Abstract:
A method and apparatus for efficiently and effectively exercising, educating, amusing, and feeding animals is disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus encourages an animal to access educational, recreational, exercise, and amusement devices by configuring the apparatus such that the animal is most comfortable when it is eye level with the devices. Additionally, defecation on such devices and food or water receptacles is minimized due to strategic placement of such devices in relation to the comfortable setting of the animal. In another aspect of the invention, educational, recreational, exercise, and amusement devices are provided that also provide the animal with feelings of accomplishment and productivity. Embodiments of the present invention are specifically designed for the size of the animal and include lightweight, easily cleaned materials that facilitate transportation and cleaning of the apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to aids for efficiently and effectively exercising, educating, feeding, and amusing animals. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for exercising, educating, amusing, feeding, and watering an animal or several animals while simultaneously preventing the animal from defecating on its toys or food.  
         [0002]     Many systems and methods have been created to amuse animals such as birds. Many such systems are suspended systems. Typically, these suspended systems are suspended from the top of the animal&#39;s cage or a ceiling or other overhead fixture above the animal&#39;s cage via a universal joint or other fastener. Such systems typically include one or more suspended chains or the like to which amusement devices are attached. In one form, a length of suspended chain contains any number and variety of bells, beads, mirrors, blocks, rawhide chew toys, sitting rings, gongs, plastic baby toys, balls, sticks, leather straps, lengths of hemp, and eucalyptus attached to individual chain links. In other similar systems, a suspended chain is coupled to only the uppermost component, and all subsequent components are connected to each other. Or, systems exist in which all components are connected to a suspended chain located through the center of each component.  
         [0003]     One such suspended amusement system includes audible amusement. In this system, chimes are attached to a ceiling out of the animal&#39;s reach. An animal attractant, such as a toy or feed, is coupled to the chimes and functions as a striker that activates the chimes whenever the animal accesses the animal attractant.  
         [0004]     Some existing suspended systems are designed to both feed and amuse the animal. For example, in one such system, food with limited access (e.g., the food is contained within a box with slots or holes) is attached to the bottom of a suspended chain and amusement devices are suspended above the food.  
         [0005]     In addition to amusement and feeding systems, systems exist for exercising animals. In some such systems, a plurality of perches are arranged to allow the animal to climb in one or more directions. In one such system, two circular perches are aligned such that when an animal rests on the top of one of the circular perches, the portion of the perch upon which the animal is resting rotates to the bottom position, encouraging the animal to move to the second circular perch, which is simultaneously returning to the top position. Another existing exercise system contains straight and C-shaped rods that can be configured by the animal&#39;s owner in any desired arrangement within the animal&#39;s cage to allow the animal to move about the cage via the various rods.  
         [0006]     Many existing exercise, amusement, and feeding systems have been designed for portability. One such system includes various detachable plastic perches that can be easily inserted horizontally at different locations in a main vertical rod. Another system is designed to fold within the base of the animal&#39;s cage. This system includes a lid that may be attached to the base during use of the cage and may be placed on top of the base during travel or storage to cover and protect the cage in its folded position.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification.  
         [0008]     An animal apparatus for efficiently and effectively exercising, amusing, feeding, and watering one or more animals such as a bird while preventing the animal from defecating on its devices or food is provided in one aspect of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the animal apparatus includes, inter alia, a platform, barriers, perches, receptacles, ladders, a device supporter, and devices such as toys and the like.  
         [0009]     The platform serves as a base for the other components of the animal apparatus as well as a walkway that allows an animal such as a bird, ferret, hamster, rabbit, gerbil, guinea pig, cats, etc. to travel between the components of the animal apparatus. Barriers surround the perimeter of the platform to encourage animals to stay within the confines of the barriers and to hinder debris such as feed, water, feces, etc. from falling from the surface of the platform. Preferably, the platform and barriers are fabricated from a material that facilitates cleaning of the platform and barriers.  
