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

The bottom line:

  • Service Animal vs. ESA: Service animals can merely be dogs where ESAs can be any pet. Additionally service animals demand to come across a certain standard of training whereas an emotional support animal does non.
  • How To Qualify For An ESA: A licensed mental wellness professional in your state needs to evaluate you lot and recommend an ESA for you lot to qualify.
  • Can Cats Be Emotional Back up Animals: Yes they can.
  • How To Make My True cat An Emotional Support Animal: Connect with a licensed mental health professional in your country to see if y'all qualify. We recommend using a reputable telehealth service so y'all can connect with one quickly and from the comfort of your own home.
  • Best Emotional Support Animal Service
    • OUR Top Choice – Pettable: Only service offering a satisfaction guarantee, pregnant your letter works or your coin back.
    • Runner Upward – Certapet
    • Alternative – US Service Animals

Check out our summit pick

There are many reasons that a person may cull to speak to their dr. or mental health provider about owning an emotional support fauna. Whatsoever the reason may be, the process to discuss your needs for an ESA doesn't accept to be long and backbreaking. If you lot have considered speaking to your provider nearly an emotional support fauna, here are some things to keep in heed.

What is an emotional support animal?

An emotional support brute (ESA), or a support fauna, is a pet whose presence is deemed past a professional person to provide benefits for people who suffer from mental illnesses. Those who qualify take mental health atmospheric condition that tin disrupt i's day-to-day life activities and include conditions like anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and clinical low.

An emotional back up creature can exist a great asset to anyone who lives with these conditions. An ESA tin can offering comfort and support to its owner amid stressful situations. If you take talked to a medical professional person and find that an emotional support pet is right for you, 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 blazon of beast to exist an ESA.

Can cats be emotional support animals?

When you imagine an emotional support animal, you might movie a service dog. Merely ESAs are not express to only emotional support dogs. The process to obtain an ESA letter for an emotional support dog is the same for any brute. Usually, whatever domesticated animal tin can serve you as an emotional support pet. You lot might exist surprised by the types of animals that make the all-time ESAs. While emotional support dogs brand great ESAs, and so do rabbits, mini pigs, miniature horses, and cats. Cats can certainly make excellent emotional back up animals for several reasons. Cats may have a heed of their own at times, but they tin can also exist affectionate and perceptive to their owner'southward emotions.

If y'all call up some dogs are too rambunctious, cats brand a keen alternative to someone who wants their pet to serve them as an emotional support true cat. Cats are smaller than dogs and can manage their free energy levels improve 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 be an excellent grade of emotional support for individuals that alive with anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions. If yous have a true cat and desire your cat to serve you lot as an ESA, you get-go demand to authorize for an emotional support cat.

How to qualify for an emotional support true cat?

In that location is a very simple requirement to qualify for an emotional support cat. If you experience debilitated by a mental wellness issue, you may do good from your pet serving you as an ESA. If you find that things like anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental wellness struggles impact your daily life, you may qualify for an emotional support cat. First, you will demand to discuss your concerns with a medical professional to determine whether your cat tin can serve you as an emotional back up animal. Considering the requirements to authorize for an ESA are emotional challenges, you will need to discuss your concerns with a licensed mental health professional person.

Once you lot talk over your needs with a medical professional, you will need to complete the necessary steps to go an official ESA letter. When you have documentation from a medical professional person stating that you need an ESA, you then authorize for your true cat to be an emotional support cat. The process to qualify for an emotional support cat is a simple one, and there are countless benefits for your cat to be an emotional back up beast.

Benefits of Having an Emotional Support Cat

The benefits to an ESA are as personal every bit the bond you share with your pet. But there are some benefits that all ESA owners will experience when they speak to a medical professional about owning an emotional back up cat.

They Offering Emotional Support

Just as the name states, an emotional back up animal supports you lot emotionally, whether you struggle with PTSD, feet , depression, emotional disabilities, or other mental wellness struggles. ESAs are companions for their owners through difficult times that otherwise have the potential to derail an entire day. With an ESA, you're given emotional comfort in difficult times.

ESAs Ease Travel Anxiety

Traveling is a stressful ordeal for virtually people. When you lot travel with an ESA, your pet can help calm some of those traveling nerves. When you lot cull to travel with your pet, some airlines will laurels the ESA letter you have for your pet. This will permit y'all to travel with your emotional support pet, which tin can ease the anxiety that comes with traveling. You will have to cheque with individual airlines because the rules often change, but it's worth checking if your ESA can at-home your travel anxiety.

Avoid Pet Deposit Fees

When you have an ESA, you get in articulate that you accept a medical need to own your pet. Because your pet supports your mental health, you can show your official ESA letter to your landlord so that your pet eolith fees are waived. This will allow you to live 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 lot already own a cat, the procedure to make your cat an emotional support cat is simple.

How to make my cat an emotional support animal?

