Wormcast-based environmentally-friendly cat litter

Abstract

The present application discloses a wormcast-based environmentally-friendly cat litter. Wormcast is used as the main raw material, and the wormcast is collected, filtered, and rinsed to remove impurities; appropriate amounts of a binder and additives are then added and mixed; round cat litter granules of varying sizes are formed by means of the rotation and extrusion processes of a granulator; and the cat litter granules are dried, and undergo quality inspection to select the best ones and are then packaged into bags for sale and use. The present application can effectively prevent environmental pollution due to the biological activity of the main raw material, i.e., wormcast, which has excellent deodorizing effects. The cat litter has good overall water absorption and agglomeration properties, and can be directly flushed down the drain after use, and is easy to clean. The density of the wormcast-based cat litter is close to that of natural sand, catering to pets' instinct to dig and bury waste. Wormcast is a natural, green, and nutrient-rich material that is beneficial and harmless if accidentally eaten by pets. The used cat litter used can also be used as an active fertilizer for plants; moreover, the raw material, i.e., wormcast, is inexpensive, the cat litter manufacturing process is simple, and the cost performance is high.

Description

Worm casting-based environmentally friendly cat litter Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of pet products, in particular to an environment-friendly cat litter based on earthworm castings. Background Art

[0002] Cats are common pets in our daily lives, and cat litter is designed to facilitate their indoor defecation. It not only facilitates cleanup but also effectively controls odors and maintains a clean indoor environment. Cat litter is a highly absorbent material used by cats to bury feces and urine. It is typically used with a litter box. An appropriate amount of cat litter is poured into the litter box, and trained cats will enter the litter box and defecate in it when they need to defecate. The use of cat litter is one of the most significant advancements in cat culture. When a cat uses cat litter, its hygroscopic nature causes it to form a ball with feces or urine. Litter not contaminated by feces or urine remains uncontaminated and can be reused. Cat litter also caters to a cat's natural tendency to scratch and cover feces, making it easy to clean and a pleasant, environmentally friendly addition to pet ownership.

[0003] Currently, cat litter is divided into organic and inorganic categories based on their chemical properties and raw materials. Organic cat litter is biodegradable and can be poured directly down the toilet, participating in the biodegradation of feces. Inorganic cat litter is non-biodegradable or incompletely biodegradable, which is harmful to the environment and can clog toilets. It also doesn't participate in the biodegradation of feces and must be collected as garbage. The main organic cat litters on the market include tofu, paper scraps, and sawdust. The main inorganic cat litters on the market include bentonite and silica gel. Technical issues

[0004] Cat litter is divided into two types based on its usage: clumping and non-clumping. Non-clumping cat litter is litter that does not clump after contact with urine and feces, making it difficult to clean up after use. It requires a large amount of material and requires a double-layer litter box for screening, which is not easy to screen thoroughly. Furthermore, it can cause unpleasant air odors and poor deodorizing effects. Agglomerating cat litter clumps after absorbing urine and feces, making it easier to clean with a litter scoop.

[0005] Here are the pros and cons of several common cat litter types:

[0006] 1. Bentonite cat litter has good water absorption performance, good agglomeration performance, average deodorization performance, appropriate weight ratio, and is in line with the scratching nature of cats. However, it is an inorganic cat litter and cannot be degraded or cannot be completely degraded. It is harmful to the environment after use.

[0007] 2. Silica gel cat litter has good water absorption performance, but the cat litter does not agglomerate, and it is not convenient to clean after use. It is also an inorganic cat litter and cannot be recycled after use. It is easy to pollute the environment and has average deodorization performance. Silica gel sand is a synthetic chemical and can be easily ingested by cats and dogs, which can have adverse effects. The cat litter cannot be scratched and is translucent and does not cover feces, which is not in line with the nature of cats to scratch and cover feces.

[0008] 3. Tofu cat litter has good water absorption properties, is an organic cat litter, can be degraded, and is an agglomerated cat litter, but its deodorizing properties are average. The raw materials are food-grade plant protein, the cost is relatively high, and it wastes precious food resources. The weight ratio is too light, which does not conform to the scratching nature of cats.

[0009] 4. Paper scrap cat litter has good water absorption properties, but its production method uses a powdery adhesive coating on the surface, which is easy to fall off, resulting in poor deodorization effect, indoor air pollution, high cost, and too light a weight, which does not conform to the scratching nature of cats.

[0010] 5. Sawdust cat litter has good water absorption properties, but the cat litter does not clump together, is not convenient to clean after use, has average deodorizing properties, and has a special smell. Some cats refuse to use it. The weight ratio is too light, which does not conform to the scratching nature of cats.

[0011] To sum up, all types of cat litter currently available on the market have their own advantages and disadvantages. Listing a single type of cat litter cannot balance all the advantages, and there will always be regrets. Technical Solutions

[0012] The invention utilizes earthworm castings to produce a green and environmentally friendly cat litter, which comprehensively possesses the advantages of various cat litters currently on the market and effectively avoids their disadvantages.

[0013] 1. Earthworm castings cat litter is a green and environmentally friendly organic cat litter that can be directly degraded by itself and can be poured directly into the flush toilet to participate in the co-biodegradation of feces.

[0014] 2. Worm castings cat litter is a type of cat litter with excellent agglomeration and water absorption properties, because worm castings are a loose, soft, porous, and highly absorbent organic substance. After absorbing urine and feces, they will form a ball, so they can be easily collected and cleaned.

