How to Get a Cat Certified as an Emotional Support Cat?

The cat has become a favorite pet of many people in recent years. They are friendly, compassionate, and loving animals who provide the same type of emotional support as any ESA or emotional support dog would do.

If you’re not a cat buff, you probably won’t realize this, but cats are amazing pets and ESA, as wonderful as dogs and even more warm & amiable. According to healthcare professionals, having a dog and cat has many positive effects on your cognitive health and general wellness.

An emotional support animal (ESA) helps minimize and manage the signs of mental disorders and emotional limitations. In addition, they provide constant love and companionship and offer a number of benefits. They are also known as support animals, but they are different from service and therapy animals.

How to Get an Emotional Support Cat?

Getting your cat certified as an emotional support animal may be a bit stressful if you do not have a regular healthcare professional or the time to visit the cognitive health specialist near you. If you don’t feel normal, are getting those depressive vibes, and experiencing a social anxiety disorder, then there’s no need to feel bad about it.

It’s common to procrastinate with people experiencing mental disorders and feel as if you have no purpose in life. Most emotionally disabled or affected individuals cannot go out of the house or engage in different social activities; But don’t let that stop you from being active. Consult your mental health therapist to screen you and see if you qualify for an ESA.

The good idea is to search for the best licensed mental health professional in your state or area of residence and connect with them to get familiar with the eligibility and certification process. To qualify for an emotional support cat, you’ll need to take a pre-screening test first to find out your eligibility.

The specialist will brief you on how it’s productive to keep an assistance animal with you for therapeutic reasons. You truly deserve to be happy and peaceful, and an emotional support cat will help you do it.

Emotional Support Cat Certification

Generally, pets aren’t registered but are certified as assistance animals. In order to get an emotional support cat letter from a healthcare expert, you need to be eligible for the certificate issuance. There are a lot of service cat registry outlets out there but steer clear of these as they are only scams. Do not pay much attention to sites promoting such registries as they only impart misinformation.

In order to have your cat tagged as an assistance animal, you’ll need a written letter from a licensed mental health professional known as an “emotional support animal letter’. As per defined regulations, you do not need to have your cat registered as an ESA, as many sites state, asking for payment as well for the process.

Instead of getting your cat registered, just get an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare expert, referred to as a ‘certification’. With more people becoming aware of the requirements for ESA animals, certification services are getting more ‘authentic’ while scammers are getting frayed. This is why you must know how to get a valid emotional support cat letter online and recognize a real letter from the fake one.

What is Emotional Support Cat Registration?

Emotional support cat or animal registration is nothing more than fraud. Many companies claim to provide registration for your animal. It is fake, and they are misleading you. All you need to have your ESA cat is a valid ESA letter only.

How to Register an Emotional Support Cat?

No, you cannot, and you should not be getting any of it. ESA registration is a scam, and if someone is offering it for free, this does not legalize it. It is fake, and you will only waste your money if you invest in it.

The emotional support animal registry is not required to register your pet with the government.

How are you Eligible for an ESA Cat?

You are eligible for keeping a cat as an emotional support animal if you suffer from any of the following mental disabilities.

Disabilities like anxiety, depression, and stress are more common than we know, and a cat, an ESA, helps the individual get rid of it effectively.

What Best Emotional Support Cat Breeds Qualify for ESA Status?

There are no limits on what particular breeds can be tagged as emotional support animals. However, you need to be familiar with the terms ‘therapy cats’ and ‘therapy cat registration’. Therapy animals are different from ESA’s and SAs (support animals) because such animals are not owned by individuals and are not assistance animals. These are also special animals who do not live with their owners and are trained to help provide therapeutic benefits to patients.

No specific cat breeds are considered the ‘BEST’ for an ESA letter. You can have any cat type certified as an emotional support animal. If your cat is good enough to extend the sort of affection and support that will step up the healing or recuperation process, then it’s good enough as an assistance animal.

However, we compiled a list of cat breeds that you can adopt for your ESA.

RealESALetter.com is a reputed website that provides valid ESA letters to people who want to travel with their emotional support animal. Mr. McCullough states on CNN that we have a tough screening system, and we make sure that only the deserving and qualified people get the letter.

Emotional Support Cat Training: How to Train an Emotional Support Cat?

ESA cats do not need any formal or special training. Only service animals are required to undergo some special training since they will be assisting their owners. As for a cat, they do not make it to the list of service animals, so they do not need any training.

