Amsterdam’s 300 Cat Staircases: City Drops €100K to Rescue Felines from Canals

Amsterdam’s €100,000 investment in 300 wooden cat staircases turns city canals into feline escape rooms, prompting Google searches like “how many cats drown in Amsterdam?” and “what do cat steps look like?” Dierenambulance reports 19 drowned cats in six months, with city councilor Judith Krom declaring, “A simple measure can prevent enormous animal suffering.”
While Amsterdam’s wooden staircases appear overnight, Amersfoort quietly maps out 300 more ‘cat traps’ for high-walled canals, fueling trending queries like “best ways to save animals from drowning” and “Dutch animal welfare innovations.” Picture a city council debating tiny feline ladders—then voting to install them, as one official quips, “Unfortunately, animals that end up in water can’t get out and drown.”
In just six months, 19 Amsterdam cats have drowned—now, €100,000 worth of miniature staircases promise a future where feline paddleboarders may outnumber lost bicycles in the canals.