         [0010]     One or more device supporters may be attached to the platform. The construction of the device supporters is a critical aspect of the present invention in view of the fact that domesticated animals tend to follow the same hierarchy or “pecking order” that they would in nature. For example, in reference to birds, this pecking order corresponds to the level at which each bird is perched, for example, in a tree. The higher the bird is in the pecking order, the higher the bird will perch in the tree. Furthermore, birds are prey animals, which, unlike dogs or cats, have not been fully domesticated. Therefore, birds naturally will seek a high location to perch due to nervousness about being preyed upon.  
         [0011]     This instinctual pecking order and nervousness regarding being preyed upon causes domesticated birds to perch at the highest point available to them, often causing these birds to perch at the highest available point in a playgym, birdcage, etc. However, this manner of perching may cause many problems. For example, an animal perched at the highest available point may not be able to reach its educational, exercise, or amusement devices; therefore, it will forego education, exercise, or amusement to retain its pecking order. In addition, when an animal perches at the highest point, it tends to defecate on devices such as educational, exercise, or amusement devices located below the animal. After such devices are dirtied, animals are even less likely to play with such dirty devices and have less incentive to perch at lower levels of the playgym, cage, etc. Additionally, the animal&#39;s owner may not be pleased with an animal that continually defecates on or does not use its devices, causing further stress on the animal due to scolding for its “bad behavior”. Furthermore, similar to humans, animals that are not occupied via exercise, play, or education tend to become unhappy, which may result in bad behavior such as biting, incessant squawking, etc. Unbeknownst to the animal owner, all of these issues may be alleviated by providing the animal with properly configured play, education, or exercise areas such as those provided by the present invention. In the various embodiments of the present invention, a principle advantage of the invention is to create an enjoyable environment for animals where they may entertain themselves while being physically exercised and intellectually stimulated, thus contributing to the overall health and well-being of the animal and, consequently, the satisfaction of the pet owner.  
         [0012]     Preferably, since the device supporters are located at a point higher than the perches (i.e., to place the devices at eye level), they are advantageously designed to be an extremely uncomfortable and unsettling place for the animal to perch. Therefore, the animal is likely to rest on the second highest points, which are designed to be perches or ladders. These second highest points are advantageously located to place the animal at eye level when perched upon the perches or ladders and to prevent the animal from defecating on or in the receptacles or devices, thereby increasing the likelihood that the animal will use the receptacles and devices and increasing the owner&#39;s satisfaction with the animal.  
         [0013]     Devices may be removably attached to the device supporter via a wide variety of fasteners. In one embodiment of the present invention, fasteners are clasps or hooks that allow the user to remove or replace devices with ease. Fastener could include clasps such as hook and eye, barrel, tube, round, pear link, quick link, or fishhook, but preferably would avoid lobster claw and toggle clasps to minimize the possibility of injury to the animal due to contact with the clasp. Alternatively, fasteners could be an irremovable ring, and the horizontal portion of device supporter could contain components that allow the user to remove or add devices. Fasteners may be fabricated of any rigid material, however, a non-toxic material such as a nickel-plated material, aluminum, stainless steel, or nylon is preferred for increased safety to the animal.  
         [0014]     The embodiments of the present invention may contain any quantity of devices. Devices may consist of any arrangement of amusement, exercise, or education devices such as plastic or acrylic chains, vegetable tanned leather squares, leather circles or straps, marbella beads, wooden blocks, plastic or acrylic keys, plastic or acrylic letters or numbers, plastic or acrylic beads, food colored sticks, wood circles or squares, plastic chewy tubes, paper tape such as adding machine tape, bells, plastic novelty animals, paper rolls, and the like. Preferably, the components of the devices are constructed of lightweight, non-toxic materials such as soft wood, leather, paper, soft cotton rope, or soft plastic to stimulate and encourage the animal to play. In some embodiments of the present inventions, the components of the devices are dyed using a variety of food colorings to safely make the components more attractive to the animals.  
         [0015]     Although devices may include any combination of the items described above, the inclusion of devices that can be destroyed by the animal such as paper rolls, wood, etc. is an important aspect of the present invention. The destruction of the devices occupies, stimulates, and provides the animal with a feeling of productivity and achievement, thereby creating a happier and more well behaved pet. Therefore, preferably, these devices or the components thereof are assembled such that each component may be replaced since the animal may regularly destroy it during use of the playgym, cage, etc.  
