A gear reducer having a hollow shaft is telescopically mounted on the upper end of a vertical conveyor drive shaft. The gear reducer is removed for repair by raising the gear reducer housing to separate the hollow shaft from the drive shaft while the drive shaft remains on the drive frame.

A cat scratcher system for providing at least one surface suitable for cat scratching. This system includes a shell being capable of accepting at least one cat scratching insert, the shell having sides, an opening for inserting and removing the first cat scratching insert and a top and bottom. At least one of the shell surfaces, such as the top, is further characterized as having an open region for displaying a first cat scratching surface of the insert to the exterior of the shell. The system c...

A one-piece molded sanitary cat box of hexagonal-like vertical cross section having a disposable linear and an integrally hinged splatter shielding cover with sides slanted upwardly and inwardly to keep the cat from dislodging the filler material and daily waste outwardly of the box per se, and containing deflector flanges extending inwardly from the top edges of the shield to return the material in the box away from the inner edges thereof, the box and cover containing a mating joint to anchor ...

A litter box for use by cats, consisting of a series of three nesting containers, which may be enclosed by a removable hood shaped in the form of a house. The uppermost nesting container has a bottom of screen wire, with a pair of handholds in the side of the container. This container, when nested over the other two containers is partially filled with sand. Each of the other two containers, with solid bottoms have projecting tabs along the side for use as handholds.

An economical process that combines bentonite, or similar clays, that form a clump when in contact with cat urine, with waste cellulosic fibrous materials, preferably paper mill sludge, to form a light weight scoopable (clumping) cat litter product. In the process, paper mill cellulose waste is combined with bentonite clay (preferably sodium bentonite) in a mixing auger in varying percentages depending upon the desired end weight of the finished product, transferred to a secondary rotating drum ...

A housing large enough to accommodate a cat has a rounded top and a removable litter tray for a bottom, with the litter tray being clamped to the housing with a plastic sheet over it to receive the litter. A removable drawer-like container having a screen bottom is mounted in the upper portion of said housing. The support for the removable container closes the space between the housing and the removable container on one side but leaves it open on the other side, so that, when the housing is rota...

The present invention is constructed to specifically protect furniture and building corners from the scratching of cats and to be free standing. The vertical members can be fastened rigidly or hinged. Joining the vertical members with hinges allows for increased versatility, in that, the invention can be used in multiple phases of the cat's development. The present invention, when hinged, has two key positions: 1). upright and angular--which serves to protect the corner of a piece of furniture a...

In view of the increase in the number of cases with nephropathy in aged animals of the cat family, the invention provides a marker for early diagnosis of feline nephropathy which can substitute for the conventional complicated methods of diagnosing nephropathy such as blood examination, kidney radiography using a contrast medium, and ultrasonic image analysis. It was found that cats with nephropathy show markedly lowered levels of excretion of a novel protein (named cauxin) with a molecular weig...

A cat litter scoop holder that includes scoop retaining walls that define a pocket for receiving a cat litter scoop. The holder includes a base upon which it sets upright. Its sides can be open to promote airflow. The pocket includes a drain. The base preferably is hollow such that it forms a chamber with the floor to help retain drainage. The holder preferably includes flanges disposed on each side of the scoop to help keep it in the pocket and constrain lateral scoop movement. One wall prefera...

A cylindrical or conical rolling cat scratching device which provides a series of corrugated cardboard surfaces, to which catnip may be added.