Can I Make My Cat An Emotional Support Animal

Can Cats Exist Emotional Support Animals?

Aye, cats can be emotional support animals (ESAs). An emotional support true cat can condolement someone with anxiety, depression or other mental health issues.

It's important to note, however, that ESAs are different from service animals. This means they don't have the same protections by law. That doesn't negate the benefits they can provide their owners, though.

Benefits of Emotional Support Cats on Mental Health

Emotional support cats (and other ESAs) offer a diversity of benefits for their owners' mental health. Studies have shown cats reduce stress and claret pressure levels in their owners.

Additionally, research shows ESAs can lower anxiety, reduce depression, decrease feelings of loneliness, and may even offer benefits to those with PTSD.

Lack of sleep can also touch on mental health. Ane survey, even so, establish some people slept better when they slept with their pets.

Emotional Support Cats vs. Therapy Cats vs. Service Animals

There are several unlike types of "support" animals. Understanding the difference can aid you determine which volition best serve your needs. Different support animals have dissimilar protections too, which you'll need to know if y'all plan to take your emotional support true cat with you when traveling or under other circumstances.

Emotional Support Cats

Emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Human action from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Evolution (HUD). This means emotional back up cats can alive with their owners, regardless of a landlord's or building managing director's pet policies.

In fact, HUD specifically says, "Emotional back up animals, by their very nature, and without training, may relieve depression and anxiety, and/or aid reduce stress-induced pain in persons with sure medical conditions and affected by stress."

Although ESAs are protected past HUD, as of Dec 2020, they are no longer allowed on airplanes . This means if you need to travel with your emotional back up cat, y'all'll demand to make other accommodations for her, such as using a pet carrier.

Therapy Cats

Therapy cats (and other therapy animals) are different from ESAs in that they are trained and handled by their owners and are office of an individual's treatment process.

Therapy cats may visit hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and more with their owners to provide comfort and back up to patients and residents. Mental health professionals may also use therapy animals in their offices to help clients feel more at ease during sessions.

Service Animals

Although some cats may alert their owners to medical emergencies, dogs are the but animals that can be designated every bit "service animals."

In the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Section of Justice defines service animals as "dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."

Service animals can accompany the person they assist into spaces that exercise not typically allow pets, such equally grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals and more than.

Emotional back up cats tin can provide numerous benefits to their owners. If you recollect you might benefit from an ESA, information technology's important to speak with your doc or mental health professional to make up one's mind what animate being would provide you lot with the greatest benefits based on your current mental and physical wellness.

If you lot don't have a cat (or don't want one right now), bear witness suggests watching true cat videos online may also give you a mood boost.

For more than on the benefits of cat ownership, visit our Pet Expertise page.

Source: https://www.purina.com/articles/cat/getting-a-cat/emotional-support-cats

Posted by: holladaywillith.blogspot.com

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