         [0016]     In some embodiments of the present invention, roll devices are included. Roll devices may be constructed so that paper, newspaper, paper tape such as adding machine tape or other similar material wound around a moveable roll can be ripped or torn off of the roll by the animal. The destruction of the paper, newspaper, paper tape such as adding machine tape, or other material on the paper rolls gives the animal a feeling of productivity and achievement. Similarly, other components of devices such as wooden blocks, plastic toys and keys are constructed of disposable materials that can be destroyed by the animal to obtain the same feelings of productivity and achievement. The components of device are assembled such that each component could be replaced if destroyed by the animal during use.  
         [0017]     Some embodiments of the present invention also include tree devices. Tree devices may be constructed of many devices attached to various branches of the tree. Tree devices allow the animal to have access to many different components of devices at one location. In one aspect of the present invention, the tree device rotates, thus allowing the animal easy access to the various facets of the device.  
         [0018]     In many embodiments of the present invention, the animal apparatus facilitates physical exertion by the animal due to the location of the various components of the animal apparatus and their proximity to each other. For example, the animal may be required to climb up one ladder in order to eat food from its respective receptacle, and then the animal must climb down that ladder, walk across the platform, and then climb up another ladder in order to drink water from its respective receptacle. Similarly, the animal is required to walk across the platform in order to reach a perch located directly in front of the devices. Additionally, the animal apparatus may be configured so as to include educational devices specifically designed for the purpose of training and educating the animal. Such activity by the animal provides exercise, training and entertainment for the animal and adds to the functionality of the present invention.  
         [0019]     Although embodiments of the present invention in the form of an avian playgym, the present invention is not so limited. For example, the present invention may be configured for use by alternate animals by incorporating devices such as animal cages or other animal play or exercise devices such as Habitrail®, vivarium, or terrarium devices, or connection hardware for such devices. Alternatively, the components of the present invention may be configured so that the present invention may be joined to, or combined with, one or more units of the present invention, or similarly compatible apparatuses, so as to create a larger or more complex apparatus. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     A further understanding of the present invention can be obtained by reference to embodiments set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiments are merely exemplary of systems for carrying out the present invention, both the organization and method of operation of the invention, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the invention.  
         [0021]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following drawings in which:  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  depicts an animal apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention intended for small animals including, inter alia, platform, barriers, perches, receptacles, ladders, device supporter, and devices.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  depicts an animal apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention intended for large animals including, inter alia, platform, barriers, perches, receptacles, ladders, device supporter, devices, and a tree device.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]     As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the present invention. The following presents a detailed description of one embodiment (as well as some alternative embodiments) of the present invention.  
         [0025]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is an illustration of one embodiment of animal apparatus  100  in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Animal apparatus  100  includes, inter alia, platform  102 , barriers  104 , perches  106 , receptacles  108 , ladders  110 , device supporter  114 , and devices  118 .  
         [0026]     Platform  102  serves as a base for the additional components of animal apparatus  100  as well as a walkway that allows an animal such as a bird, ferret, hamster, rabbit, gerbil, guinea pig, cats, etc. to travel between the components of animal apparatus  100 . Platform  102  may be fabricated of any rigid material, however, forming platform  102  from a material such as Formica®, granite, Corian®, plastic, or the like facilitates cleaning of platform  102 . In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 1 , barriers  104  surround the perimeter of platform  102  to encourage animals to stay within the confines of barriers  104 . Barriers  104  also hinder debris such as feed, water, feces, etc. from falling from the surface of platform  102 .  
         [0027]     In one embodiment of the present invention, either or both of platform  102  and barriers  104  include two layers. A first outwardly facing support layer (e.g., wood, plastic, etc.) is coupled to a second inwardly facing layer of easily cleaned material (e.g.—Formica®, granite, Corian®, plastic). In this embodiment, the support layers are fabricated from a lightweight material such as wood or plastic to add structural support to platform  104  while simultaneously reducing the weight of animal apparatus, thereby facilitating transportation.  
