Pet toy product with integral treats receiving receptacles

Abstract

A pet toy product for holding one or more animal treats has a body member having an outer surface with one or more recesses for removably holding one or more animal treats. The recesses may be of varying depth so that the treats in the deeper recesses are more difficult for the animal to extract then are the treats in the shallower recesses. The recesses may be circular, triangular, irregular, in the form of a groove or any other suitable configuration. The outer surface of the toy may be raised to accommodate the recesses or the recesses may extend into the surface. The pet toy may have recesses forming openings which extend through the pet toy product for receiving treats. With the structure recited, the pet owner can replenish the treats as often as necessary to maintain the pet's interest in the toy. Different treats can be provided with different nutritional values and tastes. Because some treats will be more difficult for the animal to remove than others, the animal can be kept occupied for several hours before the treats need to be replaced again. The treats may be held in the recesses by friction, adhesive or adhesion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This patent application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08 / 972,549, filed Nov. 18, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,947, 061, and entitled “Pet Toy Product With Integral Treat Receiving Receptacles” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08 / 663,447, filed Jun. 13, 1996, now abandoned, and entitled “Pet Toy Product With Integral Treats Receiving Receptacles”.[0002]This invention relates to a pet toy product, and more particularly to a pet toy product having recesses and openings for receiving treats.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Chewable pet toys have been available for many years. Many are impregnated with odors or flavoring materials which are attractive to the animal for which the toy is intended. These toys can be made of various materials, such as rawhide, rubber and plastic. The shortcoming of these products is that after a period of time, the flavor and / or odor becomes less strong and the animal loses interest in the toy. No means is provided for subsequently ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In accordance with the present invention, a pet toy product is provided for holding, by friction or adhesion, one or more animal treats wherein the toy has a body member having an outer surface with one or more recesses for receiving one or more animal treats. The term “treat” is intended to include any items which are attractive to or are consumed by an animal. The recesses may be of varying depth so that the treats in the deeper recesses are more difficult for the animal to extract than are the treats in the shallower recesses. The recesses may be circular, triangular, irregular, or in the form of a groove or any other suitable configuration. The outer surface of the toy may be raised to accommodate the recesses or the recesses may extend into the surface. Finally, the pet toy may have a recess forming an opening which extends completely through the side wall for receiving a treat. With the structure recited, the pet owner can replenish the treats as often as necessary to maintain the pet's interest in the toy. Different treats can be provided with different nutritional values and tastes. Also, because some treats will be harder for the animal to remove than others, the animal can be kept occupied for several hours before the treats need to be replaced again. The toy may be made of molded rigid or flexible material which can accommodate different types of treats. This construction allows the toy to be used repeatedly by refilling the recesses with more treats.

Problems solved by technology

The recesses may be of varying depth so that the treats in the deeper recesses are more difficult for the animal to extract than are the treats in the shallower recesses.

Also, because some treats will be harder for the animal to remove than others, the animal can be kept occupied for several hours before the treats need to be replaced again.

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