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

The bottom line:

  • Service Animal vs. ESA: Service animals can only be dogs where ESAs tin be whatsoever pet. Additionally service animals need to meet a certain standard of preparation whereas an emotional back up animate being does not.
  • How To Qualify For An ESA: A licensed mental wellness professional person in your state needs to evaluate you and recommend an ESA for you lot to qualify.
  • Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals: Yes they can.
  • How To Brand My True cat An Emotional Support Creature: Connect with a licensed mental health professional in your country to encounter if yous qualify. We recommend using a reputable telehealth service so you can connect with 1 quickly and from the comfort of your own home.
  • Best Emotional Support Animal Service
    • OUR Top Pick – Pettable: But service offering a satisfaction guarantee, meaning your letter works or your money back.
    • Runner Up – Certapet
    • Alternative – US Service Animals

Cheque out our top selection

There are many reasons that a person may cull to speak to their physician or mental wellness provider about owning an emotional support animal. Any the reason may exist, the procedure to discuss your needs for an ESA doesn't have to be long and backbreaking. If you take considered speaking to your provider about an emotional back up fauna, hither are some things to keep in mind.

What is an emotional support 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 wellness weather condition that can disrupt one's day-to-day life activities and include atmospheric condition like anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and clinical depression.

An emotional support animal tin can be a not bad nugget to anyone who lives with these conditions. An ESA can offering comfort and support to its owner among stressful situations. If yous have talked to a medical professional person and notice that an emotional support pet is correct for y'all, don't feel limited by the type of pet you own. If you already ain a pet, your pet doesn't need to be a specific type of beast to be an ESA.

Tin cats exist emotional back up animals?

When you lot imagine an emotional back up animal, yous might picture a service dog. Just ESAs are non limited to simply emotional support dogs. The process to obtain an ESA letter for an emotional support dog is the same for whatever animal. Unremarkably, any domesticated animal can serve you equally an emotional support pet. You might be surprised by the types of animals that make the best ESAs. While emotional support dogs brand great ESAs, so practise rabbits, mini pigs, miniature horses, and cats. Cats can certainly make excellent emotional support animals for several reasons. Cats may have a listen of their own at times, but they tin can also be appreciating and perceptive to their possessor'southward emotions.

If you remember some dogs are too rambunctious, cats brand a great culling to someone who wants their pet to serve them as an emotional support cat. Cats are smaller than dogs and tin can manage their energy levels improve than some dogs. Cats typically create a calming presence in their owners' homes past bonding with their owners and developing a sense of companionship. Cats can be an splendid course of emotional support for individuals that live with feet, depression, or other mental health conditions. If you have a cat and want your true cat to serve yous as an ESA, you get-go need to qualify for an emotional support cat.

How to authorize for an emotional support cat?

In that location is a very simple requirement to qualify for an emotional support true cat. If y'all feel debilitated by a mental health upshot, you may benefit from your pet serving yous as an ESA. If y'all observe that things like anxiety, low, PTSD, or other mental health struggles bear on your daily life, you may qualify for an emotional support cat. First, yous will need to hash out your concerns with a medical professional to determine whether your cat tin can serve you as an emotional support animal. Because the requirements to qualify for an ESA are emotional challenges, you will demand to discuss your concerns with a licensed mental health professional.

Once yous hash out your needs with a medical professional, you volition demand to complete the necessary steps to become an official ESA alphabetic character. When you have documentation from a medical professional person stating that you need an ESA, you then qualify for your cat to exist an emotional support cat. The process to qualify for an emotional support cat is a elementary one, and at that place are endless benefits for your true cat to exist an emotional back up animal.

Benefits of Having an Emotional Support Cat

The benefits to an ESA are as personal as the bond you share with your pet. But in that location are some benefits that all ESA owners will feel when they speak to a medical professional nearly owning an emotional support true cat.

They Offer Emotional Support

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

ESAs Ease Travel Anxiety

Traveling is a stressful ordeal for about people. When you lot travel with an ESA, your pet can help calm some of those traveling nerves. When you lot choose to travel with your pet, some airlines will honor the ESA letter y'all have for your pet. This will let you to travel with your emotional support pet, which can ease the anxiety that comes with traveling. You lot will have to check with individual airlines because the rules often change, only information technology's worth checking if your ESA can calm your travel anxiety.

Avert Pet Deposit Fees

When y'all have an ESA, you make it clear that yous take a medical demand to own your pet. Considering your pet supports your mental health, you can show your official ESA letter of the alphabet to your landlord so that your pet deposit fees are waived. This will permit y'all to live with your pet without any worry or fees.

These are just a few of the benefits that come with having an ESA true cat. If yous already own a cat, the process to make your true cat an emotional back up true cat is simple.

How to brand my true cat an emotional back up animal?