If you lot already ain a cat, you can talk over your needs to have your cat serve you as an ESA cat. You lot can beginning by asking yourself if your true cat offers you emotional support in your daily life. If your true cat gives you emotional back up, then there isn't much else y'all demand to do to brand your cat an ESA. Your cat doesn't need to become through any special training to be an emotional support cat for you. Your cat may be doing the job of an ESA for you considering your true cat is already a companion to you.

Because an emotional support animal doesn't demand special preparation to become an ESA, your cat can serve you as an ESA considering it is already a function of your family. When you speak to a medical professional and hash out your need for an ESA, you lot won't need to practice anything else to make your cat an emotional support fauna. Once yous make up one's mind that your cat is a good fit every bit an ESA for you, there are several ways to get your ESA letter .

Best Emotional Support Beast Letter Services

The emotional back up animal qualification procedure does not need to be difficult. Hither are some reputable establishments that can assistance you get your official ESA letter.

Pettable

Pettable Website

Pros:

  • Fast turnaround fourth dimension
  • Quick and easy online procedure
  • Offers an online prequalification quiz
  • Official letters that are compliant with federal laws
  • Full money-dorsum guarantee
  • First-class 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 are only washed by telephone

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

Pettable online process

Pettable's process for an ESA letter is quick, easy, and online, so you can consummate the necessary steps from your habitation. That way, y'all can avoid waiting in long lines to discuss your demand for an ESA with a medical professional. Starting time, you lot'll have a quiz to match yourself with a mental health provider. And so yous'll have a consultation with this medical professional. Pettable as well provides you with an official ESA letter of the alphabet that is compliant with federal laws. You lot can easily download your official ESA alphabetic character to your phone. This gives you piece of cake access to your ESA alphabetic character and tin can greatly benefit you when you need your letter rapidly and on hand. You lot tin as well impress a copy of your letter of the alphabet to share with your landlord. Pettable is an fantabulous site to consider when you determine you may benefit from an emotional support creature. There are many benefits that Pettable offers that y'all may non receive with other establishments.

While Pettable'south process is online, the consultation you'll need to have with a medical professional is just offered over the telephone. This is a necessary step to receive your ESA recommendation. Once yous consummate the consultation with a medical professional, they will decide if you lot could benefit from an emotional back up animal. If the medical professional decides that you lot qualify, you lot will receive your ESA letter in only 24 hours. Pettable is only one of several options to talk over your needs for an emotional support creature.

CertaPet

CertaPet

Pros:

  • Fast turnaround procedure
  • Consultation with a licensed medical professional
  • Official letters that are compliant with country and federal laws
  • Offers both ESA and PSD (psychiatric service dog) consultations, for dwelling house and travel purposes.
  • Over 7,500 5-Star Reviews
  • Serves U.S. and Canadian residents

Cons:

  • Your consultation fee is not-refundable
  • Multiple back up animals and boosted add-ons are charged extra
  • Requires letter fee payment before evaluation
  • Customers will receive a full refund if they are not approved, less a $35 fee .

CertaPet is another example of a reputable establishment that tin can aid you make up one's mind if y'all demand 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 procedure, but every bit Pettable does. The procedure that CertaPet offers to determine your needs for an ESA is quite unproblematic.

First, you only need to take five minutes out of your day to participate in a free screening on CertaPet'south website. This screening volition give you an thought of whether yous are a good candidate for an ESA or not. After the screening, you will have a consultation with a licensed medical professional person via a telehealth appointment. Lastly, if the medical professional feels that y'all would benefit from having an emotional support animal, you will receive a copy of an official ESA letter.

And so, you can impress your alphabetic character, or CertaPet can post an official letter to you. The official letter that you receive through CertaPet is recognized by federal and state laws. The process to obtain your ESA letter of the alphabet through CertaPet is quick and simple. While CertaPet has many benefits, in that location is only ane significant drawback to Cert Pet'due south procedure.

When yous complete the consultation with CertaPet, you lot will need to pay a small, non-refundable fee of $35. This is one downside among many benefits that CertaPet offers. CertaPet is defended to providing a streamlined, easy-to-use process to all individuals seeking an emotional support pet. While y'all may feel that an ESA is right for you, CertaPet can help you know for sure afterward you speak to i of their licensed medical professionals. Pettable and CertaPet are splendid options to determine if you lot would do good from an ESA, and US Service Animals is some other choice.

Us Service Animals

US Service Animals

Pros:

  • Lifetime acknowledgement for pets
  • Always available for follow upward questions
  • Offers multilingual client support

Cons:

  • Charges money for unnecessary registration services
  • Does not offer separate housing and travel ESA letters
  • Non all pets qualify equally US Service Animals

In that location are several things to consider when deciding on which service to use to discuss your needs for an emotional back up animate being. If you decide your pet would serve you all-time every bit a United states Service Animal, the procedure to exercise then is quick and easy. But proceed in mind, non all pets volition hands qualify every bit a United states of america service pet. Beginning, you lot need to enter your pet's data into the U.s.a. Service Creature official website.

