Emotional support animals help their owners deal with their mental health disability by offering comfort and support through companionship, a focus in life, affection, and positive regard.
An emotional support animal can be any domesticated animal such as a cat, dog, guinea pig, hedgehog, rat, horse, miniature pig, bird, etc. The most important thing is that the animal is domesticated and does not pose a threat to people, other pets, or the housing facility.
What’s equally important is that an ESA needs to be recommended to the owner by a licensed health professional or therapist. If the therapist has determined that the person needs an emotional support animal, the animal needs to be able to help alleviate some of the symptoms of the owner’s mental illness.
Are you ready to make your cat an emotional support cat now? Complete the questionnaire in the link below to qualify your cat as an official emotional support cat.
Can Cats Be Emotional Support Animals?
Cats make wonderful emotional support animals. Emotional support cats can travel or live with their owners without additional pet fees.
Yes, cats can be emotional support animals. In fact, they make great emotional support animals. Cats are very affectionate and playful. They create strong bonds with their owners, regardless of the general belief that they are pesky little creatures that hate socializing.
In addition, emotional support cats are easier to house and maintain than emotional support dogs. They are generally smaller than canines and are very agile. They will find enough space and activities for themselves most of the time. You will still need to take care of their food and water supplies and clean the litter box. Other than that, all you need to do is ensure some quality play time.
Emotional support cats are fun to play with and fun to watch, which can help boost your mood. Purring can also have therapeutic effects on people. There’s no doubt that your cat’s calm personality can also calm you down. Felines are also very good at reading people’s emotions and will respond to them appropriately.
How to Register an Emotional Support Cat
The only emotional support cat registration you need is an ESA letter.
Step 1. Connect with a licensed mental health professional online or in real life.
If you think you could qualify for an emotional support cat, you need to talk to a licensed health professional. If you’re already in therapy, you can ask your therapist about making a cat an emotional support animal. To qualify, you need to have a mental health disability. If your doctor/therapist finds that the animal can be beneficial to you, they can write you an ESA letter. If you do not have access to a licensed mental health professional in real life, you can connect with one online. To connect with a LMHP online, complete the ESA Questionnaire by clicking the image link above.
Step 2. Qualify for an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional.
In order to qualify for the ESA letter, you must demonstrate your need for an emotional support animal in your life. If you suffer from a mental disability (i.e. depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.) and it limits your daily life, you may qualify for an ESA letter. The ESA letter must be written on the official letterhead of a licensed health professional and include the license number, the date it was issued, and expiration date.
Step 3. Make sure your cat does not pose a threat to others.
If you already have a pet cat that you want to make an emotional support cat, you will need to provide some information about the animal, too. There is no age limit and there are no special training requirements. Whether you want a kitten or an adult cat to be your ESA, you can make it happen.
As long as your animal provides support for your disability and doesn’t pose a threat or a nuisance to people and property, your kitty is good to go. Your emotional support cat doesn’t need to perform any tricks or tasks to qualify. However, good behavior is mandatory, or you can be excluded from no-pets housing or airplanes.
Step 4. Notify your landlord or airline about your emotional support cat.
You can submit your ESA letter to your landlord or airline via email. This will provide a record that you have submitted your paperwork. Most airlines require that you submit your paperwork 48 hours in advance of your flight date. This is not always strictly enforced, but make sure to submit it early so that you do not run into any issues at the airport.
Step 5. You can if you want to register your emotional support cat.
Keep in mind that no special tags or vests are required for any emotional support animal. Unless you really want these products, it is not required by law. ESA cat registration is also not required. Registering your cat as an emotional support animal will not make it a true ESA. The only “Emotional Support Cat Registration” you will ever need is your ESA letter.
Legal Rights for Emotional Support Cats
Emotional support cats have specific legal rights to live and/or travel with their owners. Even if your apartment has a no-pets policy.
Emotional support cats have the same rights as all the other emotional support animals.
Under the Fair Housing Act, you can live in a no-pets housing with your emotional support cat. The building manager or the landlord must make reasonable accommodations to house you and your pet. In addition, they cannot charge any additional pet deposits or fees for your emotional support cat. Also, you shouldn’t let anyone review your confidential medical information. This goes for apartment managers and landlords.
If you are rejected or your rights are compromised in any way, you can file a complaint with the HUD for discrimination. Note that there are instances when you can be denied access with your ESA. Most commonly, this can happen if your animal is too big for the housing or if the animal poses a danger to other residents.
Flying with an Emotional Support Cat
The ACAA allows emotional support cats to fly with their owners without having to pay additional unfair pet fees.
Other than the Fair Housing Act that works in your favor, there’s also the Air Carrier Access Act. This act allows you to fly with your emotional support cat in the airplane cabin.Most airplanes will allow this (and they have to), but contact them in advance to avoid any possible inconvenience.
You will need to provide your ESA letter to the airlines in advance by submitting via email. Please note that some airlines (i.e. Alaska, Delta, United, etc.) will require an airline document in addition to your ESA letter. ESA Doctors will be able to assist you with your ESA letter and airline documents online.
You will need an appropriate pet carrier for the flight, so contact the airline to get the most accurate information.
Qualify for your ESA letter today.
Are emotional support animals covered by The Americans With Disabilities Act?
Emotional support animals are not covered by the ADA, but they are covered under the Fair Housing Act to live with their owners and the Air Carrier Access Act for air travel.
1. Can I apply for ANY RENTALS (Section 8, HUD, regular RENTALS, etc.,) that say: NO PETS ALLOWED? PART 2 – Can the realtor, landlord, etc, tell me I CAN’T apply because I have cats?