[0015] 3. Worm manure cat litter is a cat litter with excellent deodorizing properties: the biological activity of the worm manure raw material itself has an excellent deodorizing effect. According to Japan's "Latest Technology Information Journal", the Japan Science and Technology Agency allocated invention subsidies to fund practical test equipment, developed a miniaturized deodorizing device for worm manure pellets, and conducted multiple deodorizing tests. This technology was applied on-site at a sewage treatment plant in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, once again confirming the deodorizing effect of worm manure. In addition, similar tests were conducted at the Chiba Steel Plant of Kawasaki Steel Corporation in Japan, and the water purification plant has been using worm manure pellets as a deodorant. Therefore, Japan's Kitajima Earthworm Farm successfully used earthworm manure as a high-efficiency livestock deodorant, and Taiwan, my country also uses earthworm manure for deodorizing livestock houses.

[0016] 4. The cost of earthworm manure raw materials is low, and the earthworm manure cat litter made from it is cost-effective: Artificial soilless earthworm farming produces a large amount of earthworm manure. The original use of earthworm manure in society is to improve soil and increase plant fertility. Therefore, the cost is low, and the amount of raw materials is guaranteed to meet the needs of mass production of cat litter.

[0017] 5. The material weight ratio of earthworm castings cat litter is appropriate, close to natural sand, which fully caters to the cat's nature of scratching and covering feces.

[0018] 6. Worm castings are a natural, green, and nutrient-rich material. When made into cat litter, they are harmless and beneficial to pets if accidentally ingested. The food eaten by earthworms is digested by various digestive enzymes in the digestive tract, such as proteases and cellulases, and decomposed by various microorganisms in the intestines before being excreted from the body. Therefore, earthworm castings themselves contain some nutrients, which are similar to green food additives for pets.

[0019] 7. After use, earthworm manure cat litter can be directly used as a biologically active fertilizer for plants, returning to the original industrial chain of earthworm manure, which is safe, green and environmentally friendly.

[0020] 8. Worm castings are natural green and flexible materials that do not require artificial modification of ingredients, so the process of making them into cat litter is simple.

[0021] The invention uses earthworm castings as a basic main raw material. After collecting the earthworm castings and screening and rinsing to remove impurities, an appropriate amount of binder and ingredients are added and stirred and mixed. The mixture is then made into round cat litter particles of different sizes through a rotation and extrusion process of a granulator. After the cat litter particles are dried to a certain degree of dryness, quality inspection is carried out to select the best ones, and the particles are packaged into bags for sale and use. Beneficial effects

[0022] The present invention utilizes the biological activity of the main raw material, earthworm castings, to achieve an excellent deodorizing effect, effectively avoiding environmental pollution; the cat litter has good overall water absorption and agglomeration properties, and can be directly discharged into the sewer after use, making it easy to clean; the specific gravity of earthworm castings caters to the natural tendency of pets to scratch and cover feces; earthworm castings are a natural, green, nutrient-rich material, and are beneficial and harmless to pets when accidentally ingested; the cat litter after use can be used as an active fertilizer for plants; the raw material earthworm castings are low in cost, the cat litter production process is simple, and the cost-effectiveness is extremely high. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the production process of earthworm castings-based environmentally friendly cat litter. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] The following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more precise definition of the scope of protection of the present invention. The present invention, the production process of the earthworm casting-based environmentally friendly cat litter is as follows:

[0025] 1. Preparation of raw materials: The raw material of earthworm manure cat litter is earthworm manure produced after artificial breeding of earthworms. Earthworm manure is usually mixed with a small amount of fermented cow dung or pig dung and other feed and earthworm residues. It needs to be screened and rinsed, and the feed residues are removed and then dried. After rinsing, the water and feed residues are collected and stored together, and can be used directly as a biologically active fertilizer for plants.

[0026] 2. Stirring and mixing: Mix the earthworm castings and other binders and ingredients together, then add an appropriate amount of water and stir to mix them thoroughly; the mixture contains the following raw materials in the following mass percentages: earthworm castings 98%, edible guar gum 1.5%, mildew inhibitors and antibacterial agents 0.3%, edible flavors 0.2%; the water addition ratio is 50:1.

[0027] 3. Shaping and granulation: Put the stirred mixture into a granulator, and press the mixture into round cat litter particles of different sizes through a rotation and extrusion process. The obtained particles are sieved through a grading sieve to obtain particles with a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm.

[0028] 4. Drying: Place the formed granules in a dryer for drying to achieve a certain degree of dryness. Control the drying temperature at 35±2°C and the drying time at 28-32 minutes. When the moisture content of the granules reaches 10-11%, the qualified product is obtained.

[0029] 5. Packaging quality inspection: The cat litter after drying needs to be inspected to see whether the particle size, hardness, water absorption and other indicators meet the predetermined requirements. The qualified cat litter will be packaged and stored for sale and use. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] The above is a process flow for producing environmentally friendly cat litter based on earthworm castings. This process flow is only an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the description of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are similarly included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An environmentally friendly cat litter based on earthworm manure, which relates to the technical field of pet supplies, is characterized by: A green and environmentally friendly cat litter is made using earthworm castings as raw material.

2. The environmentally friendly cat litter based on earthworm castings according to claim 1, characterized in that The composition and weight percentage are as follows: 98% of earthworm castings, 1.5% of edible guar gum, 0.3% of mildew preventer and antibacterial agent, and 0.2% of edible flavor.

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