ANIMAL CONTAINMENT ENRICHMENT COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS

• US 20170202176A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovive, Inc.
• Inventors: SPETER, Gilles, JENSON, Leroy
• Granted Patent: US 10,842,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0035 Transportable or mobile animal shelters
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0152 Litter
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0155 comprising organic material
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0157 Mats; Sheets

Abstract

Provided herein are compositions and methods that facilitate animal enrichment and breeding in animal containment environments. Provided in certain embodiments are animal containment enrichment compositions that include one or more sheets, where at least one of the one or more sheets comprises an array of scores defining a flat array of strips in the sheet. Provided in certain embodiments are animal containment enrichment compositions that include one or more sheets, where at least one of the one or more sheets comprises an array of scores defining a flat array of sections of the sheet.

Claims

1. An animal containment enrichment composition, comprising one or more sheets, wherein at least one of the one or more sheets comprises an array of scores defining a flat array of strips in the sheet.

2. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the array of scores is configured for an animal to remove strips in the array of strips from the sheet.

9. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein scores defining opposite perimeters of a strip comprise linear scores and the linear scores are parallel.

13. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein one or more scores are continuous from the terminus on one side of the sheet to the terminus on an opposing side of the sheet.

14. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein one or more scores are not continuous from the terminus on one side of the sheet to the terminus on an opposing side of the sheet.

15. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein one or more scores traverse the sheet thickness.

16. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein one or more scores comprise, or are adjacent to, a counter-score.

17. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises a solid and continuous border along the sheet perimeter.

18. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises one or more solid panels within the array of strips.

19. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises a tab extending from a side of the sheet.

20. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the sheet is a paper sheet.

22. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, wherein the sheet weighs about 0.5 grams to about 20 grams.

24. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1, comprising two or more sheets and the sheets are connected.

65. A cage base comprising an animal containment enrichment composition of claim 1.

69. The cage base of claim 65, wherein the cage base comprises a bottom and the animal containment enrichment composition is in contact with the bottom and covers a substantial portion of the cage bottom.

3. The animal containment enrichment composition of embodiment 2, wherein the strips are suitable for building a nest by the animal.

4. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 3, wherein the shape of each of the strips in the array of strips is the same in the sheet.

5. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 3, wherein the shape of two or more strips in the array of strips is different in the sheet.

6. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 5, wherein strips having a first shape are grouped in a first sub-array of strips in the sheet and strips having a second shape are grouped in a second sub-array of strips in the sheet.

8. The animal containment enrichment composition of claim 4, wherein the shape of one or more strips in the array of strips is chosen from linear, curved, s-shaped, sinusoidal, arch-shaped, v-shaped, w-shaped, zig-zag, and spiral-shaped.

7. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25-64. -64. (canceled)

66-68. -68. (canceled)

70-106. -106. (canceled)