         [0028]     Device supporter  114  is attached to platform  102 . The construction of device supporter  114  is a critical aspect of the present invention in view of the fact that domesticated animals tend to follow the same hierarchy or “pecking order” that they would in nature. For example, in reference to birds, this pecking order corresponds to the level at which each bird is perched, for example, in a tree. The higher the bird is in the pecking order, the higher the bird will perch in the tree. Furthermore, birds are prey animals, which, unlike dogs or cats, have not been fully domesticated. Therefore, birds naturally will seek a high location to perch due to nervousness about being preyed upon.  
         [0029]     This instinctual pecking order causes domesticated birds to perch at the highest point available to them, often causing these birds to perch at the highest available point in a playgym, cage, etc. However, this manner of perching may cause many problems. For example, an animal perched at the highest available point may not be able to reach its educational, exercise, or amusement devices; therefore, it will forego education, exercise, or amusement to retain its pecking order. In addition, when an animal perches at the highest point, it tends to defecate on devices such as educational, exercise, or amusement devices located below the animal. After such devices are dirtied, animals are even less likely to play with such dirty devices and have less incentive to perch at lower levels of the playgym, cage, etc. Additionally, the animal&#39;s owner may not be pleased with an animal that continually defecates on or does not use its devices, causing further stress on the animal due to scolding for its “bad behavior”. Furthermore, similar to humans, animals that are not occupied via exercise, play, or education tend to become unhappy which may result in bad behavior such as biting, incessant squawking, etc. Unbeknownst to the animal owner, all of these issues may be alleviated by providing the animal with properly configured play, education, or exercise areas such as those provided by the present invention.  
         [0030]     In the various embodiments of the present invention, a principle advantage of the invention is to create an enjoyable environment for animals where they may entertain themselves while being physically exercised and intellectually stimulated, thus contributing to the overall health and well-being of the animal, and consequently the satisfaction of the pet owner. The present embodiment of the invention facilitates physical exertion by the animal due to the location of the various components of the apparatus  100  and their proximity to each other. For example, the animal is required to climb up one ladder  110  in order to eat food from its respective receptacle  108 , and then the animal must climb down that ladder  110 , walk across platform  102 , and then climb up another ladder  110 , in order to drink water from its respective receptacle  108 . Similarly, the animal is required to walk across platform  102  in order to reach a perch  106  where the animal can play with devices  118 . Additionally, apparatus  100  may be configured so as to include devices  118  specifically designed for the purpose of training and educating the animal. Such activity by the animal provides exercise, training and entertainment for the animal and adds to the functionality of the present invention.  
         [0031]     In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 1 , device supporter  114  includes device bar  120  supported by two device bar stands  122 . In this embodiment, device bar  120  comprises plastic links that form a horizontal chain supported on either end by each of device bar stands  122 . Device bar  120  is advantageously designed to be an extremely uncomfortable and unsettling place for the animal to perch since device bar  120  is unstable and unsteady. Device bar  120  is intentionally designed to cause the animal to be anxious when standing upon it. Since the animal is unlikely to feel comfortable perching atop device bar  120  of device supporter  114 , the animal is likely to rest on the second highest points, which include perches  106  or ladders  110 . These second highest points are advantageously designed to prevent the animal from defecating on receptacles  108  or devices  118 , thereby increasing the likelihood that the animal will use receptacles  108  or devices  118  and increasing the owner&#39;s satisfaction with the animal.  
         [0032]     Although the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 1  includes a device supporter  114  having device bar  120  constructed of plastic links, other types of device supporters may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present invention. Virtually any device that supports devices and is uncomfortable as a perch can be substituted. For example, the device bar may be made of a material other than plastic and may comprise a form other than chain links. In one embodiment, the horizontal portion of device supporter  114  is constructed of a slippery material such as rigid vinyl, acrylic, or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene that would cause the animal to be anxious standing upon it. Alternatively, the horizontal portion of device supporter  114  could be constructed of any material having a texture that would be unpleasant to the animal. In yet another embodiment, the horizontal portion of device supporter  114  is constructed to be too thin for an animal to grasp without falling. In still another embodiment, device supporter  114  does not include a horizontal portion at all. Rather, it comprises individual vertical stands, posts, or the like for each device  118  having a top with an extremely small area that is not suitable to perching. In addition, although device supporter  114  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as three distinct components, other embodiments are envisioned in which device supporter  114  comprises one continuous piece or a quantity other than three.  
