Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals?

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

Cats are often discredited as aloof, unemotional creatures, especially in comparison to dogs. Some people scoff at the idea of them providing comfort and support to their people, but we know that cats provide love and companionship, and often make us laugh even in dark times.

That said, can cats be emotional support animals? The answer is yes! Any pet can be an emotional support animal, and cats are a great choice.

Are you considering documenting your cat as an emotional support animal, or adopting a cat to help with your mental health? Below, we’ll discuss the documentation process, who can benefit from an emotional support animal, and what this title means legally.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?

An emotional support animal, or ESA, is a companion pet that helps to relieve symptoms connected to a psychological disability. They’re often helpful for people with mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar, or those with anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Emotional support animals have a poor reputation due to some people misusing the label in an attempt to bring a poorly-behaved pet into public spaces or to get out of paying pet deposits. However, for someone with a genuine mental health condition, an emotional support animal can help to relieve their struggles and make life easier.

For instance, for a depressed person suffering from executive dysfunction, an ESA may be the reason they get out of bed in the morning. Feeding and playing with their cat may help them to establish a daily routine.

Unlike service animals, emotional support animals don’t require certification or training. Any pet can be an emotional support animal if they help to relieve symptoms, even if they’re just being their cute selves!

On the other hand, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.”

Another difference between the two is that cats cannot be service animals. Only dogs and miniature horses can legally qualify for that role, but any pet can be an emotional support animal.

Legal Protections for ESAs

Kirsten McCarthy / cats.com

Emotional support animals have unique rights when it comes to housing. Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), ESAs are not considered pets. Rather, they’re a disability aid.

This means that landlords cannot refuse housing or issue pet fees in regards to ESAs. This is part of the requirement for all housing providers to provide reasonable accommodation to those with disabilities.

If you have an ESA, your landlord can ask for an ESA letter from a mental health provider. However, you do not have to provide them with details about your disability or your symptoms. That information can stay between you and your doctor.

Official certification for ESAs does not exist and isn’t required by law.

While ESAs used to have additional rights when it comes to flying in-cabin with their owners, this is no longer the case due to an amendment to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which no longer defines ESAs as service animals.

You also cannot bring an emotional support cat into places that prohibit cats or pets as a whole.

Why Do Cats Make Good ESAs?

While any animal could potentially be an ESA, cats are an ideal option because they’re naturally affectionate and intelligent animals. They’re often very attuned to subtle changes or emotional shifts that even humans may miss in ourselves and each other.

Cats are typically quiet animals, and even chatty cats don’t bark loud enough to disturb the neighbors, like a dog might. They also tend to be more independent than dogs. If you have time to feed them, scoop the litter box, and play for 30-45 minutes a day, you’re on the right path.

Cats can be easier to handle for people who also have physical disabilities, as they don’t require daily walks and weigh little compared to many dog breeds.

While some cats are aloof compared to dogs, others are incredibly emotionally intelligent and are desperate to comfort their people when they’re feeling down. It’s all about finding the right personality!

Once you find that perfect fit, you can start to develop the kind of bond that will uplift you in times of hardship and leave you feeling fuller and more optimistic. Emotional support cats can provide companionship, comfort, and unconditional love to those who need it most.

How to Get an ESA?

Kirsten McCarthy / Cats.com

If you struggle with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental illnesses, you may benefit from adopting an emotional support animal.

Consulting with a doctor or trained healthcare professional can help you determine whether or not adopting a cat is the right option for you, since ultimately having an ESA means taking on all of the responsibilities that come with pet ownership.

You’ll also want to consider the assistance you want from an ESA and if a cat fits that description. Once you’ve decided to adopt, there are two primary avenues to consider:

• Adopting from a shelter, rescue, or rehoming site
• Purchasing a kitten from a breeder

When adopting, make sure to ask questions about the cat’s temperament. Keep in mind that cats may behave differently in a shelter environment than they do in a home, so adopting from a foster or rehoming situation may give you a better picture of their full personality.

Another option is to choose a breed with a temperament suiting your needs. This isn’t foolproof, since every cat is an individual and kittens’ personalities may change as they age. For instance, a cuddly kitten may gain independence as they grow older.

When purchasing a kitten, be sure to choose a reputable breeder that performs genetic health screening, provides references to their veterinarian and former clients, and puts health and temperament above looks. Red flags include having many litters available at once, not allowing you to see the environment the kittens are raised in, and charging more for kittens of a specific color.

Reputable breeders care where their cats end up. They’ll ask questions to ensure your home and lifestyle are suitable for a kitten. Their contract will stipulate that the kitten be returned to the breeder if you can no longer care for them, no matter your reasons or how long it’s been.

How to Register Your Cat as an ESA

Fortunately, there isn’t a specific registry or legal process that you need to jumpstart in order to get emotional support from your pet. In fact, documenting your pet as an ESA is completely voluntary unless you’re trying to rent with protections from the FHA.

While you’ll find sites offering to certify or register your ESA, these are scams designed to profit off of unnecessary services. The only document you need is an ESA letter from your mental health provider.

Some states require that you see a mental health provider for 30 days before obtaining an ESA letter, so be sure to check your local laws.

Online resources to help you obtain an ESA letter include:

• CertaPet
• Pettable
• Emotional Pet Support
• ESA Doctors

You can also speak to a local mental health professional or your current therapist and ask them to write an ESA letter for you.

We recommend avoiding services that charge extra fees, offer to register your cat into a database, or offer unnecessary accessories such as vests or ID tags.

Lastly, remember to only register your cat as an ESA if you have a disability and they help you to manage your symptoms. People who aren’t disabled trying to pass their pets off as emotional support animals have done harm to the disabled community, as laws have become more stringent and landlords less accepting of true accommodations