Small animal bedding material

Abstract

A fibrous material for small animal bedding material and methods for making the same. The fibrous material can be or include a plurality of lignocellulosic fibers derived from wood-based materials. The wood-based material can be a mixture of hardwoods and/or softwoods that are processed into individual fibers having varying lengths to form a matrix of fibers that is soft enough for small animal bedding, but rigid enough to maintain nest or burrow shape integrity after being created by the animal.

1 . A method for making small animal bedding, comprising:
 preparing and filtering an initial wood mixture;   softening the initial wood mixture in a steam digester to produce a softened material;   defiberizing the softened material in a refiner to produce a wood fiber;   drying and separating the wood fiber; and   screening the wood fiber to remove unwanted fibers to provide the small animal bedding, wherein the small animal bedding comprises a matrix of individual fibers having varying lengths that can maintain a shape of a nest or burrow after being created by an animal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial wood mixture comprises a mixture of hardwood species and softwood species. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial wood mixture comprises only hardwood species. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial wood mixture comprises only softwood species. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein preparing the initial wood mixture comprises cutting up larger portions of wood material into a smaller size for defiberization. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering the initial wood mixture comprises removing wood materials from the initial wood mixture that are too large or too small to process. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defiberization results in fiber lengths ranging from about 0.1 inches to about 2.5 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wood fiber is dried and separated in a flash tube dryer operating at a temperature range from about 20° C. to about 260° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wood fiber is dried to a moisture content of about 20% or less. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wood fiber is dried in an oven. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein screening the wood fiber comprises feeding the wood fiber into a mechanical screening device configured to pass the wood fiber through a series of screens adapted to filter and remove large and small fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising treating the wood fiber with a surfactant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the surfactant makes the wood fiber hydrophobic or hydrophilic. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising treating the wood fiber with an additive. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the additive is a colorant applied to the wood fiber. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the additive is a starch applied to the wood fiber configured to enhance fiber strength. 
     
     
         17 . A fibrous material for small animal bedding, comprising one or more lignocellulosic fibers having individual fiber lengths ranging from about 0.1 inches to about 2.5 inches, and being sufficiently rigid to maintain a shape and structural integrity of a nest or burrowing area created by an animal. 
     
     
         18 . The small animal bedding of  claim 17 , wherein the lignocellulosic fiber material is derived from one or more wood-based materials. 
     
     
         19 . The small animal bedding of  claim 18 , wherein the wood-based material comprises a mixture of one or more hardwoods and one or more softwoods. 
     
     
         20 . The small animal bedding of  claim 17 , wherein a surfactant is applied to the lignocellulosic fiber material to make the lignocellulosic fiber material hydrophobic.