How an Emotional Support Cat Can Improve Your Well-Being

How a Maine Coon Became an Emotional Support Cat

Lisa Davis found Princess, her now 17-year-old Maine Coon, at a local adoption event after losing her previous cat. She wanted an adult cat that could wait for her to get home from work, not a rambunctious kitten. Despite Princess being shy, Davis understood her anxieties, as she was shy herself.

Princess became more than just a pet. She transformed into an emotional support cat, providing Davis with constant joy and comfort. Emotional support cats, like Princess, can help their owners cope with mental health challenges, offering companionship and emotional relief.

• Emotional support cats provide comfort during times of stress or anxiety.
• Cats can form deep emotional connections with their owners, making them great emotional support animals.

For more on Maine Coons, check out this detailed Maine Coon profile.

The Role of Cats as Emotional Support Animals

Davis suffered from anxiety and depression, and her Maine Coon, Princess, became a crucial emotional support cat. With a doctor’s letter, Princess could live in any apartment, even those with no-pet policies.

• Emotional support cats can help alleviate anxiety and depression.
• They provide companionship and a sense of calm during difficult times.

Emotional support animals (ESAs) differ from regular pets, service animals, and therapy animals.

• ESAs must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional.
• They help reduce emotional distress and improve mental well-being.

An ESA can be any domesticated animal, such as a cat, dog, or even a rabbit. According to Meowingtons, these animals are part of an individual’s treatment plan and offer emotional support when needed.

For more details on how cats can serve as emotional support animals, visit Meowingtons.

What’s the Difference Between Emotional Support Cats, Therapy Cats, and Service Animals?

Emotional support animals (ESAs) have special rights in the United States under the Air Carrier Act of 1986 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 that regular pets don’t have.

As writer Mary Karmelek points out, many people abuse the system by claiming ESAs to avoid boarding fees or leaving their pets at home. This has ultimately made things more difficult for those with legitimate disabilities who need their emotional support animals.

Davis, however, chooses not to travel with Princess to avoid stressing her, explaining that “emotional support is a two-way street for me.”

Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Cats

Service animals, unlike emotional support cats, are dogs (and occasionally miniature horses) that are “specifically trained to do certain major life tasks for a person with physical or severe psychiatric disabilities,” according to Animal Planet’s Jane Harrell.

• Service animals undergo extensive certification training.
• They are registered and have access to public places that ESAs, including emotional support cats, do not.

Therapy Animals vs. Emotional Support Cats

Therapy animals, like service animals, are also trained and certified. They visit convalescent homes, hospitals, hospices, schools, and disaster areas, offering comfort and support.

• Therapy animals are often dogs, but more cats are being trained as therapy animals.
• Cats are increasingly recognized for their ability to provide therapeutic benefits in various settings.

For example, some friends are training their cats — including a 3-legged rescue — to become therapy cats. While therapy animals share similarities with emotional support cats, their roles and certifications are distinct.

The Growing Popularity of Therapy Cats

More and more cats are being trained as therapy animals, offering emotional and physical benefits to people in need. Here’s an example:

Bunny, a woman in her early 80s, lived in an assisted-living facility with her cat, Boofams, a former shelter rescue. For 8 years, Boofams provided Bunny with companionship and gave her days structure. They’d often sit on the patio together, with Boofams safely on a lead.

Sadly, Boofams passed away after a brief illness. Bunny, struggling with her own health issues, decided it was probably wiser not to get another cat. However, she could have benefited from therapy cat visits.

• Therapy cats provide companionship for elderly people.
• They stimulate mental faculties, helping seniors stay mentally active.
• Therapy animals reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation in assisted-living facilities.
• They help elderly individuals recover more quickly from illness.
• A study found therapy pets reduced medication costs by 69% in nursing homes.

Therapy cats also work wonders for children and teens with autism and other disorders. Their quiet understanding often helps unlock the person within.

• Cats provide a non-threatening presence, making them ideal therapy animals.
• They help children with special needs feel calm and understood.
• Therapy cats can promote emotional healing through their calming influence.

For more on this, see How Cats Have Helped My Son With Autism.

What Makes a Good Therapy Cat?

Coco Koh, who owns a therapy cat named Jake, had Jake certified through Pet Partners (formerly the Delta Society). To prepare for Jake’s certification, Koh herself attended several classes. These classes taught her essential skills, such as reading her cat’s body language and how to interact with sick, elderly, or mentally handicapped individuals. The classes also covered sensitive topics like Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.

