Original Guest post by Lexi Carr; updated by Lauren Mieli on 2/8/2022

The lesser line:

  • Service Animate being vs. ESA: Service animals can only be dogs where ESAs can be any pet. Additionally service animals need to meet a certain standard of preparation whereas an emotional support animal does non.
  • How To Qualify For An ESA: A licensed mental health professional person in your land needs to evaluate you and recommend an ESA for you to qualify.
  • Can Cats Exist Emotional Back up Animals: Yes they can.
  • How To Make My Cat An Emotional Support Brute: Connect with a licensed mental health professional person in your state to see if yous qualify. We recommend using a reputable telehealth service so you can connect with one quickly and from the comfort of your own home.
  • Best Emotional Support Animal Service
    • OUR Top Pick – Pettable: Only service offering a satisfaction guarantee, meaning your letter of the alphabet works or your money back.
    • Runner Up – Certapet
    • Culling – US Service Animals

Cheque out our top pick

There are many reasons that a person may choose to speak to their doctor or mental health provider about owning an emotional support animal. Any the reason may be, the procedure to discuss your needs for an ESA doesn't accept to be long and arduous. If you take considered speaking to your provider about an emotional support animal, here are some things to keep in mind.

What is an emotional support animal?

An emotional support beast (ESA), or a support creature, is a pet whose presence is accounted by a professional to provide benefits for people who suffer from mental illnesses. Those who qualify have mental health weather that can disrupt one'south solar day-to-solar day life activities and include conditions like anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and clinical depression.

An emotional back up animal tin exist a great nugget to anyone who lives with these weather condition. An ESA can offer condolement and support to its owner amid stressful situations. If yous take talked to a medical professional and observe that an emotional back up pet is right for you, don't experience limited past the type of pet you own. If you already own a pet, your pet doesn't need to be a specific type of creature to be an ESA.

Can cats be emotional support animals?

When y'all imagine an emotional support animal, you might moving-picture show a service domestic dog. Just ESAs are not limited to just emotional back up dogs. The procedure to obtain an ESA letter for an emotional support domestic dog is the aforementioned for any animal. Usually, any domesticated brute can serve you lot equally an emotional back up pet. You might exist surprised by the types of animals that make the best ESAs. While emotional support dogs brand cracking ESAs, then do rabbits, mini pigs, miniature horses, and cats. Cats can certainly make excellent emotional back up animals for several reasons. Cats may take a mind of their own at times, but they tin as well be affectionate and perceptive to their owner's emotions.

If you recollect some dogs are too rambunctious, cats brand a great alternative to someone who wants their pet to serve them as an emotional support true cat. Cats are smaller than dogs and tin manage their energy levels better than some dogs. Cats typically create a calming presence in their owners' homes by bonding with their owners and developing a sense of companionship. Cats can exist an excellent course of emotional support for individuals that alive with feet, depression, or other mental health conditions. If you lot accept a cat and want your cat to serve you as an ESA, you first need to qualify for an emotional back up cat.

How to authorize for an emotional back up cat?

There is a very simple requirement to qualify for an emotional back up true cat. If you experience debilitated by a mental wellness consequence, you may benefit from your pet serving you as an ESA. If y'all find that things similar feet, depression, PTSD, or other mental wellness struggles touch your daily life, you may authorize for an emotional back up cat. First, you lot will need to hash out your concerns with a medical professional person to determine whether your cat tin can serve you as an emotional support beast. Because the requirements to qualify for an ESA are emotional challenges, you will need to discuss your concerns with a licensed mental health professional person.

In one case you discuss your needs with a medical professional, you lot will need to complete the necessary steps to go an official ESA letter of the alphabet. When you accept documentation from a medical professional stating that y'all demand an ESA, you then qualify for your cat to be an emotional support cat. The process to authorize for an emotional support cat is a simple 1, and there are countless benefits for your true cat to be an emotional support animal.

Benefits of Having an Emotional Back up True cat

The benefits to an ESA are equally personal every bit the bond you share with your pet. Just there are some benefits that all ESA owners will experience when they speak to a medical professional person near owning an emotional support true cat.