Your cat is a loyal companion who will love and respect you more than anyone else in the world. They're here to provide emotional support when needed.

Do I need an Emotional Support Cat Vest to Identify my Cat?

You do not need any formal vest or accessory to identify your animal by law. However, we suggest that you get a proper vest for your cat so that the onlookers will know that your cat is not a pet. This way, you will not have to explain the status of your cat to anyone.

No matter the size of your kitty, you'll be able to find a vest that they will love. When making your purchase, be sure you choose one that will work for the individual pet.

Emotional support cat vests are perfect for both kittens and their owners when they're made with breathable, comfortable cotton. This also works very well in calming allergic cats down.

Similarly, if you have other emotional support animals it is preferably recommended to get an emotional support animal vest for them. You can easily get an emotional support dog vest, from any shop nearby or online.

Legal Protection for ESA Cats

As per the emotional support animal laws applicable in the United States, the rights of individuals with support animals are protected through defined statutes. Although these are not as profound as those enjoyed by the owners of service animals, you need to be aware of two important aspects:

1. Fair Housing Act (FHA)

Emotional support cat owners are granted rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which provides them adequate accommodation to enjoy living with an emotional support animal. According to the HUD housing rules for an emotional support animal, having an ESA letter will also help the ESA owner save on pet fees or deposits as the landlord cannot ask the ESA owner to pay for their animal.

Usually, pet owners have to pay for their pet housing, but in the case of an ESA, you do not need to pay any extra penny.

On-Campus Housing: Since the Act allows accommodation of different types like colleges, universities, and high schools, you have the flexibility to take your cat on campus. All you need to do is show your ESA letter for access. However, if your cat displays any aggressive behavior, the campus authorities have a right to ban the pet or claim damages.

2. Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)

As per the Air Carrier Access Act, owners have the leverage to travel or fly with their assistance animal or cat, but some conditions apply for flying with an emotional support animal. You need to show the airlines the ESA letter from the healthcare expert and update them in advance.

Cats as Service Animals! Is it Possible?

People who want to get their cat certified as an emotional support animal often ask whether it’s feasible to keep cats as service animals (SA). Well, the simple answer is NO! Cats cannot be kept as service animals but as assistance animals instead.

As per the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), service animals are generally dogs specifically trained to provide support to the specially abled or those with disabilities. The intent is to use these service animals to help improve the cognitive wellness of their owners.

While some miniature horses, like service dogs, can be trained as service animals, there is no mention of cats being kept as one in the regulation.

An emotional support animal can qualify as an ESA through a letter issued by a professional, licensed healthcare expert. With such a certification, there is no training or coaching needed for your precious pet cat.

Benefits of an Emotional Support Cat

The benefits of having an emotionally supportive cat are varied. Cats can reduce stress and blood pressure and increase happiness in their owners by decreasing depression or anxiety levels; they might even help people who have PTSD manage their symptoms.

Lack of sleep can lead to a variety of mental illness issues. One recent survey found that some people find relief from their insomnia when they share the bed with their pets.

The cat is the best friend that we could ever hope to have. They increase our happiness with their love, care, and attention! One recent study found out how cats make us feel when they look into your eyes - it's an indescribable feeling of blissful joy that only an animal can give you.

Act Fast & Grab that ESA Cat Letter Today

You should not wait for others to let you know about an ESA certification process or the disability getting better naturally. Act quickly and get in touch with our licensed healthcare professional today to get a legitimate ESA letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ask my doctor for an emotional support animal?

Here are some ways to get an emotional support animal for your mental health.

  • Schedule an appointment
  • Discuss symptoms with your doctor
  • Ask them for the need of an emotional support animal
  • Get the letter of recommendation
  • Pay for the letter
  • Select your animal

Do emotional support animal letters expire?

The expiration date on your ESA letter is one year from the date it was issued, so keep that in mind.

Can the landlord charge a pet deposit for ESA?

Landlords cannot charge tenants additional "pet" rent or security deposits for emotional support animals. Additionally, landlords may not apply other rules like breed restrictions to emotional support animals.

Get Your ESA Cat letter today!

What if you order a “discounted” or “bargain” ESA Letter online?

There are strict penalties under law for offering non-legitimate documentation to landlords, transportation providers, or public facilities. Those penalties include

  • A criminal record.
  • A felony conviction that may result in serious jail time.
  • Fines up to $100,000 or more (Penalties vary from state-to-state).

Why take the chance?

Getting a legitimate, legally-enforceable ESA Letter is a simple process

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