Quote:
Originally Posted by chaoticidealism
Would my cats qualify as "emotional support animals" for the purpose of housing?
I have two cats. They are well trained to use their litter box and scratching posts and do not cause damage.
I am autistic, and the cats allow for "safe", non-stressful social interaction, and I can talk to them without worrying that I'll embarrass somebody, mix up my words, or say something stupid. Since I'm socially isolated, interacting with them really helps. Additionally, when I'm extremely stressed out, petting a cat can help, both because of the comforting texture of the fur and because a cat is heavy and warm when it sits on you.
I don't know, though, that this is any more "emotional support" than the average cat would provide for the average owner. And, while two cats are easier to take care of than one because they keep each other busy, two cats may be harder to explain than one.
The housing problem is because I am on SSI and it is difficult to find an apartment that fits within that price limit. Most in that range do not allow pets. I got lucky with a landlord who changed his mind about the pet policy this time, because he sees I take good care of my cats, but I may not be so fortunate in the future.
What do you think?
|
Dear ChaoticIdealism (love your handle here)...
If you have read my post above, you will see that psychiatric service dogs are allowed in subsidized housing and (thankfully) many such no-pet housing, having so many unmarried disabled tenants, have become aware of the prescribing of psychiatric support animals, to include cats and birds.
IF your psychiatrist or your primary care doctor write out a prescription for you, prescribing the NEED for a psychiatric/psychological support animal (being written out on letterhead has the best impact), and (if needed) backed up by more explanatory notes by the doctor that persons with your kind of disability NEED this substitute for unobtainable/unsustainable human contact. Or words to whatever effect. Most doctors are avidly eager to comply with your suggestion for an animal to augment your life and medical care, but many will ask you to "just write it all out for me and I'll sign it" or some such. I wrote mine out and accompanied the submission with the links to the web pages of federal law governing federally covered disabilities and an reminder of the various inabilities I had that could (I hoped) be alleviated by having the right animal. (I went thru one totally inappropriate dog - too young and pathological incurable attachment disorder - she needed more psych meds than I did!
Then, when you submit the letter of prescription to the manager, accompany it with the pages of case law governing public-subsidized housing as she will have to fax all this to the head office. If she worries about "cats peeing on the carpet", a letter from any former roommate or landlord who can attest to the condition of the carpet/flooring when you moved out will suffice to calm those fears.
Actually, WalMart sells an enzyme product (not a perfumed one, but odorless) that IF there is ever a mistake (like if your cat gets closed up in the bedroom), you simply blot up all possible liquid and/or soil, then apply the solution generously and cover it with plastic or foil, weight it down with books or such, and let the enzymes do their work for 24 hours. You will have ZERO stain or odor to live with. The bottle has a cartoon dog and cat, sitting next to each other, with closed eyes, holding their noses. This was, for many years, the best possible, but there is a new product in tablet form where you activate it with mildly warm water and use it promptly (no shelf life). I found it offered online as a sample and surprisingly found it to be excellent when my poor dog vomited behind my bed one night - and you KNOW how red dog biscuit color stains carpet!
Go ahead, prepare yourself with prescription and confidence, and go apply for an apartment. You may be happily surprised to find it an non-issue.
OneMoreTime
ps: Your being disabled (never mind your being on SSI and them being federally subsidized housing), they are not allowed to charge you a pet deposit.