How Many Emotional Support Cats Can I have?

Meow!..Meoow!

Anyone listening? I bet you can’t ignore this innocent purr! There is a certain tinge of cuteness that you can’t help but adore. Emotional support cats are one of the most adorable species on this planet. Also, the intelligence and affection makes them one of the most preferred emotional support animal.

Now, if you already have an ESA cat or are planning to have one, you might have pondered over the question that ‘Can I have 2 cats for emotional support?’.

If that’s a question popping up in your mind, read on!

How many ESA cats can you have?

You can have as many ESAs as you need if your licensed mental health professional agrees. According to the law, you can have more than one cat as an emotional support animal.

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) states that it is absolutely fine to have more than one emotional support animal. In fact, it recognizes the fact that an emotionally disabled person might actually need more than one animal to be fully functional in daily life and be on track for successful treatment.

However, it does acknowledge situations where having multiple emotional support animals might be a problem.

In which situations can having multiple emotional support animals pose a problem?

Imagine you have 2 ESA cats and you’re planning to fly with them. Sounds logical? Of course not! Well, at this point it boils down to simple common sense. The airline would naturally be hesitant in offering multiple seats for your beloved cats. I know you would understand that.

Similarly—housing, shopping or going to a restaurant might be problematic if you have multiple cats with you. It’s not impossible but you would surely opt for things smoother rather than a fresh source of the problem.

How to live with multiple ESAs?

So, you have 2 cats with you and you’re finally planning to settle. Keep this information handy:

1) Make sure your mental health specialist includes multiple cats in your ESA letter. This will prevent any problems if someone questions you.

2) See to it that the ESA letter explicitly states—the cats provide you some sort of emotional support and are necessary for your normal survival.

3) The Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) clearly states that the landlord cannot request or demand an advance fee or deposit from a person with ESA. However, you should take note of the fact that the landlord might charge you if you are unable to control your ESA or if some damage to property occurs.

If you already have a cat, that’s great! Well, if you are planning to get one, keep reading!

What are some tips to own an emotional support cat?

Keep the following things in mind if you’re planning to get an ESA cat.

1) Breed

While selecting an emotional support cat, it is obvious that you’re looking for an amiable one. There are certain breeds of cats which are more friendly than others. These include Ragdoll, Russian Blue, Scottish fold, American Bobtail, Tonkinese and others.

2) Bonding

Naturally, if you’re planning to buy a cat, you would want your cat to be friendly and compassionate. Make sure that you buy it from a reputed breeder.

3) Spay or neuter your cat

This might sound weird but unaltered cats won’t make an ideal emotional support cat. Intact males have a tendency to be more aggressive. And intact females constantly have an urge to breed which leads to problems and stress which you obviously don’t want.

4) Say no to feral cats

Feral cats have a reputation of being aggressive and at times violent. They can obviously be tamed but it requires constant patience and time. If you’re looking for emotional support, it is suggested that you don’t look for a feral cat.

Cats are amazing!

Whether you’re looking for an emotional support animal or a normal pet, cats make an excellent companion.

And yeah, two cats are always better than one! register cat as emotional support animal Now!