Many consider dogs as emotional support animals for their specific needs. However, you can also receive the required emotional support from cats to manage your mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.
Cats provide the same love and companionship as dogs, and many mental health professionals believe that spending time with cats can help people promote mental wellness.
What’s an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal (ESA) refers to any animal that brings comfort to an individual suffering from a mental health condition. An emotional support cat or dog is more than just a pet, helping a mentally disable person lead a healthy lifestyle.
It’s necessary to note that ESAs are different from service animals, and perform the different functions. Emotional support animals don’t require any specific training to do their job. However, you should train it how to behave in public, so that it doesn’t cause harm to anyone.
ESA owners enjoy various benefits-
Legal permission to fly with the ESA- The Air Carrier Access Act allows you to fly with your emotional support animal in the cabin without paying an extra pet travel fee. To avail this benefit, you need to your airline with an ESA letter for flying.
Legal permission to live with the ESA- The Fair Housing Act allows you to live with your ESA without paying any extra pet deposits. You need to provide your homeowner with an ESA letter for housing to get this benefit.
Do you Qualify for an Emotional Support Cat?
Any patient with anxiety, depression, PTSD or any other mental health condition can apply for an emotional support animal letter. But, that’s not enough. You must talk to a licensed mental health practitioner, and receive your ESA letter. In this digital world, it has become easier for patients to receive their emotional support animal letter from the comfort of their sweet homes.
Here’s how can you get an ESA letter online-
- Find a licensed mental health professional to apply for your ESA letter.
- Sign up your account providing your personal and medical details
- Chat with the therapist over your digital device
- Receive your emotional support animal letter in PDF format. You can download the letter and use it.
When talking to the therapist online, have an open discussion related to your condition and provide all your medical reports. Remember, you will receive your ESA letter only after the therapist’s approval. Be honest and don’t try to conceal anything.
There’s no doubt that cats are popular choices for pets. According to the ASPCA, cats require much less food, fewer trips, and toys, thus have much less pet care cost as compared to dogs. Having a cat as an emotional support animal is a great way to receive unconditional love and much-needed emotional support to deal with your condition. To receive continuous emotional support from your cat, you need to register it as an emotional support animal by getting an ESA letter signed by a licensed mental health professional. With an ESA letter, you can legally live or fly with your emotional support cat without paying extra money.