Abstrict A cat litter is provided which is formed from a selective quantity
of peat so that the peat absorbs urine such that the release of
ammonia is substantially inhibited. A method of producing a cat
litter also is provided.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A method of producing a filler material, the method comprising
the steps of:
processing a selected quantity of peat so that the peat absorbs
urine such that release of ammonia is substantially inhibited;
draining free water from the peat;
air drying the peat until the peat has a moisture content of approximately
40% to 60% by weight; and
rotary drying the peat until the peat has a moisture content of
approximately 6% to 16% by weight.
2. The method of claim 1 and further including the steps of:
screening the peat through a #4 sieve; and
further screening the peat thereby producing a processed peat material
whereby approximately 90% of the material passes through a #6 sieve,
approximately 78% of the material passes through #10 sieve, approximately
74% of the material passes through a #12 sieve, approximately 64%
of the material passes through a #18 sieve and approximately 14%
of the material passes through a #40 sieve.
3. The method of claim 1 and further including the step of:
mixing a soybean oil substance with the peat.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the soybean oil substance comprises
approximately 4% of the peat by weight.
5. A filler material for use in a cat litter box, the filler material
comprising:
a selected quantity of peat so that the peat absorbs urine such
that the release of ammonia is substantially inhibited; and
wherein the peat has a moisture content of approximately 6% to
16% by weight.
6. A filler material of claim 5 wherein the peat includes a soybean
oil substance, the soybean oil substance comprising approximately
4% of the peat by weight.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cat litter and to the method of
producing the cat litter.
Cat litter for a cat litter box is well known and is considered
a valuable household commodity known to a vast majority of cat owners.
The cat litter used in the cat's litter box serves to absorb urine
and other excrements, and eliminate odors. Previous cat litters
have been formed of naturally occurring absorbent materials such
as clay and alfalfa. Other materials which are used as cat litter
included wood chips, sawdust, sand, peanut shells, rice hulls, pelletized
grass, grain fibers and shredded paper or cardboard. The problems
with these materials are low absorbency and lack of odor control.
The Lowe et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4721059 describes a clay-like filler
material for a cat litter box formed from treated paper sludge and
a method of treating the sludge to form the filler which includes
the physical properties of clay fillers. The method involves adding
materials to the shredded slurry to control color, bacteria, fungi,
absorbency, pests, and fragrance. The slurry is then formed into
granules and dried prior to being packaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A cat litter is provided which is formed from a selected quantity
of peat such that the peat absorbs urine. By absorbing the urine,
the release of ammonia odors associated with urine is substantially
inhibited.
A method of producing a cat litter also is provided. The method
involves draining free water from the peat, air drying the peat
until the peat has a moisture content of approximately 40% to 60%
by weight and rotary drying the peat until the peat has a moisture
content of approximately 6% to 16% by weight. The peat is then screened
through a #4 sieve and further screened to produce a processed peat
material whereby approximately 90% of the material passes through
a #6 sieve, approximately 78% of the material passes through a #10
sieve, approximately 74% of the material passes through a #12 sieve,
approximately 64% of the material passes through a #18 sieve and
approximately 14% of the material passes through a #40 sieve. A
soybean oil substance is preferably mixed with the peat to reduce
dust and tracking.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An understanding of the cat litter of the present invention may
be obtained by following the procedure disclosed below. The primary
material utilized in the process of the present invention is peat.
Peat is defined in The American Heritage Dictionary, 2d College
Edition, as a "partially carbonized vegetable matter, usually
mosses, found in bogs, and used as fertilizer and fuel. Basically,
peat is an organic matter in varying stages of decomposition which
accumulates over a period of time in water-saturated conditions.
The peat is produced in an environment that includes many different
interactions among plants, water, topography and climate. In wetland-type
communities, the lack of oxygen in a water-saturated environment
limits activity of microorganisms that digest dead plant material.
Thus, in a peat producing environment, the plant material, which
would ordinarily decompose in a less water-saturated environment,
accumulates faster than the plant material decomposes. The partially
decomposed material is called peat.
The International Peat Society in 1976 classified peat into four
different types, namely, moss peat, herbaceous peat, wood peat,
and a mixture of the preceding groups. Moss peat is composed mainly
of plant remains derived from sphagnum and other mosses. Herbaceous
peat is composed mainly of plant remains derived from sedges, reeds,
grass and related species. Wood peat is composed of plant remains
from trees and shrubs. For cat litter for use in a cat litter box
any of the four different types of peat may be used.
In producing the cat litter, peat is provided in a selected quantity
such that urine from an animal is absorbed. Basically, urine contains
water, salt and urea. The ammonia smell of urea is the odor that
most available cat litters seek to mask, neutralize or otherwise
suppress. Ammonia is given off as a gas whenever urine starts to
chemically decompose, as it does shortly after discharge from all
animals and humans. It is believed that the peat absorbs the urea
such that the urea does not chemically decompose at room temperature
and pressure and, thus, emit urea ammonia odors. Consequently, the
odor of urine is substantially inhibited, not by using perfumes
or masking agents, but by using peat.
