Register a Cat as an Emotional Support Animal
Your cat, your calm: emotional support that truly helps.
If your cat brings you calm, comfort, and emotional stability, you’re not alone — and they may qualify as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA). While cats don’t need formal training or registration like service animals, they may be recognized as ESAs with a formal request for reasonable adjustments—particularly in housing, travel, or work settings. Here’s everything you need to know about how to register your cat as an emotional support animal.
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
An ESA is a pet that helps alleviate symptoms of emotional or mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or panic disorders. Unlike service animals, ESAs are not trained to perform specific tasks - their presence alone provides therapeutic benefit.
Under UK law, there is no current ESA-specific housing legislation - however, many landlords are open to reasonable requests when presented with a legitimate request.
How Do Emotional Support Animals Help?
Emotional Support Animals provide more than just companionship — they offer genuine mental and emotional health benefits to people living with conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more.
Here’s how an ESA, such as a cat or dog, can help:
Reduce anxiety and stress
Improve sleep and relaxation
Provide companionship and comfort
Create daily structure and purpose
Help during emotional distress
Studies and clinicians recognize the mental health benefits of ESAs. While they don’t replace therapy or medication, they are a powerful complement to a treatment plan. At Clinicerts, we may be able to assist you with ESA supporting letters - where clinically appropriate for patients who rely on their animals for emotional wellbeing. We may reach out to request additional background and supporting evidence, as relevant.
We offer confidential, GP-signed ESA support letters based on a brief online assessment. Whether you’re making a housing request or simply need documentation to explain how your pet supports your mental health, we're here to help.
