American storm grates need smaller or larger holes to protect cats and wildlife
It is evident to me that the storm grates that cover manholes which go down to storm drains need to have either larger holes or smaller holes in the grill because at the moment they are at a size which is just about the exact size for cats, raccoons and foxes to get their heads through but not their bodies.
Make storm drain grates safe for cats, foxes and raccoons. Photos in public domain. Montage: PoC.
The current grates are fooling cats into believing that they can get through them. They try but get stuck resulting in vey tricky rescues involving firefighters and veterinarians.
If the holes in the grate were larger cats could get through it. If they were smaller cats would not try and get through it. Either way cats would no longer be stuck.
I prefer making them larger because cats clearly cats want to escape drains. I don’t propose that the grates are changed because that would be mad. It would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. But if they are due for upgrading and changing at some time in the future consideration might be given to redesigning them to make those damn holes larger.
This is better:
Storm grate that can’t trap cats
