Swiss Review 4/2018

Swiss Review / July 2018 / No.4 28 Images They are a typical yet overlooked urban develop- ment phenomenon – cat ladders in Swiss subur- bia. Nowhere else on the planet do they dis- creetly blend into the urban landscape in such incredible numbers and wide-ranging designs. Cats are provided with an accessible link be- tween roaming freely outdoors and thewarmth of a human home with great architectural skill and craftsmanship: spiral staircases, narrowand perilously teetering bridges, climbing aids in ar- tistically designed zigzag patterns and fur-cov- ered miniature balconies screwed into house fa- cades. However, despite the great number of artistic structures installed for cats, no research has been carried out into cat ladders as yet. That is now about to change. The author and graphic designer Brigitte Schuster is currently working on a reference book about cat ladders and the re- lationship between urban residents and their do- mestic pets. A whimsical project? Schuster is deadly serious. She is looking at cat ladders from a sociological, architectural and aesthetic per- spective. Her exploration of the topic raises the question as towhether the ladders are ultimately more important to people than the animals. They highlight a person’s need to provide the animal with access to the home. Cats would probably cope in everyday life without the climbing aids. Schuster’s artistically produced book will be published in German and English at the start of 2019 but can be pre-ordered now. MARC LETTAU brigitteschuster.com/swiss-cat-ladders The discreet catwalk for Swiss kitties An object typical of Swiss residential areas, the cat ladder, is finally receiving the attention it deserves.