For a number of years, the use of sand or preprepared litter for domestic pets has been recognized as a partial solution to the problem of maintaining a household pet while providing some toilet facilities for the pet. Cats being relatively clean animals and dogs being easily trained, can be provided with a litter tray in which they will perform their natural functions.
The problem of santation, not only for the pet but for the pet owner, has not been fully solved to date. Examples of patents showing different approaches to pet litter boxes are as follows:
______________________________________ 4,448,151 H. E. Lowe May 15, 1984 4,348,982 J. W. Selby Sep. 4, 1982 4,327,667 R. C. Bilak May 4, 1982 4,305,544 W. Noonan Dec. 15, 1981 4,164,314 A. C. Edgar Aug. 14, 1979 4,117,804 Moore et al Oct. 3, 1978 4,096,827 J. A. Cotter Jun. 27, 1978 3,831,557 J. N. Elesh Aug. 27, 1974 3,316,880 Jungles et al May 2, 1967 Europ. 3,093 F. Monnet Publ. 7/25/79 ______________________________________
Each of the above examples present advances in the art, however, a number of serious needs still remain in a truly practical pet litter box, namely
(a) the pet litter box should provide clean litter for the use of the pet, easily without any contact by the pet owner with either the fresh or used litter; PA1 (b) the pet litter box should remove used litter and the pet's soil as well; PA1 (c) the pet litter box should provide a supply of clean litter; PA1 (d) the pet litter box should collect out of sight and out of odor range all used litter; PA1 (e) the pet litter box should allow change of litter in a simple manner; PA1 (f) the pet litter box should provide for a simple means for disposing of the used litter and pet soil; PA1 (g) the pet litter box should be so sanitary that the pet finds it acceptable for repeated use. PA1 (h) the pet litter box should perform the main functions of the box of dispensing and clearing the litter as automatically as possible; PA1 (i) the pet litter box should greatly increase the periods between changes of litter, that is, a minumum of two weeks; and PA1 (j) the pet litter box should provide for economy of litter, thus cutting costs. All of the foregoing needs are not met by any one pet litter box known to me including those disclosed in the above patents.