Emotional Support Cats – Benefits & Tips

If you want to be a holder of an ESA cat, read this article to learn everything you need to know.

What is an emotional support animal?

Emotional support animals have become an indispensable option for additional therapy for people suffering from various mental frustrations and mental health issues.

They help their owners cope with stress and anxiety, provide necessary moral support and generally create an atmosphere in the home that promotes faster recovery.

Mental health professionals claim that a man with an emotional support animal can overcome depression, PTSD, OCD, and other mental disorders and their symptoms much better and faster.

They say that an animal has a calming effect on a human and contributes to his or her socialization, increasing self-esteem and self-confidence.

How can an animal be registered for emotional support?

Getting a pet registered as an emotional support animal can be relatively quick. Of course, we should understand that an emotional support animal is primarily designed for people’s mental health issues.

Therefore, if you need help, the first thing to do is to contact a licensed mental health professional, as only a specialist can decide whether an ESA is suitable for therapy in your particular case.

You will receive an ESA letter if your therapist decides that an emotional support animal will positively affect your recovery.

This document, in fact, is the main document that establishes the special position of the animal and guarantees it legal protection.

ESA keepers also can order additional documents for their companions. This is often an ESA ID card and a Pet Tag, evidence of the animal’s special position.

The availability of these documents greatly simplifies being with an animal in public places and allows you to avoid unpleasant questions from strangers.

Can cats be service animals?

For service animals, there are clearly defined breed and species restrictions according to which only dogs are suitable for this role.

It is believed that dogs have higher learnability and a softer temperament, so they are much easier to train than other animals. In addition, service animals often perform physical tasks for which the animal must have sufficient strength.

Therefore, unfortunately, a cat cannot be a service animal.

At the same time, there are no specific restrictions on the type of animal and breed for emotional support animals. You can choose any animal you like and with which you will feel comfortable. This is an ideal option for those who prefer cats to dogs.

You can contact a psychologist or psychotherapist who will provide the necessary documentation and submit a form for Emotional Support Cats Registration.

Reasons to Have an Emotional Support Cat

Although many people prefer emotional support dogs, there are many reasons to have an emotional support cat. Scientists are convinced that animal interaction positively affects the human psyche.

So, if you are a cat person, here is the list of benefits cats can bring to their owners:

Give unconditional love

When an animal is happy with its owner, it will give unconditional love to a human. Despite your mental health difficulties, a cat can supply you with the love and comfort you need.

With unconditional affection, cats bring your strength to return to your feet despite your tumultuous emotions.

This feeling of love can improve a person’s mood and general well-being. Moreover, an emotional support cat teaches its owner to perceive and express their feelings and emotions, which helps a man to establish and maintain friendly and loving relationships with family and friends.

Aid to calm down

Emotional support animals help patients with phobic conditions like fear of the dark, loud noises, or flying. Traveling by air can be terrifying for some people.

Aerophobia is an extremely dangerous condition that affects people’s daily life. This is the reason why many airlines now accept passengers with pets.

Even though the Air Carrier Access Act does not grant emotional support cats the right to accompany their owners into plane cabins, many airlines still allow their customers to take small-breed animals.

When you travel with pets, you feel less anxious and tense. Aerophobia can cause an air passenger to feel overwhelmed during the flight, and holding or hugging a cat could reduce these feelings.

Help stabilize intense emotions.

An emotional support cat also assists in controlling emotions in difficult circumstances. For instance, if you are tired from working, it will make you happy when you come home and see your cat.

You’re still happy to bond with your cats even when you’re scared or anxious. Of course, the most enjoyable times will be when the animal is doing cute or funny stuff and making you forget your stressors or bad emotions.

Provide social support

All humans require mental and emotional well-being and need social companions or pets. An emotional support cat is a great companion animal.

Cats are excellent for stimulating conversation and giving you a good subject. In addition, emotional support animal keepers often become more confident and outgoing, improve their social skills, and get to know new people easier.

Give mental and emotional uplifting.

In fact, an emotional support cat can provide much more than just comfort to its holder.

These creatures boost their keepers’ mood, thanks to which a person can live a happy and bright life. Scientists have proven that animal interaction contributes to the release of happiness hormones.

Therefore, next to ESA, people do not feel lonely and abandoned but instead have a faithful companion that is always ready to be there for them.

Cats as emotional support animals

Even though cats are considered independent animals that do not value the presence of people too much, they can still become loving and caring companions. If you love cats, an ESA cat is the perfect option.

Emotional support cats also feel love and attachment to their owners. Moreover, thanks to their developed intuition, they can also sense changes in the owner’s mood and adapt to them.

In this way, the cat will always be there when needed, but it will not bore you with its presence if you want to be alone.

In addition, many people with mental disorders find solace in stroking a fluffy cat and its purring. Cats do not need daily walks and active exercises.

Moreover, cats really remain one of the most independent animals that calmly endure loneliness. Therefore, it is a great option for those who work a lot and are rarely at home.

Why do people choose emotional support cats?

Cats are great emotional support animals for people suffering from depression, anxiety, loneliness, or constantly under stress. In fact, you can get the moral support and encouragement you need from pet cats.

However, in addition to the obvious benefits for the mental health of their owner, the official ESA status gives the animal certain legal privileges.

Round-the-clock support is often extremely important for a person with mental health issues. That is why the Fair Housing Act also applies to ESAs.

You have the opportunity to live with your emotional support cat unhindered and free of charge. To do this, you need to provide the landlord with confirmation of the legitimacy of your animal.

If a person cannot provide an official ESA letter or shows fake documents, he can be accused of fraud. Recently, there have been many fake ESA letter providers on the Internet, so be very careful and choose only verified services.