2. I have 2 ESA cats AND a letter from my doctor. At my previous apartment, I was charged $25.00 extra, per cat, per month PLUS a $250.00 NON-refundable pet deposit. WAS THIS LEGAL? (I’m in Ohio) I wasn’t aware of these rules until I just read this article!
Landlords cannot charge pet deposits or additional pet fees for emotional support animals. Most rentals allow for emotional support animals. Realtors cannot arbitrarily tell ESA owners that they cannot apply with an ESA.
If your lease requires that the cat be declawed would an ESA cat be exempt from this requirement? I don’t believe in declawing cats. I’ve never had one that was destructive and I’m disabled and rarely gone from home for more than a few hours. I live in a 78 unit pet friendly apartment complex in Florida. The lease says cats must be declawed but I do know the management does not check, whether as an oversight or that they don’t care I don’t know.
This is not a requirement for emotional support animals, but you should check with your local laws.
Where can I find the local laws regarding my emotional support cat?
I was sent a letter today alost a month after moving in that says I can bring my cat into my apartment as soon as I provide proof he is neutered declawed and has all vaccinations. I think it would destroy my baby if I had him declawed not to mention I could never affored it. They also require animal registration and animal license.it seems to me that they basically found a way to keep me from having my cat with me just by demanding so many things that I can’t afford. I live in Brainerd Minnesota and I have no idea were to look for my states regulations for cats.
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that supersedes local laws. It seems they are requiring more than they should. We suggest contacting an ESA lawyer or filing a complaint with HUD if they continue requiring more unnecessary steps to living with your ESA cat.
Do we get the cat first and than apply for ESA or ESA than go adopt
It depends on your situation. You can get your ESA letter first so that you are covered if your landlord does not allow cats. If your landlord allows cats, you may want to get your cat first so that you can have an animal immediately.
If I have an ESA cat, can I take him to a hotel that advertises “pet friendly” but discriminates against cats?
Hotels can choose to accept or not accept any type of animal, regardless of ESA status.
How much does it cost for the process of registering a cat to be certified ESA?
You can find the pricing plans here.
Very important question here…. On behalf of a special elderly lady who has had a very traumatic and difficult life, who is in an assisted living facility with an emotional support cat, can that facility charge her a monthly fee for having the cat? This facility used to charge a one time pet deposit but the corporate company (Milestone) changed thier policy to impose a perpetual 50$ fee every month for her to have the cat and she cannot afford it. Personally, I find this new policy to be an obvious scheme to profit off the emotional needs of a dependent eldery person and it is abhorrent and disgusting. Can they legally do this? Please get back to me.
According to the Fair Housing Act, emotional support animal owners do not have to pay additional pet deposits or monthly pet fees.
Hello, I spoke with a personal at the behavioral health clinic we have here on my native reservation. She wrote me a letter for an ESA, I gave it to my head of housing and she said that I need a document showing certification of the animal as a service animal. What do I do?
Registration and certification is not required for emotional support animals.
My mother has a cat as an ESA. She will go on a trip on Avianca. When she talked with customer service to explain that she has a cat as an ESA, they say that they only allow dogs as ESA and not cats.
Does the law discriminate cats as ESA? Do they have to allow her to carry in the cabin the cat as an ESA?
The Department of Transportation has given guidance that airlines are required to accept ESAs if the animal is a dog, cat or miniature horse. Please see this article for further details: https://esadoctors.com/new-airline-rules-emotional-support-animals/
My apartment is requiring a letter from my doctor. Is it required and if not what do I do?
An ESA letter must come from a licensed mental health professional, which includes psychiatrists, psychologists, registered nurses, social workers, and doctors. Your regular doctor may not be familiar with ESAs and the rules and regulations governing ESAs. If you are seeking to qualify for an ESA it is recommended to seek the help of an LMHP that is familiar with ESAs.
Thank you. Reading this cleared up some questions. My dr. Told me to register my cat. But I see I don’t have to.
Can you have more than one emotional support cat? I have 2 cats, my husband 1 cat. Could my psychiatrist write a letter for me for both. My husband isn’t in therapy (although he needs it, but I’m not sure if it would make things worse for him.) He’s very ill and loves his cat and his cat is comfort for him. His cat is cat won’t move from his my my husband’s seat whenever he’s hospitalized can’t I have 2+ cats on my single letter?
We’re sorry to hear about your husband and are glad that he is receiving comfort from his cat. The determination of whether a patient would benefit from multiple ESAs is up to the professional judgment of the licensed mental health professional writing the recommendation letter. The LMHP can reference multiple ESAs on one letter.
So if I get my cat to be an emotional support animal, do I have a legal right to keep her inside?
If you are assessed by a licensed mental health professional who makes a recommendation for your cat to be an ESA, then yes, you have the right to be accompanied by your ESA in your home under the Fair Housing Act.
If you already have a cat at an apartment and have paid all fees….the you get the letter from you psychiatrist….do they have to give you your money back?
Can I get prices before I fill out all this info?
You can find the pricing plans below.
https://esadoctors.com/pricing-plan/
My girlfriend and I are breaking up and our cat is my esa and I have a letter from my therapist recommending I should have an esa, I did not purchase the cat though and everything is in her name. I have a strong bond with the cat, do I have any rights to keep the cat?
Unfortunately, ownership rights regarding the cat is not something we are able to advise on.
Can emotional support cats come to school with me??
Emotional support animals have rights to be in your home pursuant to the Fair Housing Act and on flights pursuant to the Air Carrier Access Act. They do not however have the right to be in other public places, such as schools.