Amsterdam has allocated up to €100,000 to install steps along city center canals to help cats out of the water.
The tiny wooden staircases aim to save felines and other animals from drowning in areas with high walls.
According to animal welfare organization Dierenambulance Amsterdam, 19 cats have drowned in the city’s canals in the last six months – six of them in the city center.
Judith Krom from the Party for the Animals (PvdD) proposed that Amsterdam spend an unused €100,000 fund found in the city’s biodiversity plan to fund the wildlife exit points.
Councillor for animal welfare Zita Pels had already supported the plan but had previously noted that “funding was lacking”, said PvdD.
On 10 July, the Amsterdam City Council voted in favor of Krom’s motion, according to the Independent newspaper.
Krom said: “A simple measure can prevent enormous animal suffering. The adopted motion demonstrates that as a city, we take responsibility for protecting the lives of animals.”
The Dutch capital will work with Dierenambulance to identify areas where cats are most likely to drown before the small animal escape routes are installed.
Steps will then be built at the highest-risk locations later this year to help cats safely climb back onto the shore.
Amsterdam is not the only city taking steps to improve canal safety for animals.
In June, Amersfoort, a nearby city in the Netherlands, announced the construction of around 300 cat traps along its quays and canals this year.
