KarunaNews Story

The canals of Amsterdam can be dangerous for its stray cat population, with 19 cats drowning in the first six months of 2025. After Amersfoort, in neighboring Utrecht, said it was installing 300 “wildlife exit ladders” along its waterways, Dutch councilor Judith Krom, of the Party for the Animals, proposed a plan to install tiny wooden staircases along Amsterdam's canal walls, for cats, stray hedgehogs, frogs, and birds. She found 100,000 euros ($116,994.50 USD) in unused funds that will be used to build the staircases, thanks to approval from Amsterdam’s city council in July. So far, locations have been based on reports from Animal Ambulance, eyewitness help from residents, and additional input from local ecologists. Maggie Ruitenberg, a behavior and welfare specialist at Katten Kenniscentrum, the Dutch Cat Knowledge Center, has also lent her advice. Cats can get exhausted quickly if their fur is weighed down by water, so cat ladders can be life-saving, provided they are placed every few meters.