According to Koh, cats must meet specific standards to become good therapy animals:

• Sociable: Therapy cats must enjoy being around people and interacting with them.
• Calm: Cats need to stay calm and not be easily startled.
• Adaptable: They should remain unbothered by loud noises, yelling, or other animals like dogs.
• Comfortable in new environments: Therapy cats must feel comfortable in strange and unfamiliar spaces.
• Koh adds that having a stroller helps, as it provides the cat with a sense of “home” in a foreign setting.

Differences Between Emotional Support Cats and Therapy Cats

While both emotional support cats and therapy cats provide comfort, there are distinct differences between their roles and certifications.

• Emotional support cats provide emotional relief for their owners and require a letter from a mental health professional to certify their status.
• Therapy cats, on the other hand, are trained to interact with various people in hospitals, nursing homes, or schools.
• Emotional support cats do not need formal training, but therapy cats undergo specialized training to help them perform in various environments.
• Therapy cats are typically certified through organizations, while emotional support cats are certified through their owner’s mental health professional.

Making the Rounds as a Therapy Cat

Koh and her therapy cat, Jake, started their journey by visiting assisted-living facilities. Today, they visit long-term psychiatric wards at Tufts Medical Center and the Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Center in Boston.

• Jake’s Role: Jake enjoys making his rounds and is known for being friendly to everyone. He greets patients with purrs, head-butts, and gentle rubs.
• High Turnover: Since psychiatric wards experience a high turnover of patients, Jake doesn’t get attached to any one person.
• Patient and Gentle: Jake is very patient, allowing patients to hold or hug him, even letting them touch his ears or paws without reacting negatively.
• When Jake feels uncomfortable, the most he’ll do is gently pull away or return to his stroller for comfort.

Final Thoughts: I believe all cats possess natural healing abilities. Cats like Jake, who are trained therapy cats, can take their gift on the road and spread their healing magic to those in need.

Watch the heartwarming story of Prana and her human:

Questions About Emotional Support Animals

Let’s return to the topic of emotional support animals (ESAs). For many, there’s still uncertainty about their benefits and roles.

Molly Crossman, a Yale University researcher, suggests that “animals can reach lots of people outside of traditional models of treatments.” However, much of the current research on ESAs, Crossman notes, focuses primarily on dogs.

• Dog-Centric Research: “We start with dogs, and I think a lot of other research groups do as well because it seems like dogs are … specially designed, for lack of a better word, to interact with people, to understand our social and emotional cues,” Crossman explains.

This dog-focused research raises concerns. While dogs are frequently studied, cats, horses, and many other animals are also highly sensitive to human social and emotional cues. Expanding research to include these animals could provide a more comprehensive understanding of their emotional support capabilities.

• Broadening Research: It’s crucial to explore how other animals, like cats and horses, can play a significant role in emotional support.

How to Register Your Cat as an Emotional Support Animal

Registering a cat as an emotional support animal involves obtaining a letter from a licensed mental health professional. This letter confirms that the emotional support cat is part of your treatment plan to help manage an emotional or psychological condition. There is no official registry for emotional support cats, but the letter is crucial for securing housing accommodations or travel privileges.

• Obtain a letter from a licensed mental health professional.
• The letter should state that the emotional support cat is necessary for your treatment.
• No official registration is required beyond this letter, but having it ensures legal protection for housing and travel.

Steps to Certify Your Cat as an Emotional Support Animal

Certifying your cat as an emotional support animal follows a simple process, focused on obtaining the proper documentation. Follow these steps to ensure your emotional support cat meets all requirements:

• Consult with a licensed mental health professional to discuss your need for an emotional support cat.
• Receive an ESA letter from your therapist or doctor, confirming the need for the cat as part of your treatment.
• Keep the letter accessible for housing applications or travel, as it serves as proof of your cat’s status.
• No further certification or registration is needed, as the letter is the legal requirement for an emotional support animal.

Final Thoughts on Cats as Emotional Support Animals

While there are certainly people who take advantage of the ESA system, many individuals genuinely benefit from having an emotional support cat.

In my research, I encountered numerous heartfelt stories from people who rely on their cats for emotional support. Lisa Davis, for example, shares how her emotional support cat, Princess, has profoundly impacted her life.

• Emotional Support and Comfort: “I think all our furbabies bring comfort into our lives by just living in the present and reminding us about what is really important,” Davis says.
• A Calming Presence: Davis adds, “Princess is sitting next to me right now, and just looking at her makes me feel calmer and more peaceful.”

Emotional support cats like Princess show us that these animals can provide genuine emotional relief and comfort for those in need.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References