With their soft spiders and playful nature, it is no secret that cats can provide a soothing presence to people in times of need. Emotional support animals are registered to provide emotional support to people suffering from a mental or emotional illness. This special design allows the person to live with the animal, even in a home that normally does not allow pets.
In contrast to service animals, animals with emotional support do not need special training or skills to be registered as one animal. An emotional support cat or dog is seen as a “reasonable accommodation” for the person who is suffering from the disease. The emotional support animal can help the individual better deal with the symptoms of their mental illness, some of which are considered disabled by the social security agency.
Benefits for registering your cat
Sometimes animals can offer a sense of comfort that people simply can not offer. The presence of an animal offers calming conditions where no words are required. If your cat has special characteristics that can make her an emotionally supportive animal, she might be able to touch the life of a person who needs her support, or maybe she already offers emotional or mental support to a person. Just sitting with a child or adult who has experienced a traumatic event and has stroked her, can be a welcome comfort to people.
Once the cat is registered, the individual can live with his cat, even in buildings where the owner normally does not allow cats. A person can not be denied housing because they have an animal with emotional support. Denying an individual the right to reside there or rejecting a rental application on the basis of the emotional supporting animal would qualify as discrimination. Emotional support animals, however, usually have no access to accompany the individual to public places where animals are not normally allowed, such as animals. They do, however, have access to drive in the cabin of an aircraft with the person who has registered them as their emotional support animal.
Emotional support for Cat Traits
A cat with emotional support offers solace for the individual in need and can form a special bond with the individual over time. Their role differs from that of a service animal that is usually trained to perform certain tasks. The main “task” of the emotional support animal is to offer emotional comfort and support to a person with a mental or emotional disability, who must be documented by a physician. Emotional support animals must be calm enough not to cause problems in public, nor may they cause problems in or around their home situation.
Documents you need
Secure documentation from a healthcare professional or a doctor. The note must state:
- The mental illness or disability.
- What emotional support the animal will offer.
- The name, phone number, address and professional license number of the medical professional, all on professional stationery.
An emotionally supportive animal can be helpful in treating a number of mental illnesses and disabilities, including:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Autism.
- Anxiety Disorder.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Clinical depression.
Once you are sure that your pet is in public places, you can register your pet with emotional support through the National Service Animal Registry. They send a registration kit and all necessary papers are filled in and returned mailed. Once completed, the cat will be entered into the database of the National Service Animal Registry. A certificate stating that the cat is an emotionally supportive animal is sent to the address on the registration, along with two IDs that identify the cat as an emotionally supporting animal.