Cats, without a doubt, are one of the most common household pets (second after dogs in most states), but they are much more than pets for tens of thousands of individuals struggling with a psychiatric disability. A cat can provide comfort, routine, companionship, and a calming presence that makes daily life easier to manage for individuals with certain mental disabilities.
Given that there’s a law that protects emotional support animals, many wonder whether cats can be emotional support animals. If you’re asking the same, “can cats be emotional support animals?”, this article is for you. We will take a close look at whether cats can become emotional support animals. Read on to learn all you need to know.
Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals?
The short answer is yes, cats can be emotional support animals. Contrary to what many people believe, an emotional support animal doesn’t have to be a dog – that goes for service animals, though miniature horses can also be service animals, but this is very rare.
In fact, since cats are among the most popular pets, they are also one of the most popular emotional support animals. There are tens of thousands of individuals who rely on cats as ESAs to alleviate their symptoms. These cats are particularly helpful to individuals diagnosed with conditions like anxiety, depression, dissociative disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, it is important to understand that a cat doesn’t automatically become an emotional support animal just because they have therapeutic benefits. There’s a process that owners must go through to obtain an ESA letter. They must first establish a therapeutic relationship with a licensed mental health professional in their state and have them write an ESA letter recommending an emotional support animal for their disability.
What Other Animals Can Be Emotional Support Animals?
Dogs and cats aren’t the only animals that can be emotional support animals. Any animal that an individual is legally allowed to have in their state of residence can technically become an emotional support animal. Common emotional support animals include birds, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other small domesticated animals.
However, any animal can become an emotional support animal, as long as the animal’s presence helps alleviate the owner’s symptoms. For example, as surprising as it may sound, even fish can become an emotional support animal, with many individuals finding comfort in the routine required to care for them, like feeding, taking care of the tank, and so on.
Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals Without an ESA Letter?
A cat can provide emotional support through companionship without an ESA letter, but they will not have any legal recognition without one. This means that you can’t have a cat as your emotional support animal without an ESA letter. An ESA letter is what allows you to request reasonable accommodation from your landlord. If you don’t have an ESA letter, your cat will be treated as a regular pet, allowing your landlord to apply pet rules for your cat.
It is also critical to differentiate the rights of emotional support animals and service animals. Even if you have an ESA letter for a cat, they’re not going to have public access rights. You can’t take them to public places without complying with pet policies. Only service animals have this right, as it is given to them by the Americans with Disabilities Act, whereas emotional support animals only have protections under the Fair Housing Act.
Getting an ESA Letter for a Cat
Now that you have a clear answer to if cats can be emotional support animals, let’s take a look at getting an ESA letter to conclude our article.
To get an ESA letter for a cat, you must speak with a licensed mental health professional. They must determine that an emotional support animal, a cat in this case, would be an appropriate means of treatment for you. If they believe that an emotional support animal is appropriate for you, they will write an ESA letter that you can then use for requesting reasonable accommodation for your emotional support cat.
However, note that certain states require patients and providers to have a therapeutic relationship that’s at least 30 days before they can write an ESA letter. These states include Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, and Montana. If you live in these states, your provider can write an ESA letter only 30 days after the first session takes place. Keep this in mind before searching for a provider to speak about getting an ESA letter.