         [0033]     Devices  118  are attached to device supporter  114  via fasteners  124 . In one embodiment of the present invention, fasteners  124  are clasps or hooks that allow the user to remove or replace devices  118  with ease. Fastener  124  could be any variety of clasp such as hook and eye, barrel, tube, round, pear link, quick link, or fishhook, but preferably would avoid lobster claw and toggle clasps to minimize the possibility of injury to the animal due to contact with the clasp. Alternatively, fasteners  124  could be a ring that is not removable, and the links of the chain that form the horizontal portion of device supporter  114  could contain components that allow the user to remove or add devices  118 . Fasteners  124  may be fabricated of any rigid material, however, a non-toxic material such as a nickel-plated material, aluminum, stainless steel, or nylon is preferred for increased safety to the animal.  
         [0034]     In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 1 , device supporter  114  contains three devices  118 . Devices  118  may consist of any arrangement of amusement, exercise, or education devices such as plastic or acrylic chains, vegetable tanned leather squares, leather circles or straps, marbella beads, wooden blocks, plastic or acrylic keys, plastic or acrylic letters or numbers, plastic or acrylic beads, food colored sticks, wood circles or squares, plastic chewy tubes, paper tape such as adding machine tape, bells, plastic novelty animals, paper rolls, and the like. Preferably, the components of devices  118  are constructed of lightweight, non-toxic materials such as soft wood, leather, paper, soft cotton rope, or soft plastic to stimulate and encourage the animal to play. In some embodiment of the present inventions, the components of devices  118  are dyed using a variety of food colorings to safely make the components more attractive to the animals. While this embodiment contains three devices  118 , any other quantity of devices  118  could be attached to device supporter  114  without departing from the present scope of the invention. Although devices  118  may include any combination of the items described above, the inclusion of devices  118  that can be destroyed by the animal such as paper rolls (e.g., roll device  222  ( FIG. 2 )), wood, etc. is an important aspect of the present invention. The destruction of devices  118  occupies, stimulates, and provides the animal with a feeling of productivity and achievement, thereby creating a happier and more well behaved pet. These devices  118  or the components thereof are assembled such that each component may be replaced since the animal may regularly destroy it during use of the playgym, cage, etc.  
         [0035]     In one embodiment of the present invention, two perches  106  are attached to platform  102  but other quantities of perches  106  could be attached to platform  102  without departing from the scope of the present invention. Preferably, perches  106  are located at the highest comfortable height and at a height that places the animal at eye level with devices  118  when the animal is seated atop perch  106 . To achieve this aim, animal apparatuses are preferably designed to match the height or average height of the intended animal. For example, an animal apparatus designed for extra small birds such as parakeets, canaries, finches, budgerigars, small lovebirds, and small parrotlets would not be suitable for small birds such as cockatiels, parrotlets, lovebirds, caiques, small conures, and meyers parrots, medium birds such as African greys, amazons, pionus, goffin cockatoos, rose-breasted cockatoos, or large birds such as macaws, umbrella cockatoos, moluccan cockatoos, and the like. Preferably, each animal apparatus is designed for the specific size of the intended animal.  
