Emotional Support Cat

Your letter needs to contain the following information to be valid:

• The signature of your therapist or mental health professional
• The letterhead and address of their medical practice
• The type (or types) of mental illness you have
• The contact information of your therapist, including their name, email, and qualifications
• Confirmation that they believe an emotional support animal will benefit your quality of life

Your letter is the only thing ESA candidates need to register their therapy cat. There is no other form of documentation or clothing required (unlike service animals who are sometimes required to wear identifying vests or harnesses).

There is no official registration list for ESAs such as emotional support cats. Pet owners don’t require certificates or ID badges. However, they must carry their ESA letter with them at all times. Without it, they may be turned away by airlines or homeowner associations.

Each letter typically costs between $100 and $200, depending on which state you live in and which mental health professional has issued it. One important thing to remember is that you will need to renew your ESA letter every year.

Many shops sell items such as harnesses, collars, and leashes that identify your cat as an emotional support animal. Although a person may wish to buy this sort of equipment to help their animal stand out in public, there is no legal requirement to do so.

As we mentioned earlier in the blog post, emotional support animals have access to two key benefits. ESAs are protected by the following laws, which recognize that no-one with mental health difficulties should have to face stressful situations without their furry family members by their side.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA)

Under the Fair Housing Act, a landlord or housing association can’t discriminate against you because of your cat. Emotional support animals don’t count as service animals. However, both share one key similarity: they are not legally classed as pets. This means you won’t have topay pet fees to move into rented or student accommodation with your therapy cat.

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)

This law states that ‘reasonable accommodation’ must be made to enable someone with a valid ESA letter to bring their emotional support animal into an airplane cabin. This means you aren’t automatically entitled to bring your support cat with you if it could cause problems for other people on the plane.

If you’re planning to fly, we recommend that you always check with your chosen airline in advance. Let them know that you’re hoping to fly with your emotional support cat and ask whether this will be allowed. Different airlines have very different rules regarding emotional support animals – and no person wants to be caught out on the day they want to travel.
Whatever airline you choose to travel with, always check the rules of the country you’re traveling to. Some parts of the world may require you to submit proof that your cat has had particular vaccinations.

American Airlines

American Airlines has its own ESA form that your licensed therapist must fill out on your behalf. They must confirm that they are treating you for a recognized mental health illness and believe your emotional support cat is crucial to your well being.

You need to submit this form at least 48 hours before your flight takes off. If you don’t fill in this form, the company may accept your regular ESA letter, provided it’s written on your therapist’s official letterhead and contains all the same information as the AA form.

Some companies, including AA, have banned the travel of snub-nosed animals (snub-nosed cats include the Persian, Scottish Fold, and Himalayan). This is to protect your cat’s safety, which could experience breathing difficulties because of the lack of airflow inside the cabin.

Delta

Delta prohibits more unusual emotional support animals such as spiders, sugar gliders, and snakes – but your support cat should be allowed to board the flight as long as it’s well-behaved. According to Delta’s policy, any disruptive animal can be denied access.

There are also three forms you must fill in at least 48 hours before your trip. Your vet must sign one to show your cat’s vaccinations are up to date, your therapist must sign another, and the third must confirm that your cat is well-trained.

United Airlines

United Airlines follows a similar policy to Delta and has three different forms. You must fill in all three before traveling. It also states your emotional support cat must be on a leash or in a carrier for the flight duration.

Although they make excellent emotional support animals, cats cannot become service animals. According to current laws in the United States, you can only have a service dog. This is because dogs are easy to train and are usually happy in public spaces.

A service dog is a service animal that has been specially trained to support its owner. Because it can take years for a service animal to pass their qualifications, they are more highly skilled than an emotional support animal.
Examples of a service dog include:

• A seeing-eye dog
• A seizure alert dog
• Dogs for the disabled

Cats may not assist you with all your household chores, but their love and companionship make them the perfect emotional support animals!

There are no rules that limit the number of ESAs you can have. This means you could have two emotional support cats, a cat, and a dog, or any combination of animals you choose.

The only requirement is that your therapist will need to prescribe each animal individually. As a result, you will need to pay to receive (and renew) letters for each of your ESAs.

Some air companies may not permit you to travel with all of your animals if there isn’t room for them all on the plane.