They Offer Emotional Back up

Only as the name states, an emotional back up brute supports you emotionally, whether you struggle with PTSD, anxiety , depression, emotional disabilities, or other mental health struggles. ESAs are companions for their owners through difficult times that otherwise have the potential to derail an entire mean solar day. With an ESA, y'all're given emotional comfort in hard times.

ESAs Ease Travel Feet

Traveling is a stressful ordeal for about people. When you travel with an ESA, your pet can help at-home some of those traveling nerves. When you choose to travel with your pet, some airlines will honor the ESA letter you have for your pet. This volition let y'all to travel with your emotional back up pet, which tin ease the anxiety that comes with traveling. You lot will have to check with private airlines considering the rules oft change, but information technology's worth checking if your ESA can calm your travel feet.

Avoid Pet Deposit Fees

When you take an ESA, you lot brand information technology articulate that yous take a medical demand to own your pet. Because your pet supports your mental wellness, you can show your official ESA letter to your landlord so that your pet deposit fees are waived. This volition allow you to alive with your pet without any worry or fees.

These are just a few of the benefits that come with having an ESA cat. If you already ain a true cat, the process to make your true cat an emotional support cat is unproblematic.

How to make my true cat an emotional support animal?

If you already own a cat, you can discuss your needs to have your cat serve you equally an ESA true cat. Y'all tin can first by asking yourself if your cat offers you emotional support in your daily life. If your true cat gives y'all emotional support, then in that location isn't much else you demand to practice to make your true cat an ESA. Your cat doesn't need to go through whatever special training to exist an emotional support cat for yous. Your true cat may be doing the job of an ESA for you lot considering your cat is already a companion to you.

Because an emotional back up animal doesn't need special grooming to become an ESA, your cat tin can serve you as an ESA because it is already a part of your family. When you speak to a medical professional and discuss your need for an ESA, you won't need to practice anything else to make your cat an emotional back up animate being. One time you determine that your cat is a expert fit as an ESA for you, there are several ways to become your ESA alphabetic character .

Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services

The emotional support beast qualification process does not demand to exist hard. Here are some reputable establishments that can help you get your official ESA letter.

Pettable

Pettable Website

Pros:

  • Fast turnaround time
  • Quick and piece of cake online process
  • Offers an online prequalification quiz
  • Official letters that are compliant with federal laws
  • Full money-back guarantee
  • Excellent customer service

Cons:

  • Pre-screening quiz requires your email address and telephone number
  • Information about pricing is not provided upfront
  • Consultations with a medical professional person are only done by telephone

When yous pursue an official ESA letter through Pettable , there are some upsides and downsides to consider. When you use Pettable to speak to a medical professional about an ESA letter, Pettable offers a quick turnaround time. After you complete the necessary steps, you lot will receive your recommendation to have an ESA from a licensed medical professional person inside 24 hours. This is a benefit to anyone that needs their official ESA letter within a specific time frame. Another benefit of Pettable is its quick and easy online process.

Pettable online process

Pettable's procedure for an ESA letter is quick, easy, and online, so you tin can complete the necessary steps from your domicile. That mode, you can avoid waiting in long lines to talk over your need for an ESA with a medical professional. Commencement, you'll take a quiz to match yourself with a mental health provider. Then you'll take a consultation with this medical professional. Pettable also provides you lot with an official ESA alphabetic character that is compliant with federal laws. You can hands download your official ESA letter of the alphabet to your phone. This gives yous like shooting fish in a barrel admission to your ESA letter and can greatly benefit you when you need your letter quickly and on hand. You lot can also print a copy of your letter to share with your landlord. Pettable is an excellent site to consider when you decide yous may benefit from an emotional support animate being. There are many benefits that Pettable offers that you may not receive with other establishments.

While Pettable's procedure is online, the consultation you'll need to have with a medical professional is only offered over the phone. This is a necessary step to receive your ESA recommendation. In one case you complete the consultation with a medical professional, they volition determine if you could do good from an emotional support animal. If the medical professional person decides that you qualify, you will receive your ESA letter in only 24 hours. Pettable is only one of several options to hash out your needs for an emotional support animate being.

