The Gerbil Vest - Funny Patents Part 3

We all love to show off our pets. We keep photos on our phones ready to show off any chance we get, and we take them with us everywhere we can. There are entire industries devoted to helping our pets be a part of our daily lives. You can find a leash or a harness to fit almost any four legged friend, from majestic horses to dogs and even cats (if you can get them to cooperate), to wily ferrets and cuddly rabbits, all the way down to the star of today's Funny Patent expo: wee little gerbils.

One might think that when you hit the scene with your gerbil on a leash, you have achieved the pinacle of pet-induced cuteness, and there would be no need to take it any further. But in in the 1990s, inventor Brice Belisle took the concept of gerbil fashion to a whole new level. He created something that would take the world by storm (well, the world of gerbil fashion at least).

Without further ado, it is our pleasure to present to you: the Gerbil Tunnel Vest.

The Gerbil Vest

Generally speaking, the purpose of an invention is to solve a problem - and when you think about it, this actually does solve several problems (even if they aren't very common problems). For one, you get to take your beloved rodent with you wherever you go without the hassle of tiny harnesses. You don't have to worry that somebody's larger pet, or a hawk stalking from above, might decide to make an afternoon snack of little Whiskers. It's hands free quality pet time - what's not to love?

And then there's the entertainment value. Any time spent sitting around on the bus, in class, at work, or anywhere else is time spent feeding your gerbil carrot chunks and watching him happily scurry around your torso. Fun for you, and everyone around you! This was of particular important according to the patent filing:

"...an elongate, enclosed, pet receiving, passageway extending thereacross with at least one closable pet admitting entry, at least part of the passageway being transparent so that, when the vest is worn, a pet moving along the passageway across a wearer's body can be viewed by a spectator."

The Gerbil Vest

It also makes a bold fashion statement. When you walk into the room with furry little pal running laps around you, you're sure to catch everyone's eye. And nothing says confidence like wearing a gerbil in the boardroom!

The design also gives due consideration to the gerbil itself. It has every feature you could think of to keep your pet happy and comfortable. It is made with waterproof materials to guard against unwanted, uh, "leakage". The vest also includes "ventilation apertures", two receiving chambers, and allows for a water hose hookup so you can give it a good cleaning from time to time.

Brice Belisle's patent was published in 1999 but alas, the Gerbil Vest did not catch on. Perhaps it was just a bit much for your average gerbil enthusiast. Or maybe we, as a society, are simply not prepared for a world in which people wear rodents. The Gerbil Vest is a fun and fascinating example of an over engineered solution to a problem nobody really had. And while that might make it seem pointless, it is anything but. After all, inventors like Brice Belisle push the boundaries of novelty and every once in a while they help to push humanity somewhere important, somewhere that we might not have gone otherwise.

A Bold Fashion Statement

In some ways, the Gerbil Vest is akin the outlandish things people wear in fashion shows to showcase cutting edge ideas. They may seem odd, but it is important to push the limits. So while the Gerbil Vest never made it to mass production, we hope it at least made it onto a Fashion Show runway!