An article of manufacture having utility as a toy for entertaining domestic cats. The toy includes an elongated housing having a top, a bottom and two spaced structures (such as walls) for connecting the top and bottom. The housing may be linear or it may be in the form of an annulus or a triangle or a figure 8 or some other "closed loop" figure. At least one of the connecting structures has an elongated opening or slot through which a cat can insert a paw. The bottom of the housing has a config...

A waste management system including a vessel having an opening into a recess defined at least partially by a bottom wall. A separation device is included having a porous surface disposed substantially laterally across the recess, and spaced-apart from, and adjacent the bottom wall. The waste management system further includes a plurality of substantially non-porous particulate material disposed atop the separation device in a manner spaced above the bottom wall such that liquids impinged upon th...

A splint for the leg of a dog or a cat. The splint is formed of an integral plastic member which is generally semicylindrical in cross section and lined along its interior surface with a soft, resilient material such as foam rubber or the like. The area of the splint which receives the paw is ventrally turned so as to place the carpal or wrist joint in a normal resting position. In addition, the splint provides a recess in the location of the carpal pad on the animal's leg, with such recess bein...

A disposable cat litter box including a horizontally extending bottom preferably rectangular and attached along the ends to upwardly extending end walls and side walls which each may be further folded to provide a top cover of one-half the area of the horizontally extending bottom. Furthermore the upwardly extending side walls and end walls may be further folded and through the use of tabs and slots form angled sides. The disposable cat litter box contains litter and is sealed. Upon opening, the...

A cat litter box with a pivotable container housed on a frame, the tray floor of which forms a collection tray for cat litter and the like. A cleaning mechanism is arranged standing in the container and reaching to the floor of the tray, with which cleaning mechanism, when the container is pivoted in one direction to clean it, waste matter, particularly feces, can be separated from the cat litter. The container possesses a storage chamber for the separated waste matter which can be moved with th...

The present invention provides compositions and methods for detecting mutations associated with albinism in the cat.

A cat scratching post that includes a plurality of supports between which an outer covering is disposed. The supports are coupled with at least one joint that can comprise a spline that can be ribbed and that can form part of an end cap. In another preferred embodiment, the supports engage each other and form a post assembly that can be hollow. One preferred joint comprises a tongue and groove coupling. One preferred coupling includes a snap received in a receiver. One preferred post assembly is...

A circular litter box having a scoop removal remounted in a scoop holder which is pushed around the sidewall of the box to scoop the box. The mounting mechanism for the scoop causes the scoop to assume a relatively vertical position during scooping, to minimize formation of a wave of litter in front of the scoop as it is rotated, but causes the scoop to assume a more horizontal position as the scoop is removed, so the collected waste will not spill from the scoop during removal.

A cat scratching apparatus is disclosed. The cat scratching apparatus comprises a casing and first and second scratching surfaces. Each of the scratching surfaces is formed by superimposed edge portions of stacks of corrugated material. Further, each of the scratching surfaces is disposed within the casing such that each is opposing the other scratching surface. Additional scratching surfaces may also be added.

A self-play cat's cradle toy temporarily holds a string loop configuration while a user frees her hands in order to retrieve the string loop and advance it through successive string loop configurations. The toy comprises a base, first and second arms, digits supported by each of the arms, an actuator operative to move at least one arm closer to the other, and a surface provided on at least a portion of some of the digits which is configured to resist release of the string loop when the string lo...