CertaPet

CertaPet

Pros:

  • Fast turnaround process
  • Consultation with a licensed medical professional
  • Official letters that are compliant with state and federal laws
  • Offers both ESA and PSD (psychiatric service dog) consultations, for dwelling house and travel purposes.
  • Over seven,500 5-Star Reviews
  • Serves U.S. and Canadian residents

Cons:

  • Your consultation fee is non-refundable
  • Multiple support animals and additional add-ons are charged extra
  • Requires letter fee payment before evaluation
  • Customers volition receive a total refund if they are not approved, less a $35 fee .

CertaPet is some other example of a reputable establishment that can help y'all determine if yous need an emotional support pet. CertaPet offers several benefits to individuals seeking a quick, easy process to discuss their needs for an ESA. Commencement, CertaPet has a fast turnaround process, just as Pettable does. The process that CertaPet offers to decide your needs for an ESA is quite uncomplicated.

Offset, you merely need to take five minutes out of your 24-hour interval to participate in a complimentary screening on CertaPet's website. This screening volition give you an idea of whether you are a good candidate for an ESA or not. After the screening, you volition accept a consultation with a licensed medical professional via a telehealth appointment. Lastly, if the medical professional person feels that y'all would do good from having an emotional support animal, you will receive a copy of an official ESA alphabetic character.

Then, y'all can print your alphabetic character, or CertaPet can postal service an official letter to you. The official letter that you receive through CertaPet is recognized by federal and land laws. The process to obtain your ESA letter through CertaPet is quick and simple. While CertaPet has many benefits, in that location is only i significant drawback to Cert Pet's process.

When you complete the consultation with CertaPet, yous will need to pay a small, not-refundable fee of $35. This is one downside amongst many benefits that CertaPet offers. CertaPet is dedicated to providing a streamlined, piece of cake-to-use procedure to all individuals seeking an emotional support pet. While you may feel that an ESA is correct for you, CertaPet can assist you know for certain after you speak to ane of their licensed medical professionals. Pettable and CertaPet are excellent options to make up one's mind if y'all would do good from an ESA, and United states of america Service Animals is another option.

US Service Animals

US Service Animals

Pros:

  • Lifetime acknowledgement for pets
  • E'er available for follow up questions
  • Offers multilingual customer support

Cons:

  • Charges money for unnecessary registration services
  • Does not offer separate housing and travel ESA letters
  • Not all pets qualify as The states Service Animals

There are several things to consider when deciding on which service to utilise to discuss your needs for an emotional support beast. If y'all decide your pet would serve you best every bit a The states Service Animal, the process to do then is quick and piece of cake. Simply keep in mind, not all pets will easily qualify every bit a United states service pet. First, you need to enter your pet's information into the The states Service Creature official website.

After you enter your pet'southward information, speak to a medical professional, and put your pet in the US Service Animals system, you will receive your service letter and ID card. Usa Service Animals will send your card to you in the mail and digitally. In that location are several benefits once y'all successfully discuss your needs for your pet to serve you lot as a US service pet. Your pet will have a lifetime acknowledgement as a US service pet once it'southward officially a United states service pet.

You will also have access to the Usa Service Animals helpline if you have any questions or demand any further aid with your service pet. One time yous discuss your needs for a service pet with a medical professional person and qualify, yous will also have access to the US Service Creature legal team. This tin can be beneficial if you feel your rights have been violated equally an ESA possessor. These are all benefits to keep in mind if y'all decide that your pet will serve you as an emotional support animal.

The primary downside of pursuing a The states Service Animals letter for your pet is that not all pets will hands qualify as Usa service pets. In that location are several things to keep in heed if you decide that your pet volition best serve you as either a service pet or an emotional back up pet. You demand to consider the wait time for an official alphabetic character, whether y'all will have a consultation with a licensed medical professional person, and the ease of the process to discuss your mental health needs. Another of import consideration is whether or not your beast qualifies every bit an ESA or a service pet.

Knowing the difference between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal

An emotional support animal (ESA), or a support animal, is a pet whose presence is deemed by a professional to provide benefits for people who suffer from mental illnesses. Those who qualify have mental health conditions that can disrupt one'due south day-to-mean solar day life activities and include atmospheric condition like anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and clinical depression.

