Amsterdam is building stairs along its canals to allow cats & other animals to escape without drowning:
Amsterdam will install special steps in its canals to prevent cats and other small critters from drowning because they can’t get out on their own. The Amsterdam city council adopted a proposal to this effect by animal party PvdD, Parool reports.
According to PvdD council member Judith Krom, figures from the Amsterdam Animal Ambulance show that 19 cats drowned in Amsterdam canals over the past six months. She proposed asking the Animal Ambulance to map out where these drownings occur most frequently and installing steps there, following the example of Amersfoord.
Officially, the steps are called wildlife exit sites, because other small animals can also use them to get out of the canals. According to Krom, the investments required for these steps are disproportionate to the suffering of the animals and their owners.
See Amsterdam to install kitty steps in canals to save cats from drowning, NL Times, July 22, 2025.