A vast array of toy products are designed for a wide variety of domestic animals. Cat toys including those containing catnip abound. However, there are a number of design considerations for such toys recognizing the need for durability and delivery of the visceral effects of the catnip while offering a safe and convenient product which are addressed by the present invention.
The effect of catnip on virtually on all feline species is well known. Catnip or Nepatia cataria is a plant native to North America. The dried leaves of the catnip plant express a mint-like scent. Catnip has a hallucinogenic effect upon cats, although it is not toxic. This “catnip response” is due to the plant's active ingredient, nepetalacetone.
When a cat smells catnip, it characteristically exhibits a range of behaviors somewhat dependent upon the age of the cat and whether it is capable of reproduction. Most reactions last from five to fifteen minutes and include sniffing, licking and chewing, chin and cheek rubbing, and head-over roll and body rubbing. The feline receptor for the active ingredient, nepetalacetone, is contained with the animal's vomeronasal organ located above the feline palate. The location of the vomeronasal organ may explain why cats do not react from eating gelatin capsules of catnip. Nepetalacetone must be inhaled for it to reach the receptors in the organ.
A number of manufacturers have included catnip in toy products. However, doing so has represented certain design and manufacturing limitations which, heretofore, have remained unsolved.
Recognizing the need to create a pet toy which provides for the passage of the catnip scent, virtually all such toys are plush in nature having been constructed of cloth or fiber sidewalls for gas permeability. However, because of the rather vigorous catnip response anticipated when the toy is employed, such plush construction breaks down resulting in the toy's rather short in-field use. This problem is particularly acute noting that most pet toys are of modest construction for these toys tend to sell at low prices and thus are not produced in such a manner as to encourage long term in-field survivability. This problem is further significant in noting that if a plush toy was to be completely destroyed or at least compromised, a cat may have the opportunity to ingest a rather large quantity of catnip contained therein which could represent a significant health hazard.
Although a molded plastic would represent a more durable pet toy, the use of plastics in making a catnip-enhanced product has not been widespread. The reason for this is that plastic or rubber toys have not inherently provided the necessary gas permeable to provide the cat with the desired catnip response.
It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a more durable pet toy which can be effectively used with catnip as an effective catnip-enhanced cat toy.
This and further objects will be more readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims.
The present invention is directed to a toy for use by domestic cats comprising a substantially spherical body portion comprised of a shell made of pelletized materials and an interior portion. The interior portion contains a quantity of catnip while the shell is provided with an opening to introduce and remove catnip from the interior portion of the spherical body. It is a specific design goal of the present invention to provide a shell characterized as permitting odors emanating from the catnip to pass therethrough.
Turning first to
Shell 11 is further provided with a means for introducing fresh catnip to interior space 18. Catnip tends to age over time and the desired mint-odor creating the catnip response dissipates as catnip ages. As such, noting the relative durability of toy 10, it is anticipated that a user would find it desirable to replace catnip 14 periodically to reenergize toy 10 over time. As shown in
The desired combination of durability and gas permeability is created by employing a polymeric material such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,770, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. This material creates body portion 11 having soft and rough surfaces creating varying degrees of gas permeability.
Body portion 11 is created by filling a mold with pellets of ethylene vinyl acetate. Ideally, a rotating processing machine is employed which automatically rotates as the mold is heated to an appropriate operating temperature at about 250° C. As a result of the molding and heating process, pelletized ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers are created having a discreet, particular pelletized shape. The resulting product forming spherical body 11 is essentially a collection of heated, cooled and bonded pelletized ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers which retain their discreet, pelletized shapes. What is formed is a surface having smooth glassy portions and rough coarse portions. Gas is able to permeate this surface providing the requisite catnip odor penetration. As such, the cat receives the requisite catnip enhancement while providing a toy which can be abused by the domestic cat while representing a degree of durability far in excess of that offered by previously available plush toys.