If yous already own a true cat, you lot tin can talk over your needs to take your cat serve yous equally an ESA cat. You can start past asking yourself if your cat offers you emotional support in your daily life. If your cat gives yous emotional support, then at that place isn't much else you need to practice to make your true cat an ESA. Your cat doesn't need to become through any special preparation to be an emotional back up cat for y'all. Your cat may be doing the chore of an ESA for you because your cat is already a companion to you lot.

Because an emotional support animal doesn't need special training to become an ESA, your cat can serve you lot every bit an ESA because information technology is already a part of your family. When yous speak to a medical professional person and talk over your need for an ESA, you lot won't need to do annihilation else to make your true cat an emotional back up animal. One time yous decide that your true cat is a good fit as an ESA for you, in that location are several ways to get your ESA alphabetic character .

All-time Emotional Support Animal Alphabetic character Services

The emotional support animate being qualification process does not need to exist hard. Hither are some reputable establishments that can help you get your official ESA letter of the alphabet.

Pettable

Pettable Website

Pros:

  • Fast turnaround time
  • Quick and easy online process
  • Offers an online prequalification quiz
  • Official letters that are compliant with federal laws
  • Full coin-back guarantee
  • Fantabulous customer service

Cons:

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

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

Pettable online process

Pettable's process for an ESA letter is quick, easy, and online, and then yous tin complete the necessary steps from your home. That fashion, you can avoid waiting in long lines to discuss your need for an ESA with a medical professional. Commencement, you'll take a quiz to lucifer yourself with a mental health provider. Then y'all'll have a consultation with this medical professional. Pettable also provides you with an official ESA letter that is compliant with federal laws. Y'all can easily download your official ESA letter to your phone. This gives you easy access to your ESA letter of the alphabet and tin profoundly benefit yous when y'all need your letter quickly and on hand. You tin also print a copy of your letter to share with your landlord. Pettable is an fantabulous site to consider when you decide you may benefit from an emotional support animal. There are many benefits that Pettable offers that you may not receive with other establishments.

While Pettable'south process is online, the consultation yous'll need to have with a medical professional is only offered over the phone. This is a necessary pace to receive your ESA recommendation. Once you complete the consultation with a medical professional, they will make up one's mind if you could do good from an emotional support fauna. If the medical professional decides that you lot authorize, yous will receive your ESA letter in only 24 hours. Pettable is just i of several options to talk over your needs for an emotional back up animal.

CertaPet

CertaPet

Pros:

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

Cons:

  • Your consultation fee is non-refundable
  • Multiple support animals and additional add-ons are charged extra
  • Requires alphabetic character fee payment earlier evaluation
  • Customers will receive a full refund if they are non approved, less a $35 fee .

CertaPet is some other example of a reputable establishment that can assist you determine if you lot need an emotional support pet. CertaPet offers several benefits to individuals seeking a quick, easy process to discuss their needs for an ESA. First, CertaPet has a fast turnaround process, just equally Pettable does. The process that CertaPet offers to decide your needs for an ESA is quite simple.

Beginning, yous merely demand to have five minutes out of your day to participate in a free screening on CertaPet's website. This screening will give you lot an thought of whether y'all are a good candidate for an ESA or not. Subsequently the screening, you lot will take a consultation with a licensed medical professional via a telehealth appointment. Lastly, if the medical professional person feels that yous would do good from having an emotional support brute, you volition receive a re-create of an official ESA letter.

And then, you can print your alphabetic character, or CertaPet can mail an official letter to you lot. The official letter that you receive through CertaPet is recognized by federal and state laws. The process to obtain your ESA alphabetic character through CertaPet is quick and uncomplicated. While CertaPet has many benefits, there is merely one significant drawback to Cert Pet'southward process.

When you consummate the consultation with CertaPet, you lot volition need to pay a small, non-refundable fee of $35. This is i downside among many benefits that CertaPet offers. CertaPet is dedicated to providing a streamlined, piece of cake-to-utilise process to all individuals seeking an emotional support pet. While you may experience that an ESA is correct for you lot, CertaPet can help you know for sure later on you lot speak to one of their licensed medical professionals. Pettable and CertaPet are excellent options to decide if you would benefit from an ESA, and US Service Animals is another option.

U.s.a. Service Animals

US Service Animals

Pros:

  • Lifetime acknowledgement for pets
  • Ever available for follow up questions
  • Offers multilingual customer back up

Cons:

  • Charges money for unnecessary registration services
  • Does non offering separate housing and travel ESA letters
  • Not all pets qualify as US Service Animals

There are several things to consider when deciding on which service to utilize to discuss your needs for an emotional support fauna. If y'all determine your pet would serve you best as a US Service Animate being, the process to do and then is quick and easy. But proceed in mind, not all pets volition hands qualify every bit a US service pet. Beginning, y'all demand to enter your pet's information into the United states Service Animal official website.

Later you enter your pet's information, speak to a medical professional, and put your pet in the The states Service Animals system, you will receive your service letter and ID card. U.s. Service Animals will send your carte du jour to you in the mail service and digitally. In that location are several benefits once you successfully discuss your needs for your pet to serve you equally a US service pet. Your pet will have a lifetime acknowledgement every bit a US service pet once it'due south officially a U.s. service pet.

