Cat attractant
Disclosed is a cat attractant that comprises alfalfa meal at a plant fiber having an acidic pH, such as cranberry fiber. It has been found that the cat attractant can be used to render a cat litter box more attractive to cats, and, it is believed, to thereby mitigate litter aversion syndrome. Also disclosed are an animal litter, a method of preparing an animal litter, and a method of using the cat attractant.
1. An animal litter comprising discrete plural particles of a sorbent material and a cat attractant, the cat attractant being present in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight of said animal litter and comprising a mixture of alfalfa meal and an acidic plant fiber, the alfalfa meal being present in an amount of at least 60% by weight relative to the weight of the acidic plant fiber.
2. The animal litter of claim 1 , the acidic plant fiber comprising fiber from at least one of apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, pineapples, plums, and strawberries.
3. The animal litter of claim 1 , the acidic plant fiber comprising cranberry fiber.
4. The animal litter of claim 1 , comprising ground corn, defatted corn germ, citrus fiber, a lubricant, and a cohesiveness agent, the animal litter being in the form of discrete plural compacted particles which attend to agglomerate when wetted, said cohesiveness agent being present in said litter in an amount effected to enhance the intraparticle cohesion of said particles.
5. The animal litter of claim 1 , said sorbent comprising at least 10% finely ground wood powder, said wood powder functioning as a sorbent in said litter, a lubricant, and a cohesiveness agent, the animal litter being in the form of discrete plural particles which tend to agglomerate when wetted, the cohesiveness agent being present in an amount effective to enhance the intra particle cohesion of the particles.
6. The animal litter of claim 5 , wherein about 55% to about 75% of the discrete plural compacted particles are larger than U.S. standard #14 mesh screen size, about 10% to about 20% of the discrete plural compacted particles are larger than U.S. standard #20 mesh screen size, no more than about 6% of the discrete plural compacted particles are larger than U.S. standard #30 mesh screen size, no more than 3% of the discrete plural compacted particles are larger than U.S. standard #40 mesh screen size, and no more than 2% of the discrete plural compacted particles are larger than U.S. standard #80 mesh screen size.
7. An animal litter according to claim 1 , said sorbent comprising at least about 30 weight % ground corn cob, a lubricant, and a cohesiveness agent, wherein the animal litter is in the form of discrete plural particles which tend to agglomerate when wetted, the cohesiveness agent being present in an amount effective to enhance the intraparticle cohesion of the particles.
8. A method comprising:
providing an animal litter; and allowing an animal to excrete waste into said animal litter;
said animal litter comprising discrete plural particles of a sorbent material and a cat attractant, the cat attractant being present in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight of said animal litter and comprising a mixture of alfalfa meal and an acidic plant fiber, the alfalfa meal being present in an amount of at least 60% by weight relative to the weight of the acidic plant fiber.
9. A method according to claim 8 , the acidic plant fiber comprising fiber from at least one of apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, pineapples, plums, and strawberries.
10. A method according to claim 8 , the litter comprising ground corn, defatted corn germ, citrus fiber, a lubricant, and a cohesiveness agent, the animal litter being in the form of discrete plural compacted particles which attend to agglomerate when wetted, said cohesiveness agent being present in said litter in an amount effected to enhance the intraparticle cohesion of said particles.
11. A method according to claim 8 , said sorbent comprising at least 10% finely ground wood powder, said wood powder functioning as a sorbent in said litter, a lubricant, and a cohesiveness agent, the animal litter being in the form of discrete plural particles which tend to agglomerate when wetted, the cohesiveness agent being present in an amount effective to enhance the infra particle cohesion of the particles.
12. A method comprising:
providing an animal litter;
providing a cat attractant, the cat attractant comprising a mixture of alfalfa meal and an acidic plant fiber, the alfalfa meal being present in an amount of at least 60% by weight relative to the weight of the acidic plant fiber; and
adding said cat attractant to said litter in an amount of 1 to 5% by weight of said animal litter.
13. A method according to claim 12 , the acidic plant fiber comprising fiber from at least one of apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, pineapples, plums, and strawberries.