Amsterdam is world-renowned for its canals. They’re a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You might already know that. You might not realize, however, that Amsterdam is crazy for cats, and now it’s trying to protect them.
Amsterdam is spending €100,000 to build tiny wooden staircases along its canals as part of a cat safety initiative. After 19 cats drowned in the city’s elaborate network of waterways over the past six months, city officials finally decided that enough is enough. It’s time to start saving these kitties.
The plan was put forward by Judith Krom of the Party for the Animals. While other political parties in the Netherlands bicker about human needs, the Party for the Animals represents the political interests, rights, and welfare of wildlife.
That includes the Netherlands’ massive population of stray cats.
Amsterdam Is Building Tiny Staircases for Cats All Over the City
The cash comes from a forgotten biodiversity budget fund, and the staircases (nicknamed “cat traps”) are designed to give cats (and any other critters) a way out of the canals when their curiosity leads them into a waterway they’re not evolutionarily equipped to thrive within.
Animal welfare group Dierenambulance Amsterdam is collaborating with the city to identify the locations where the most accidental cat water plunges have occurred. Then, they’ll install the stairs at high-risk sites later this year.
Not to be outdone, the city of Amersfoort already started installing around 300 of its cat stairs as part of its 2024 animal welfare program. The local council even collaborated with residents to identify trouble spots.
Krom called it a “simple measure” that can “prevent enormous animal suffering.” As the world spins ever faster into absurdity, it’s heartening to hear such empathy being extended in our age of callousness.
The only problem I have with this is that they’re called “Cat Traps” and not catwalks. I know they mostly speak Dutch, but they speak enough English to have heard of a catwalk before.
It was right there.
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