You volition also have access to the United states of america Service Animals helpline if you lot take whatsoever questions or need any farther help with your service pet. Once you discuss your needs for a service pet with a medical professional and qualify, you will as well have access to the The states Service Animal legal team. This can be beneficial if you feel your rights take been violated equally an ESA possessor. These are all benefits to go along in listen if you make up one's mind that your pet will serve you lot as an emotional support animal.

The master downside of pursuing a US Service Animals alphabetic character for your pet is that non all pets will hands authorize as US service pets. At that place are several things to keep in mind if you decide that your pet will all-time serve you as either a service pet or an emotional support pet. You need to consider the look fourth dimension for an official letter of the alphabet, whether you will have a consultation with a licensed medical professional, and the ease of the process to hash out your mental health needs. Another important consideration is whether or not your animal qualifies as an ESA or a service pet.

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

An emotional support beast (ESA), or a back up beast, is a pet whose presence is deemed by a professional to provide benefits for people who suffer from mental illnesses. Those who authorize accept mental wellness weather that tin can disrupt one'southward mean solar day-to-solar day life activities and include conditions similar anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and clinical low.

ESAs differ from service animals in that service animals are specifically trained to perform a variety of tasks (i.e., detect seizures earlier they strike, provide deep pressure therapy, bring medication to their handler.) While information technology is typical for a domestic dog to be registered equally 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 ways that, if you accept a cat, and you are deemed qualified by a mental wellness professional —yous can register your feline companion equally an ESA. Still, there are quite a few things that you have to consider before registering your cat as an emotional service animal.

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

The but kind of registration that you will need is your ESA letter from a therapist. In that location is no official register that y'all are legally required to sign your cat upward for. Additionally, an emotional support cat doesn't take to article of clothing a special vest or tag of whatsoever sort, declaring your companion's status equally a support animal.

Beware of scammers

Because the process for registering your cat as an ESA is adequately unproblematic and straightforward and non at all as stringent as registering a service beast, there are many companies taking advantage of this fact and merits that they can "officially certify" your ESA. Without any prior knowledge of ESAs, a pet owner could finish up paying coin for an illegitimate document or phony certification. Unlike support animals, an ESA is not guaranteed into any venue.

Your ESA is covered under the Fair Housing Act

This deed states that your landlord must provide reasonable accommodations to you and your ESA; however, if it imposes any financial or administrative strain on your landlord, your landlord tin can also refuse your ESA through legal proceedings. This is also possible if you take an ESA that is very large (i.e., a horse.)

Housing that isn't covered by FHA

Rental spaces of four units or less (where the possessor is really living in 1 of the units), single family unit homes that are sold/rented by the possessor without the use 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 Act (ACAA)

Your emotional service brute may be able to travel with you within the airplane cabin simply due to significant corruption of this regulation , information technology is currently under scrutiny and the rules may change. Obtaining a alphabetic character from a licensed professional is crucial in having your companion fly with you lot. Make sure you accept the letter dated no later than one year before you utilise it. Contact your airline a few days before your scheduled flying to make proper arrangements.

Emotional Back up Animals and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, emotional support animals are not considered service animals. This is a really important distinction considering back up animals do not enjoy the same blazon of access as service animals. Services animals are specifically trained to perform a specific chore for their owner and they are not viewed as pets, but workers. Service animals help blind people get effectually, help those with epilepsy know when a seizure will strike 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 allowed to be service animals, provided they were trained. Those who accept a service cat that was previously certified are usually grandfathered into the program… but cats are no longer allowed to be considered service animals.

Frequently Asked Questions Nearly Support Cats

Are cats good for emotional support?

Cats are affectionate and tin easily bail with their caregivers. Cats are minor, quiet, clean, and tin oft exist compassionate animals. Because of this, cats provide emotional support to their owners and make splendid emotional support animals.

How to register a cat every bit an emotional support animal?

While you don't need to have an ESA pet, the process is simple if you decide to discuss your medical needs for an ESA pet with a doctor.  You lot will need to complete a short screening and have a consultation with a licensed medical professional who volition determine if you lot authorize for an ESA true cat letter today.

Can a landlord refuse an emotional support true cat?

No. If your emotional back up cat does not pose a threat to others, your landlord cannot refuse your emotional support fauna. Under the Fair Housing Human activity, a landlord cannot refuse a tenant because they have a pet if that pet is an ESA.

How much does an emotional cat cost?

When yous seek out an emotional back up cat, you volition ordinarily need to pay the fees for your screening and your consultation with a medical professional. This price ranges depending on which institution you utilize to become your ESA letter.

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

No. Pet deposit fees are waived one time you have your official ESA alphabetic character and you share your letter with your landlord. It is unlawful for your landlord to charge y'all a pet eolith when your pet is an emotional support cat.

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