) THE SOLID LIQUID-ABSORBING LITTER MATERIAL
Any solid liquid (moisture) absorbing material suitable for use, e.g., as an animal litter is suitable for use in the present invention. Suitable examples include minerals, typically clay such as kaolinites, montmorillonites, or bentonites; fly ash as obtained from the burning of coal; but also absorbing fibrous materials or webs, like paper, cellulosic webs, or polymeric fibrous webs; wood chips; alfalfa; bark; straw; sand; pelletized absorbing litter materials (e.g. sawdust or polyurethane foam); and the like, including mixtures thereof. Other examples of suitable solid absorbing litter materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,581, issued Nov. 25, 1975 to Brewer, incorporated herein by reference.
In one absorbent composition, there is a major amount of a cellulosic material, e.g., a cereal or grain hull, or peanut hulls, along or preferably in admixture with, a second cellulose material comprised of plant pulp, either vegetable or fruit pulp. The cellulosic material, hulls and pulp are ground to a desirable particle size and admixed with a minor amount of a suitable binder, up to about 20% by weight. Suitable binders are the carbohydrates, protein or mixtures thereof, such as flour and starch from plant sources, and the synthetic binders disclosed hereinafter. The cellulosic hull materials will generally be obtained from cereal grain sources such as corn, rice, wheat, oats and the like, soybean, sunflower and cotton seeds or peanut hulls. The plant pulp materials are generally obtained from vegetable sources such as beet

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