Articles for enhancing the environment of contained animals
OwnerJerome L. Donohoeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enrichment article for animals. The article generally includes a platform that is suspended from the floor of a cage or other containment. The article may be a tray having a flange for suspension from the walls of a container. The platform bottom may have an opening for animal access. This article may be truncated so that is fits in one portion of the base, or may have separate compartments to accommodate not only animals, but food and or water.
Claims35
An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising:
- (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform;
- (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform;
- and
- (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container, wherein the flange includes at least one aperture through which air or fluids may be directed in or out of the container.
An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising:
- (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform, wherein the platform is maintained in said container at a position above the height of a water spout provided on the container;
- (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform;
- and
- (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container.
An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising:
- (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform;
- (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform, wherein the said at least one wall includes at least one hole through which the confined animal may pass to reside on said platform;
- and
- (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container.
An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising:
- (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform, wherein the platform includes a ridge member at least partially dividing the platform:
- (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform;
- and
- (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container.
An article for enhancing the environment of animals that are kept in standard substantially non-wire cages having a base with top edges and floor comprising a substantially flat platform having at least one wall formed by the base of said cage wherein said platform is made integral with the base of said standard cage, and maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of an animal's cage for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from said floor, wherein said animals may dwell on said article without having to curl up, bend, or distort their natural postural position.
An article for enhancing the environment of animals that are kept in standard substantially non-wire cages having a base with top edges and floor comprising a substantially flat platform having at least one wall formed by the base of said cage, and maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of an animal's cage for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from said floor, wherein said animals may dwell on said article without having to curl up, bend, or distort their natural postural position;
- wherein said cage further includes an outlet for means for dispensing liquid or gas and wherein said platform is positioned above said outlet to permit said animals to survive a flood in said cage caused by a failure of said means for dispensing liquid or gas.
A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform made integral with the base of said standard cage, said platform being maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position.
A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, wherein said platform has at least one wall formed by the base of said cage.
A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position,
- wherein said cage further includes an outlet for means for dispensing liquid and wherein said platform is positioned above said outlet to permit said animals to survive a flood in said cage caused by a failure of said means for dispensing liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.