초록 ▼

An enrichment article for animals. The article generally includes a platform that is suspended from the floor of a cage or other containment. The article may be a tray having a flange for suspension from the walls of a container. The platform bottom may have an opening for animal access. This articl

An enrichment article for animals. The article generally includes a platform that is suspended from the floor of a cage or other containment. The article may be a tray having a flange for suspension from the walls of a container. The platform bottom may have an opening for animal access. This article may be truncated so that is fits in one portion of the base, or may have separate compartments to accommodate not only animals, but food and or water.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising: (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal ma

The invention claimed is: 1. An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising: (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform; (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform; and (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container, wherein the flange includes at least one aperture through which air or fluids may be directed in or out of the container. 2. An article according to claim 1 wherein the article is adapted to fit substantially entirely within the container. 3. An article according to claim 1 wherein said article is adapted to fit within the standard container without modification to said container. 4. An article according to claim 1 wherein the wall includes at least one boss thereby preventing said articles from sticking together during stacked storage of a plurality of said articles. 5. An article, according to claim 1 comprising more than one wall. 6. An article according to claim 5, wherein said walls are rigidly joined along their points of contact with each other. 7. An article according to claim 6 comprising four walls. 8. An article according to claim 7 wherein said four walls share the flange in common so that said flange extends substantially continuously and in a substantially unbroken manner for positioning within the container. 9. An article according to claim 1 comprising three walls. 10. An article according to claim 1 wherein the article further comprises a food or drink dispensing apparatus. 11. An article according to claim 1 wherein the platform includes at least one hole through which the confined animal may pass to perch on said platform. 12. An article according to claim 11 wherein said at least one hole in the platform is located at a periphery of said platform. 13. An article according to claim 1 wherein the platform is rectangular. 14. An article according to claim 1 at least partially formed from stainless steel, polycarbonate, ZYTEM짰, polyethylene or combinations thereof. 15. An article according to claim 1 at least partially formed from a biodegradable material. 16. An article according to claim 1 at least partially formed from an autoclavable material. 17. An article according to claim 1 at least partially formed from a transparent material. 18. An article according to claim 1 wherein said article is of unitary construction. 19. An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising: (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform, wherein the platform is maintained in said container at a position above the height of a water spout provided on the container; (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform; and (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container. 20. An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising: (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform; (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform, wherein the said at least one wall includes at least one hole through which the confined animal may pass to reside on said platform; and (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container. 21. An article according to claim 20 wherein the at least one hole in the wall is located at a periphery of said wall. 22. An article for enriching the environment of a confined animal housed in a standard container having a floor and a base portion, wherein said container does not have a fixed lid, with the article comprising: (a) a platform providing a stable place on which said animal may perch without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, and wherein said animal can selectively remove itself from said floor to said platform, wherein the platform includes a ridge member at least partially dividing the platform: (b) at least one wall having a first edge connected to said platform, said wall extending from said platform; and (c) a flange connected to said wall at a second edge of said wall opposite the platform, wherein the flange engages the container's base maintaining the article above the floor of the container. 23. An article according to claim 22 wherein the ridge member further includes a food or drinking apparatus. 24. A method for enhancing the environment of at least one animal confined within a container, comprising the steps of: (a) equipping said container with an article according to claim 1; and (b) subsequently placing the at least one animal in the container so that the at least one animal may move selectively to and from or perch on the article. 25. An article for enhancing the environment of animals that are kept in standard substantially non-wire cages having a base with top edges and floor comprising a substantially flat platform having at least one wall formed by the base of said cage wherein said platform is made integral with the base of said standard cage, and maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of an animal's cage for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from said floor, wherein said animals may dwell on said article without having to curl up, bend, or distort their natural postural position. 26. An article according to claim 25, wherein the bottom of said platform extends over an area equal to or greater than 25% of the floor of said cage. 27. An article according to claim 25, wherein said platform extends over an area equal to or greater than 50% of the floor of the cage. 28. An article according to claim 25 wherein said platform is maintained in place by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage. 29. An article for enhancing the environment of animals that are kept in standard substantially non-wire cages having a base with top edges and floor comprising a substantially flat platform having at least one wall formed by the base of said cage, and maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of an animal's cage for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from said floor, wherein said animals may dwell on said article without having to curl up, bend, or distort their natural postural position; wherein said cage further includes an outlet for means for dispensing liquid or gas and wherein said platform is positioned above said outlet to permit said animals to survive a flood in said cage caused by a failure of said means for dispensing liquid or gas. 30. A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform made integral with the base of said standard cage, said platform being maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position. 31. An article according to claim 30, wherein the bottom of said platform extends over an area equal to or greater than 25% of the floor of said cage. 32. An article according to claim 30, wherein said platform extends over an area equal to or greater than 50% of the floor of the cage. 33. An article according to claim 30, wherein said platform has at least one wall. 34. A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, wherein said platform has at least one wall formed by the base of said cage. 35. A standard substantially non-wire cage having a base with top edges and floors, the improvement comprising a substantially flat platform maintained above and substantially parallel to the floor of said base by suspending said platform from the top edges of said base of said cage, for providing a perch for one or more animals kept in said cage to permit said animals to selectively remove themselves from the floor of said cage wherein said animals may dwell on said perch at a position below the top edges of the cage and above the floor of the cage without having to curl up, bend, or distort its natural postural position, wherein said cage further includes an outlet for means for dispensing liquid and wherein said platform is positioned above said outlet to permit said animals to survive a flood in said cage caused by a failure of said means for dispensing liquid.