After providing a selected quantity of peat, the peat is preferably
dewatered and otherwise drained. Any conventional dewatering or
draining method may be used including pressing, centrifuging, or
the like. The peat is then air dried until the peat has a moisture
content of approximately 40% to 60% by weight. The next step is
to rotary dry the peat until the peat has a moisture content of
approximately 6% to 16% by weight. The drying is accomplished in
any standard dryer such as a fluid bed dryer, turbo dryer, belt
dryer, tray dryer, or the like.
After the peat has been dried, the peat is preferably screened
through a #4 sieve. Next, the peat is further screened to produce
a processed peat material whereby approximately 90% of the material
passes through a #6 sieve, approximately 78% of the material passes
through a #10 sieve, approximately 74% of the material passes through
a #12 sieve, approximately 64% of the material passes through a
#18 sieve and approximately 14% of the material passes through a
#40 sieve. The processed peat material is then capable of being
packaged and sold as a cat litter or similar product.
In order to control dust and tracking of the processed peat material,
a soybean oil substance is preferably mixed with the peat. The soybean
oil substance comprises approximately 4% of the peat by weight.
The following tests were conducted to determine the odor and water
absorption capabilities of the processed peat material of the present
invention as opposed to other cat litters which are on the market:
ODOR ABSORPTION TEST
The odor absorption test involved the use a Dragor Gas Detector
Pump instrument using Ammonia 5/a tubes. Parson's Sudry Ammonia
(all-purpose cleaner) was used to create the ammonia odor similar
to cat urine smell. Approximately 4000 ml of processed peat material
and three other types of cat litter were spread about separate cat
litter boxes with the dimensions of sixteen inches.times.twelve
inches.times.five inches. The other cat litters were "Control"
manufactured by Clorox Company, Oakland, Calif. 94612 "Cat's
Pride Premium Cat Litter" by Oil-Dri Corporation of America,
Chicago, Ill. 60611 and "Kitty Litter" by Edward Lowell
Industries, South Bend, Ind. 46601. The cat litters listed above
are all believed to be clay based. None of the above listed cat
litters contains peat.
Next, approximately 250 ml of ammonia was poured into the processed
peat material and each of the other cat litters, distributing the
ammonia substantially equally about each litter box.
The test area was a room approximately ten feet.times.seventeen
feet.times.nine feet. The ventilation in the room was closed such
that the room was air-tight. After each test, the room was ventilated
for approximately ten minutes.
In conducting the test, the Dragor pump was held over each cat
litter box at a height of four feet while being pumped. Readings
were taken immediately after the ammonia was placed in each litter
box, in addition to five and ten minute intervals.
The results were as follows:
______________________________________ Peat Cat Litter of the Present
Invention: Immediately 0 ppm Five minutes 3 ppm Ten minutes 2 ppm
With additional 250 ml of ammonia: Five minutes 3 ppm Control: Immediately
2 ppm Five minutes 4 ppm Ten minutes 5 ppm Cat's Pride: Immediately
0 ppm Five minutes 3 ppm Ten minutes 2 ppm Kitty Litter: Immediately
5 ppm Five minutes 7 ppm Ten minutes 10 ppm ______________________________________
By comparing the results of the odor absorption test between the
peat cat litter of the present invention and Control, Cat's Pride
and Kitty Litter, the peat cat litter has the capability to absorb
ammonia in equal or greater quantities to other cat litters. It
is evident from the above results that the peat cat litter continues
to absorb odors even as significantly more ammonia is added to the
existing peat quantity.
WATER ABSORPTION TEST
The water absorption test compares the quantity of water different
types of cat litters absorb compared to the peat cat litter of the
present invention. Approximately 1000 ml of water was mixed with
approximately 1000 ml of the cat litter and was allowed to set for
30 minutes. The mixture of water and cat litter was poured through
a colander measuring eight inches in diameter with a #12 sieve.
After 30 minutes had elapsed, the cat litter was weighed and the
amount of water absorbed was determined.
Peat Cat Litter of Present Invention
Absorbed 500 grams of water
After 24 hours: absorbed 807 grams of water
Control:
Absorbed 598 grams of water
Cat's Pride:
Absorbed 541 grams of water
Kitty Litter:
Absorbed 415 grams of water.
By comparing the results of the water absorption test, the peat
cat litter of the present invention has the capability to absorb
water equal to the other cat litters, Control, Cat's Pride and Kitty
Litter. Over the long term, the peat cat litter of the present invention
continues to absorb liquids.
As mentioned previously, peat is a naturally occurring, organic
substance. The disposal of the processed peat material after use
as a cat litter is beneficial to the environment. The used material
can be used in gardens and on lawns as an organic fertilizer. The
material may also be composted or burned as a fuel.
Other uses of the processed peat material include using the processed
peat material as a filler material in gerbil cages, hamster cages,
mice cages, or the like. In addition, the processed peat material
is useful as a filler material in portable toilets and outhouses
since the processed peat material is capable of reducing the urea
ammonia odor associated with human urine as found in portable toilets
and outhouses used by humans.
Although the present invention has been described with reference
to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize
that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. |