Your emotional support animal can fill your life with positivity. They help you deal with stress, depression, and other mental issues. While the most common animals people choose as their ESA are dogs and cats; they are not the only animals that can be ESA. A lot of other animals like rabbits, mice, rats, birds, mini pigs, etc. can qualify as an ESA.
All you need is an ESA letter from a certified doctor from a legit clinic like My ESA Doctor. Also, emotional support animals are different from service dogs, as they do not require any special training. The presence of an ESA alone can help in managing the symptoms associated with emotional and psychological problems. But they should behave well in public settings.
These pets provide therapeutic support to people suffering from some kind of mental or psychological issue. They are an important part of their owner’s life as they provide companionship, motivation, connection, and comfort to their owners. Today in this article, we will look at some of the most common emotional support animals and their benefits. But before that, let’s learn more about emotional support animals.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is basically a pet that can help in easing the symptoms associated with emotional or mental disability.As mentioned above, these pets are different from service animals or therapy animals. Service animals and therapy animals are given special training to perform specific tasks. But ESAs do not need any special training. Their primary goal is to offer comfort and companionship.
I have prepared a list of some of the most common animals that people choose as their ESA. Let’s go through the list and learn about them.
Dogs as Emotional Support Animals
Dogs are known as man’s best friends. They are also the most popular ESA choice. Any type of dog breed is capable of providing help to those with emotional or psychological disabilities. They have proven to be excellent companions for humans. They are loyal, friendly, loving, caring, affectionate, and full of energy. People love these four-legged creatures, that’s why dogs as ESAs make so much sense.
The connection between them and humans is really amazing. Research shows that dogs can communicate and understand us more than any other animal. Everyone can trust them because they are extremely loyal. They will be at the door waiting for you to come back from the office. They will lick you and give a lot of cuddles and will do anything in their power to make you feel happy.
Cats as Emotional Support Animals
They are not as popular as dogs, but they are the second most popular ESAs choice. They also play an important part in people’s life with mental or psychological issues. While many may think that they are grumpy, they are also full of unconditional love for their humans. Cats are calm and quiet. They can provide comfort to people with their relaxing nature and entertaining attitude. All these things make them a great choice for an emotional support animal.
Trust me, cats are funny. Research shows that you can boost your energy just by watching some cat videos on YouTube. If you have ever visited a cat cafe, you know what I’m talking about. They are also known to help people get over a loss more quickly than other animals. And you do not have to worry about them making any noise at night. Cats are great for small living spaces.
Rabbits as Emotional Support Animals
They are one of the cutest animals on this planet, and you can fall in love just by looking at them. They are small, fuzzy, and cute! They have already loved pets, which makes them great emotional support animals as well. Rabbits bond with their humans quickly and are always ready to offer love and affection. Also, they are calm, quiet, and shy animals. So, you won’t have to worry about them making noise and disturbing your neighbors.
We all love our bunnies, who are also well suited for an apartment. Thanks to their small size, they can easily live in small spaces. They have a loving nature that will help you bond with them easily.
Birds as Emotional Support Animals
Many people keep birds as their pets, but only a few people consider them as their ESA. Birds have the unique ability to mimic human speech. This can be looked at as added comfort, entertainment, and value for their owners. One more benefit of having birds as your pets is that they are low maintenance in comparison to some other pets. Birds do not need a large space overall to live. You can also use a cage as a living space for them.
Hamsters as Emotional Support Animals
These are small, calm, furry little companions that prove to be another perfect option for an ESA. Instead of the loud, enthusiastic and energetic presence of a dog or bird, you get to enjoy the relaxing and soothing support of a hamster. The best part about this animal as a pet is that it is inexpensive and does not require a lot of space. Unlike other animals like cats and dogs, you do not need to spend a lot on your hamster’s house, the food you’ll feed it or the kind of entertainment and toys it requires.
Apart from the animals listed above, you can also choose to get a horse as an ESA. Given that you have the appropriate space, training and funds that are required to take care of one properly. Your horse will prove to be a great companion and also a long-lasting one as it has a greater life span. On the other end of the spectrum, you can invest in a mouse, rat, or ferret as your emotional support animal.
Any kind of domesticated animal can become an ESA as long as a certified healthcare professional writes up your ESA letter. You can buy/adopt a new pet as an ESA and have your current pet certified as an ESA, as long as it helps you maintain your mental health.