Afterwards yous enter your pet'south information, speak to a medical professional, and put your pet in the US Service Animals arrangement, y'all will receive your service alphabetic character and ID menu. US Service Animals will transport your carte to y'all in the postal service and digitally. There are several benefits once you successfully talk over your needs for your pet to serve you as a U.s.a. service pet. Your pet volition have a lifetime acknowledgement as a The states service pet once it'due south officially a US service pet.

You will besides have access to the United states of america Service Animals helpline if you lot accept whatever questions or need whatsoever further help with your service pet. Once you hash out your needs for a service pet with a medical professional and qualify, y'all will likewise have access to the US Service Animal legal team. This can exist beneficial if you feel your rights have been violated every bit an ESA owner. These are all benefits to continue in mind if you determine that your pet volition serve you as an emotional support brute.

The primary downside of pursuing a US Service Animals letter for your pet is that non all pets will easily qualify as The states service pets. At that place are several things to proceed in listen if you lot decide that your pet volition best serve yous equally either a service pet or an emotional support pet. You need to consider the wait fourth dimension for an official letter, whether you will have a consultation with a licensed medical professional, and the ease of the procedure to discuss your mental health needs. Some other of import consideration is whether or not your animal qualifies equally an ESA or a service pet.

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

An emotional support fauna (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 authorize have mental health conditions that tin disrupt one'south day-to-day life activities and include conditions like feet disorder, panic attacks, and clinical depression.

ESAs differ from service animals in that service animals are specifically trained to perform a variety of tasks (i.e., notice seizures earlier they strike, provide deep pressure therapy, bring medication to their handler.) While it is typical for a canis familiaris to be registered every bit 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 yous have a cat, and you are deemed qualified past a mental health professional —you can register your feline companion every bit an ESA. Notwithstanding, there are quite a few things that you have to consider before registering your cat as an emotional service animal.

In that location isn't an "official" registration for an Emotional Support cat

The merely kind of registration that you will need is your ESA letter from a therapist. In that location is no official annals that you are legally required to sign your cat up for. Additionally, an emotional support cat doesn't have to wear a special vest or tag of any sort, declaring your companion'southward status as a support animal.

Beware of scammers

Considering the process for registering your cat as an ESA is fairly simple and straightforward and not at all as stringent as registering a service fauna, there are many companies taking reward of this fact and claim that they can "officially certify" your ESA. Without whatever prior noesis of ESAs, a pet owner could end upwards paying money for an illegitimate document or phony certification. Unlike support animals, an ESA is not guaranteed into whatever venue.

Your ESA is covered under the Off-white Housing Act

This act states that your landlord must provide reasonable accommodations to you and your ESA; however, if it imposes whatsoever financial or administrative strain on your landlord, your landlord can likewise turn down your ESA through legal proceedings. This is as well possible if you have an ESA that is very large (i.e., a horse.)

Housing that isn't covered by FHA

Rental spaces of 4 units or less (where the owner is really living in one of the units), unmarried family homes that are sold/rented past the owner without the apply of a broker, and housing that is operated by private clubs and religious organizations that restrict occupancy to their members are non covered by FHA.

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

Your emotional service animate being may be able to travel with y'all inside the airplane cabin but due to meaning abuse of this regulation , it is currently under scrutiny and the rules may change. Obtaining a alphabetic character from a licensed professional is crucial in having your companion wing with yous. Brand sure you accept the letter dated no later than i yr before you lot use it. Contact your airline a few days earlier your scheduled flight to make proper arrangements.

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

Nether the Americans with Disabilities Act, emotional back up animals are non considered service animals. This is a really important distinction considering back up animals exercise not enjoy the same type of access as service animals. Services animals are specifically trained to perform a specific task for their possessor and they are not viewed every bit pets, but workers. Service animals help blind people get around, help those with epilepsy know when a seizure will strike and and so much more. Today, the ADA volition only consider dogs as service animals and they must undergo the appropriate certification. Cats were previously allowed to exist service animals, provided they were trained. Those who accept a service cat that was previously certified are ordinarily grandfathered into the program… but cats are no longer allowed to be considered service animals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Support Cats

Are cats good for emotional support?

Cats are affectionate and can easily bond with their caregivers. Cats are small, repose, make clean, and can frequently be compassionate animals. Because of this, cats provide emotional back up to their owners and make first-class emotional support animals.

How to register a cat every bit an emotional back up brute?

While you don't need to have an ESA pet, the procedure is uncomplicated if you make up one's mind to discuss your medical needs for an ESA pet with a doctor.  You will demand to complete a short screening and have a consultation with a licensed medical professional person who will determine if you qualify for an ESA cat letter today.

Can a landlord refuse an emotional back up cat?

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

How much does an emotional true cat price?

When you seek out an emotional support true cat, y'all will usually need to pay the fees for your screening and your consultation with a medical professional person. This cost ranges depending on which establishment you use to become your ESA alphabetic character.

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

No. Pet eolith fees are waived once you have your official ESA letter and yous 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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