         [0036]     In one embodiment of the present invention, two ladders  110  are attached to platform  102 . However, other quantities of ladders  110  could be attached to platform  102  without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Ladder  110  includes two rungs  112  for the animal to climb upon in this embodiment of the present invention. Other embodiments envision ladder  110  with varied quantities of rungs  112 . Preferably, ladders  110  are located at a height that allows the animal to be at eye level with devices  118  when the animal is seated atop ladders  110 . Attached to the top of ladders  110  are receptacles  108 . Receptacles  108  are intended to hold food and water for the animal to access while it is perched atop ladders  110 . Receptacles  108  could be attached to a perch or similar structure other than ladders  110  without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0037]     Positioning of perches  106  and ladders  110  such that an animal perched atop either item is at eye level with its devices is an important aspect of the present invention. Since the animal will instinctually perch on the highest point available, devices  118  must be at eye level to encourage the animal to use devices  118 . The animal is unlikely to reduce its rank in the pecking order or to increase the chances of being preyed upon to gain access to devices  118  if they are positioned below the highest point. Conversely, if devices  118  are positioned above the animal&#39;s eye level, the animal may be unaware of or unable to reach devices  118 . Alternatively, if devices  118  are not easily accessed while the animal is at rest, the animal may not desire to exert the additional effort required to access such devices  118 .  
         [0038]     Consequently, most embodiments of animal apparatus  100  of the present invention are specifically sized so as to allow the animals to maintain eye level with devices  118 . For example, in embodiments of the present invention created for birds, different animal apparatuses  100  may be created for birds of varying heights. An apparatus  100  sized for a parrot would not be intended for use by a smaller bird such as a parakeet. As such, various sizes of apparatus  100  may be created to suit different sizes of animals. Similarly, platform  102  of apparatus  100  may provide the ability to accommodate different sizes of devices  118 , perches  106 , and ladders  110 , so that an existing apparatus  100  could be easily retrofit to accommodate larger or smaller animals, or change with the needs of growing animals.  
         [0039]     Although  FIG. 1  depicts the present invention in the form of an avian playgym for small to medium sized birds such as cockatiels, parrotlets, lovebirds, caiques, small conures, and meyers parrots, the present invention is not so limited. For example, the dimensions and the spatial orientation of the present invention could be altered to allow use of the playgym by larger birds such as African greys, amazons, pionus, or small-sized cockatoos as described in  FIG. 2 . Alternatively, the present invention may be configured for use by alternate animals by incorporating devices such as animal cages or other animal play or exercise devices such as Habitrail®, vivarium, or terrarium devices, or connection hardware for such devices. Alternatively, the components of the present invention may be configured so that the present invention may be joined to, or combined with, one or more units of the present invention, or similarly compatible apparatuses, so as to create a larger or more complex apparatus.  
         [0040]     Turning next to  FIG. 2 , illustrated is another embodiment of the present invention in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Animal apparatus  200  includes, inter alia, platform  202 , barriers  204 , perch  206 , receptacle perches  210 , receptacles  208 , device supporter  226 , device supporter stands  214 , devices  218 , tree device  224 , and roll device  222 . The embodiment of the present invention depicted by  FIG. 2  is differentiated from the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  in that apparatus  200  and its various components are intentionally constructed on a larger scale so as to be able to accommodate larger animals. The larger scale of apparatus  200  allows the potential for the attachment of a greater quantity of, or larger and/or more complex, devices and accessories.  
         [0041]     Platform  202  serves as a base for the additional components of animal apparatus  200  as well as a walkway that allows an animal such as a bird, ferret, hamster, rabbit, gerbil, guinea pig, cats, etc. to travel between the components of animal apparatus  200 , and to benefit from the exercise value of the apparatus  200 . Platform  202  and barriers  204  may be fabricated similarly to the embodiment of apparatus  100  as described in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0042]     Device supporter  226  is attached to platform  202  via device supporter stands  214 . However, other embodiments are envisioned where device supporter  226  is comprised of one continuous piece. In this embodiment, device supporter  226  could be removed and replaced with other similar device supporters that contain varied devices  218 . In yet another embodiment, there may be an individual device supporter  226  and device supporter stands  214  for each device  218 .  
         [0043]     In the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIG. 2 , device supporter  226  includes a flat surface on the horizontal portion of device supporter  226 . Device supporter  226  is an important aspect of the present invention in view of the instinctual pecking order and aversion to being preyed upon as described with respect to  FIG. 1 . The flat surface that comprises the horizontal portion of device supporter  226  is constructed of a slippery material such as rigid vinyl, acrylic or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, and configured in a way that would cause the animal to be anxious standing upon device supporter  226 . Alternatively, the horizontal portion of device supporter  226  could be constructed out of any material similarly described in  FIG. 1 , as well as acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), or the like that would discourage the animal from perching atop device supporter  226 .  
