If you suffer from conditions such as depression, PTSD and anxiety, you may have heard about the benefits of emotional support animals. Known as ESAs for short, they have a vital role to play in helping those with challenging mental health problems cope with everyday situations.
Many people have a cat as their emotional support animal, but unfortunately it can be difficult to take your ESA out and about with you due to a lack of understanding about the importance of emotional support animals in society today. This is why you should consider buying an emotional support cat vest. When your feline helper wears an emotional support cat vest, it will be easy for people around you to see that your cat has an important role to play in your mental well-being.
Here, we take a closer look at the importance of ESA cat vests so you can decide whether you should get one for your feline friend.
Should My Cat Have An Emotional Support Cat Vest?
When you register your furry friend as an ESA you should definitely think about buying an emotional support cat vest for him or her to wear when they are with you in public. Usually, emotional support cat vests are orange or red in color, and this helps them to stand out from other “regular” cats. These vests are easily adjustable and can be worn with a leash or harness to allow your cat to come along with you when you go to the store or out for a walk.
Is there a Difference between an ESA Cat Vest and a Service Cat Vest?
There is one primary difference between service animals and support animals, and this is the function that they perform. While an ESA helps its owner to improve his or her mental well-being and can be especially helpful for those who suffer from anxiety, depression or PTSD, service animals receive advanced training that allows them to achieve a range of objectives that vary depending on the unique needs of their owner. For this reason, cats are rarely seen as service animals as they’re very difficult to train! However, they fulfil their role as ESA extremely well thanks to the affection they provide.
Where Can I Buy An Emotional Support Cat Vest?
If you’re considering buying an emotional support cat vest for your feline helper, you may now be wondering where you can buy one. Luckily, they’re very easy to get hold of through USSA. USSA’s online store has a choice of sizes and colors for you to choose from and all are made of very high-quality materials so you can be confident that you’re getting great value from your purchase. Also, when you order from USSA’s online store, you’ll receive your purchase within a week, and usually within just a few days, so you can start going out with your pet without any awkward questions being asked as quickly as possible.
How do I measure my Cat for an ESA Cat Vest?
Emotional support pet vests come in a range of sizes, but you’re sure to find one that perfectly fits your furry friend. When you’re shopping for a cat vest, you’ll need to ensure that you choose one that properly fits your cat, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for them to wear. You will need to know the precise measurements of your cat to ensure you’ve chosen a vest that fits correctly. To do this, you should measure around your cat’s chest and measure the circumference of their neck.
To do this, you’ll need to first find the thickest part of your feline’s torso. Use a measuring tape and wrap it around this part of your cat’s body to determine its circumference. You can then repeat this process with your cat’s neck.
How To Choose The Right Cat Support Vest
Once you know the right size to choose for your ESA, you’ll need to choose a vest made from the most appropriate fabric. The most comfortable ESA cat vests are made from breathable cotton that is easy to wear. This type of material is also suitable for any cats that have allergies. You should also look for fastenings and straps that are easy to adjust and simple to fasten and unfasten, as well as the ability to use the vest with a leash or harness. Cat vests come in different colors too, so you can select one that best suits them!
Is a Service Animal Vest the same Thing as getting ESA Certification?
As we’ve already pointed out, service animals aren’t the same thing as emotional support animals. Service animals are trained to help people with physical disabilities while ESAs only help their emotional well-being. Simply buying a service animal vest for your cat to wear doesn’t make them a service animal.
On the other hand, though, if you get an ESA letter for your cat and also buy an emotional support cat vest, this can be very helpful for you. It will point out to members of the public the important role that your cat has to play in your life. ESA certification is a legal document and, as such, it offers benefits and has implications that shouldn’t be overlooked. For example, when your cat has the right ESA paperwork, he or she can travel in most airline cabins with you when you fly. You can also have your cat living with you, even in an apartment or complex that isn’t pet-friendly. Laws exist to prevent discrimination against anyone who has a disability of any kind and these laws extend to emotional support animals, whether they wear an ESA vest or not.
Is there a Registration Process to go through to Register my Pet as an ESA?
There isn’t any official registration process to go through if you want your pet to be recognized as a support animal. You just need to obtain an ESA letter from a licensed therapist or counselor. As long as the licensed mental health professional is qualified to state that your cat plays an important role in improving your mental health, this is sufficient.
Must my Pet Wear an ESA Vest?
Although an emotional support cat vest isn’t actually a requirement when taking your ESA out in public, it can be very helpful for your feline to wear one. This will help to clarify your pet is actually an ESA and will reduce any questions from members of the public, from officials or from store owners about the presence of your cat.
What are the Benefits of my Cat Wearing an ESA Vest?
The primary purpose of an emotional support cat vest is that it will distinguish your cat as an ESA. This is very helpful if you’re in a public place like the airport. If you cat wears a distinguishable vest, this is also a clear indicator for landlords or other members of the public to recognize your feline isn’t just a regular pet.
There are other benefits too. For example, if your cat becomes lost, a vest will make it simpler to locate your companion. Also, an emotional support cat vest that has a label stating “do-not-pet” or “working animal” on it will ensure you will be able to avoid the inconvenience and distraction of other people coming up wanting to stroke your animal. Since your ESA will only be able to help keep you calm and stress-free when they aren’t distracted by other people petting them, this can only be a good thing.
When your pet wears an identification vest, this will save you a lot of time, effort and embarrassment since you won’t need to explain to everyone why you have your cat with you while you’re out and about. This is especially important for those suffering from conditions like social anxiety, where talking to strangers can be extremely distressing.
Can Any Cat Wear An Emotional Support Vest?
Whether you’re considering getting a cat to be your ESA or whether you already have a pet that you would like to make your emotional support animal, it’s good to know that virtually any animal can be an ESA. There isn’t any age limit for your pet to be an ESA and there aren’t any specific training requirements. So long as your cat offers you mental health support and isn’t a nuisance or threat to property or other people, there will be no difficulties in obtaining the appropriate paperwork to have your pet recognized as an ESA so long as you have a qualifying mental health condition. You needn’t worry, your ESA pet won’t have to carry out any specific tasks or perform special tricks to qualify! They must, however, be well-behaved. Otherwise, it’s still possible for them to be excluded from airplanes or housing which isn’t pet friendly.
Getting An ESA Vest For My Cat
If you’re ready to get an emotional support vest for your cat, visit the USSA online store today. You can also find out everything you need to know about getting the necessary paperwork you require to have your feline recognized as an ESA on the USSA website.