This City In Switzerland Has Ladders For Wandering Cats To Climb On And It's The Greatest Thing
Citizens of Bern, Switzerland, have built ladders for their indoor and outdoor cats, and it might just be the sweetest thing. These sometimes hand-made, sometimes purchased ladders vary in shape, size, and function, but their primary purpose is to allow wandering cats to climb up, relax, and enjoy the view. Some even lead into people's windows, so our furry feline friends can sit in the frames and enjoy the scenery.
Swiss graphic designer and writer Brigitte Schuster decided to base her fourth book ('Swiss Cat Ladders') on analyzing this act of kindness that has drawn the people of Bern and their cats closer together; here are some photos and her comments on the various ladders seen on the sides of the buildings.
(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."
"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."
"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."
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