With all the positive impacts they provide to their owners, emotional support animals are growing in popularity. These animals comfort their owners simply by being by their side, which is proven to have immense therapeutic benefits to ease the symptoms of an endless list of mental health problems, from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you’re considering getting a cat as an emotional support animal or already have one and are questioning can cats be emotional support animals, we’re here to answer all your questions. Read to the end to discover whether or not cats can become emotional support animals. We will also cover more information about emotional support animals in general to help you better understand these animals.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is a support animal that’s recommended by a licensed mental health professional as part of an individual’s treatment plan. These animals are seen as a medical need, and the federal law, namely the Fair Housing Act, protects their rights to live with their owners so that they can provide their therapeutic benefits, even if there’s a no-pet clause in the owner’s lease or rental agreement.
However, there are certain requirements for an animal to be an emotional support animal, and that is having a valid ESA letter. This letter must be written by a mental health professional licensed in the owner’s state and recommend the animal as part of their treatment. Once issued, the ESA letter can then be used for requesting accommodation for the emotional support animal.
Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals?
Yes, cats can be emotional support animals. In fact, cats are second only to dogs when it comes to the popularity as emotional support animals. This also has a lot to do with the popularity of cats in general, as they are the second most popular pet in the US.
Besides dogs and cats, though some might be surprising, other common emotional support animals include:
- Birds
- Rabbits
- Reptiles
- Hamsters
- Guinea pigs
- Fish
- Turtles
- Chickens
- Miniature Horses
When it comes to which animals can be emotional support animals, pretty much any animal can be, as long as the owner can legally own the animal in their state. Therefore, you can’t have a crocodile or an exotic animal as your emotional support animal if it is illegal to own one in your state.
Note that emotional support cats are exempt from breed restrictions. If there’s a specific cat breed restriction where you live, having the proper documentation for your animal will make them exempt from such restrictions. However, this doesn’t mean that you can have a lion as an emotional support cat just because they are also felines. It only covers specific cat breeds.
Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals Without an ESA Letter?
A cat doesn’t need to have an ESA letter to be your emotional support animal and provide therapeutic benefits. However, all animals require an ESA letter written by a licensed mental health professional in order to be legally recognized as one. Without it, your cat won’t be considered an emotional support animal and will not have the legal protections granted to emotional support animals.
If you want your cat to be your emotional support animal or want to get a cat to be your emotional support cat, you will first need to speak with a mental health professional.
However, there’s no guarantee that they will write an ESA letter. It all comes down to your condition, whether the mental health professional knows how to issue an ESA letter, and whether or not an emotional support cat can help ease your symptoms. Take this into consideration to prevent having false hopes that you will easily get an ESA letter.
Do I Need to Train an Emotional Support Cat?
According to US Service Animals’ emotional support cat guide, emotional support animals in general, not just cats, don’t have any training requirements. The training requirements are only there for service animals, which cats can’t be, as the Americans With Disabilities Act only allows dogs to be service animals.
Therefore, no, you won’t need to teach your cat any tricks or manners in order for them to be an emotional support animal. As long as you have a valid ESA letter issued to you by a licensed mental health professional, you will meet all the requirements.
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