ESAs differ from service animals in that service animals are specifically trained to perform a diverseness of tasks (i.e., find seizures before they strike, provide deep pressure therapy, bring medication to their handler.) While information technology is typical for a canis familiaris to be registered as an ESA, that doesn't necessarily mean that other animals cannot, as there are no rules that specify what an ESA animal should be. This means that, if you have a cat, and y'all are deemed qualified by a mental wellness professional —you can register your feline companion as an ESA. However, there are quite a few things that yous accept to consider before registering your cat every bit an emotional service animal.

There isn't an "official" registration for an Emotional Support true cat

The merely kind of registration that you lot will need is your ESA alphabetic character from a therapist. At that place is no official register that yous are legally required to sign your true cat up for. Additionally, an emotional support cat doesn't take to wear a special vest or tag of whatsoever sort, declaring your companion'south status every bit a support animal.

Beware of scammers

Because the process for registering your true cat as an ESA is fairly simple and straightforward and non at all as stringent as registering a service animal, there are many companies taking advantage of this fact and claim that they can "officially certify" your ESA. Without any prior knowledge of ESAs, a pet owner could terminate up paying money for an illegitimate certificate or phony certification. Dissimilar back up animals, an ESA is non guaranteed into any venue.

Your ESA is covered under the Off-white Housing Human activity

This act states that your landlord must provide reasonable accommodations to you and your ESA; however, if it imposes any fiscal or administrative strain on your landlord, your landlord tin can likewise reject your ESA through legal proceedings. This is also possible if you lot have an ESA that is very large (i.eastward., a horse.)

Housing that isn't covered by FHA

Rental spaces of four units or less (where the owner is actually living in ane of the units), single family unit homes that are sold/rented by the owner without the utilise of a broker, and housing that is operated by private clubs and religious organizations that restrict occupancy to their members are not covered past FHA.

Emotional Support Animals and the Air Carrier Access Deed (ACAA)

Your emotional service fauna may exist able to travel with you inside the airplane cabin but due to significant abuse of this regulation , information technology is currently nether scrutiny and the rules may alter. Obtaining a letter from a licensed professional person is crucial in having your companion wing with you. Brand sure y'all have the letter dated no after than one year earlier you use it. Contact your airline a few days before your scheduled flying to make proper arrangements.

Emotional Support Animals and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Nether the Americans with Disabilities Human action, emotional support animals are not considered service animals. This is a actually important distinction because back up animals do not savor the aforementioned blazon of access as service animals. Services animals are specifically trained to perform a specific task for their owner and they are not viewed as pets, only workers. Service animals assist blind people become effectually, help those with epilepsy know when a seizure volition strike and and so much more than. Today, the ADA will only consider dogs as service animals and they must undergo the appropriate certification. Cats were previously immune to be service animals, provided they were trained. Those who have a service cat that was previously certified are commonly grandfathered into the program… but cats are no longer immune to be considered service animals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Support Cats

Are cats adept for emotional back up?

Cats are appreciating and can easily bail with their caregivers. Cats are small-scale, serenity, clean, and can frequently be empathetic animals. Because of this, cats provide emotional back up to their owners and make excellent emotional support animals.

How to register a true cat equally an emotional support animate being?

While you don't need to accept an ESA pet, the procedure is unproblematic if you decide to discuss your medical needs for an ESA pet with a md.  You will need to consummate a brusk screening and have a consultation with a licensed medical professional who volition decide if you qualify for an ESA true cat letter today.

Can a landlord pass up an emotional support cat?

No. If your emotional support cat does not pose a threat to others, your landlord cannot refuse your emotional support animal. Under the Fair Housing Act, a landlord cannot refuse a tenant considering they accept a pet if that pet is an ESA.

How much does an emotional cat cost?

When you lot seek out an emotional back up cat, you will unremarkably need to pay the fees for your screening and your consultation with a medical professional. This cost ranges depending on which institution you utilize to get your ESA letter.

Are emotional back up cats required to have a pet deposit?

No. Pet deposit fees are waived once you have your official ESA letter and you share your letter with your landlord. It is unlawful for your landlord to charge you a pet deposit when your pet is an emotional support cat.

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