This City In Switzerland Has Ladders For Wandering Cats To Climb On And It's The Greatest Thing
Bern, Switzerland, has a charming habit that cat lovers will instantly appreciate, ladders built just for wandering cats. Some are handmade, some are bought, and all of them give indoor and outdoor cats a way to climb higher, lounge a little longer, and take in the view.
Swiss graphic designer and writer Brigitte Schuster turned that everyday kindness into her fourth book, "Swiss Cat Ladders". She spent time documenting the many shapes and setups found on Bern’s buildings, and the results are as delightful as they sound.
(Psst, you can preorder Brigitte's book here.)
"The model of the simple chicken ladder is used here to gain height: It is built in a zigzag upward (left). A base ladder is used with a relatively flat angle. It is mounted on a wooden pole (right)."
"A cat ladder reaching to the second floor. It appears to be quite long due to its many subdivisions."
Bern really did go all in for its cats.
"The cat climbs from the tree to the cat ladder and from there to the balcony."
"Here, the slats are zigzagged along the wall of the house, reaching a length that allows the cat to go to the second floor. A kind of fence protects the cat in the upper area from falling."
"The picture shows a rarely seen model, a spiral staircase that can be ordered on the web."
Some of these setups are surprisingly elaborate.
And if you want more street-cat magic, this matches Helin Bereket’s tribute to the felines who rule the city in her stunning street cat photos.
"Cat stairs with a dwelling place for the cat and possibly other animals. Here, cat food is also ready."
"Ladder reaching to the third floor. It is one of the highest ladders seen in Bern."
"The vine plantations belonging to the façade are not affected: grapevines and the wood of the cat ladder complement each other."
It is hard not to smile at the commitment.
Engineers using cats to design a calendar is wild, see how USACE pulled it off in their cat calendar.
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