The present invention relates to boots for cats or other animals to prevent clawing of furniture and carpets, or for use in medical application to prevent wound licking.
Boots for animals are well known in the art. These boots have been made for a variety of purposes. A few of the related patents are listed below:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,446,371 to Jones (1946) discloses a slip on dog boot with a roughened sole to prevent slippage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,812 to Stark (1995) discloses a dog boot with a foot portion and two attachment straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,685 to Thomas (1995) discloses a dog boot with a foot portion and a single hook and loop strap made out of puncture resistant material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,261 to Marshall (1984) discloses a dog boot with a foot portion and a single hook and loop strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,817 to Taylor (1987) discloses a two layer dog boots held up with garters over the animal""s back.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,333 to Taylor (1988) discloses a one-layer dog boots held up with garters over the animal""s back.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,828 to Soloman et al. discloses a seamless animal boot with a hook and loop strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,095 to Ralls discloses a protective covering for a cat""s feet to prevent destructive behavior. The boots are made from a durable, puncture resistant material and are attached with gators.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 379,251 to Mezey (1997) discloses an animal boot with either one or two straps.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 387,511 to Caditz (1997) discloses an animal boot with one strap.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 382,378 to Stark (1997) discloses an animal boot with a built in attachment.
Most of these boots are made for dogs and are designed to be worn outside while the animal is supervised. The boots are not made of a material that the animal could not chew through given the opportunity. Another problem with the known boots is that once the tread is worn away there is no way to replace the tread and new boots must be bought.
A well-known problem with domestic cats is that they often claw furniture, carpet and walls. Ralls ""095 patent is an attempt to solve this problem with foot coverings. However, coverings are attached over the shoulders of the cat and are made from fabric or leather. The straps over the shoulders could easily become hooked on something as the cat moved around the house. Also, the cat could chew through the straps or the coverings when left alone.
What is needed is a boot to prevent a cat""s claws from damaging a surface which are difficult for the animal chew off when the owner is not home. The boots also need to be designed so that there are minimal entanglement hazards.
The present invention solves these problems by making the boots out of metal or metalized fabric so that the animal cannot chew through that material. The top of the boot is folded down over the strap to prevent chewing the strap and to prevent catching the strap on anything.
The sole is slid into a lip formed at the bottom edge of the fabric. Snaps or other fasteners hold the sole in place.
The primary aspect of the present invention is to provide a boot to prevent a cat from damaging furniture by scratching.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a boot that the animal cannot remove by chewing.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an animal boot with a replaceable sole.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a boot that is easy to take on and off the animal.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a boot that provides plenty of airflow for the comfort of the animal.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a sole with texturing to prevent slippage.
Other aspects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.
An animal boot is provided which the top portion is made from flexible metal, or metalized, fabric. Examples of flexible metal fabric include ring chain mail or plate and ring mail, such as is used in armor, meat cutters gloves and shark suits.
The foot portion is formed from a lightweight metal in the shape of the foot. The inside of the foot piece has a soft pad of rubber or other material to protect the pads of the foot. The bottom sole also has a removable rubber sole to provide traction. Attached to the foot piece is a sleeve of chain mail mesh that extends above the ankle to provide flexibility for movement and airflow. Above the mesh is a section of metal plates and rings extending the rest of the way up.
The top end has a strap around it for tightening the boot around the leg of the animal. A section chain mail is provided under the strap to allow for tightening of the bottom. The top edge can be folded down over the strap to prevent the animal from chewing at the strap. Air holes can be provided to increase airflow around the animal""s foot.
In an alternate embodiment the ring fabric is formed into a sleeve, which is open at both ends. The bottom end of the sleeve widens out to go over the animals paw. At the edge of the bottom end of the sleeve the fabric is formed into a fold. A flexible sole is slipped into the fold and held in place with fasteners. The alternate embodiment attaches identically as the preferred embodiment