The trend in Switzerland for building ladders for cats throws up many questions. For example, why are they particularly popular in the country’s capital? Swiss Cat Ladders author Brigitte Schuster says: ‘The cat is the most popular pet in Switzerland. In Bern cat lovers are in the majority’

How does a cat know which ladder is theirs? Anita Kelsey, cat behaviourist and author, says: ‘They don’t know anything is for them. They like jumping and would be able to see the best route to their home territory whether it’s a ladder, a wall or a pipe’

‘Cat owners in Bern are particularly concerned about the wellbeing of their cat, a phenomenon called humanisation,’ Schuster says. ‘Cat ladders are part of this process of humanisation. They help cats to ascend and descend, just as we humans use staircases or ladders’

Of course, cats are among the acrobats of the animal world and have no real need of human help to navigate structures that look downright precarious. ‘In Istanbul, there are thousands of stray cats climbing and descending without the help of ladders,’ says Schuster. ‘They climb daringly on canopies, balconies, windowsills, walls, beams or trees close to buildings, reaching almost every destination’

Some of Bern’s cat ladders are so well thought-out and constructed they might be considered architecture in their own right. Schuster says: ‘Cat ladders are planned, designed and constructed structures ... they are always integrated into the building’s architecture’

Many are complex and original structures – such as this elegant example from Brè Lugano (not included in Schuster’s book)

In some cases the cat ladders become an integral part of the architecture

The cat ladder offers both owner and feline freedom, which is, perhaps, what everyone who lives in a city treasures

If you’re thinking of constructing your own cat ladder, there are a few things to consider

‘The cat ladder should be made by a reputable carpenter or a company that makes outside cat climbers and ladders,’ Kelsey says. ‘It should be stable and at an angle for the cat to easily walk up and down.’ (This sturdy but decorative example is from Schwyz and is not featured in the book)

After all, cats may well have nine lives but no one wants a sprained paw