         [0044]     Alternate embodiments of device supporter  226  are envisioned. In one embodiment as depicted in  FIG. 3 , device supporter  226  includes impediments  312  extending at a 45 degree angle from the perimeter of device supporter  226 . Impediments  312  prevent the animal from biting on the edge of device supporter  226  and pulling itself up onto device supporter  226 . Impediments  312  also prevent the bird from climbing atop device supporter  226 .  
         [0045]     Attached to device supporter  226  are devices  218  (e.g., toys, wood blocks, etc.) via fasteners  220 . Device supporter  226  and devices  218  may be fabricated similarly to the embodiment of apparatus  100  as described in  FIG. 1 . However, in this embodiment of the present invention, device supporter  226  and devices  218  may be fabricated on a larger scale to correspond with the larger scale of apparatus  200 , as contrasted to the smaller scale embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0046]     Fasteners  220  shall be fabricated of sufficient size and strength to accommodate the larger devices  218  allowed by the larger scale of apparatus  200 . In this embodiment of the present invention, device supporter  226  contains two devices  218 . However, devices  218  may consist of any arrangement or configuration as similarly described in  FIG. 1 . While this embodiment contains two devices  218 , other quantities, sizes, or complexity of devices  218  could be attached to device supporter  226  without departing from the present scope of the invention.  
         [0047]     Although devices  218  may include any variations of the items described above, the inclusion of roll device  222  is an important aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment of the present invention, roll device  222  is attached to two of devices  218 , but other embodiment are envisioned in which roll device  222  is attached to a single device  218  without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Roll device  222  is constructed such that paper, newspaper, paper tape such as adding machine tape or other similar material wound around a moveable roll can be ripped or torn off of the roll by the animal. The destruction of the paper, newspaper, paper tape such as adding machine tape, or other material on the paper rolls gives the animal a feeling of productivity and achievement. Similarly, other components of devices  218  such as wooden blocks, plastic toys and keys are constructed of disposable materials that can be destroyed by the animal to obtain the same feelings of productivity and achievement. The components of device  218  are assembled such that each component could be replaced if destroyed by the animal during use.  
         [0048]     Also attached to platform  202  is tree device  224 . Tree device  224  is constructed of many devices  218  attached together to form various branches of the tree. Tree device  224  allows the animal to have access to many different components of devices  218  at one location. In one embodiment of the present invention, tree device  224  would be rotatable to facilitate the animal rotating the entire tree device  224 , thus allowing the animal easy access to the various facets of the device.  
         [0049]     In one embodiment of the present invention, one perch  206  is attached to platform  202  but other quantities of perches  206  could be attached to platform  202  without departing from the scope of the present invention. Preferably, perch  206  is located at a height that allows the animal to be at eye level with devices  218  and tree device  224  when the animal is seated atop perch  206  or  210 .  
         [0050]     In one embodiment of the present invention, two receptacle perches  210  are attached to platform  202 . Other numbers of receptacle perches  210  could be attached to platform  202  without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Preferably, receptacle perches  210  are located at a height that allows the animal to be at eye level with devices  218  and tree device  224  when the animal is seated atop receptacle perch  210 . At the top of receptacle perch  210  are receptacles  208 . Receptacles  208  are intended to hold food and water for the animal. Positioning perches  206  and receptacle perches  210  such that the animal is at eye level with devices  218  is an important aspect of the present invention due to pecking order and a natural aversion to being preyed upon as described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . Consequently, also as described above with respect to  FIG. 1 , most embodiments of animal apparatus  200  of the present invention are specifically tailored, originally or retrofitted by the owner, to allow the specific animal to maintain eye level with devices  218 , roll device  222 , and tree device  224 .  
         [0051]     While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more embodiments, which embodiments have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, such embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and the principles of the invention.