This invention is generally concerned with compositions and methods of controlling animals and, more particularly, is directed to a novel composition for repelling animals and, in particular, dogs and cats.
For reasons of health and convenience, it has frequently been found to be desirable to discourage animals from frequenting certain areas. For example, garbage receptacles become both an unpleasant chore to handle and a serious potential health hazard after being ravaged by domestic animals, such as dogs and cats or by non-domestic animals, such as mice, rats, coyotes, wolves, or the like.
Chemical agents are commonly employed to discourage such animals from approaching those areas from which mankind finds it desirable to exclude them, but, while there are many chemical compounds which would effectively repel ravaging animals, there are two restrictions which severely limit the number of chemicals actually available for use. The first restriction is toxicity: the compound used must be substantially, and preferably completely, non-toxic to mammals since they will frequently be used in proximity to small children and household pets, and the probability of contact and ingestion is high. The second restriction lies with the odor of the compound: if the agent is such that it is repulsive or even unpleasant to humans, then it will not be suitable for use in populated areas. Among the relatively few compounds which meet these strictures and are known to have at least some ability to repulse animals are methyl nonyl ketone, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,176 and Canadian Pat. No. 978,475; and cinnamaldehyde, see Journal of Wildlife Management, 40 (1): 1976 pp 145-150 and for combinations of the two compounds as an animal repellent see U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,898.
It has been discovered that certain common materials, e.g. mineral oil, employed as a vehicle for olfactory animal repellents, such as cinnamic aldehyde and methyl nonyl ketone, do not dissolve the repellent. Thus, as soon as such a mixture is sprayed onto, for example, a bag, separation occurs. In addition, mineral oil is quite soluble to polyethylene, a common bag material, and hence, it is absorbed readily by the bag. As a result of this effect, there is no vehicle to hold the active ingredients after a few hours of elapsed time. Consequently, the active ingredients evaporate in a short period and are not available to repel animals.