Are ESA Rats Good To Keep? – 2022 Guide Rats have an extremely loyal nature just like other animals from the class of mammals that they belong to. Once they are kept as a pet they form to develop a strong fondness for their owners. Also, they show their loyalty and love through cuddling and crawling up in the laps of the owners. Among all the animals that are to provide emotional support to the possessors of the animal, rats are generally the ones least preferred. This is because no one actually knows their worth as a pet as well as an Emotional Support Dog. However, before exploring the benefits of taking rats as emotional support animals let’s have a look at what an emotional support animal is? An ESA is used by an individual to combat loneliness, mental issues like anxiety, stress, depression, and is usually recommended by mental health professionals. These animals not only share the loneliness of their owners but their companionship, care, love, and support prove to be a game-changer in resolving their mental issues. The healthcare professionals usually write a letter called the emotional support animal letter in which they recommend an individual to get an ESA. The animal needs not be of a specific kind; rather it can be a dog, cat, fish, rat, or any other pet animal of any species. This letter given by the professional can also be used as an ESA letter for housing as it allows one to keep the pet with them while on flight and also live with them in housing societies where pets are generally not allowed. The purpose of this letter is to ensure that the patient gets complete and continuous emotional support from an ESA regardless of the policies of where they live or and also while traveling. Once a person has been prescribed by the doctor to get an ESA, and then given the legitimate esa letter, the next step is to decide which animal will be taken for emotional support. The most commonly used animals are cats and dogs and the least chosen ones are rats. This is presumably because of the way the rats are portrayed in the media, stories, books, and even real lives. Rats are thought of as filthy animals that are notorious to the core, and hence no one even thinks of them as an animal capable of giving emotional support to human beings. There is no denying the fact that because of the conditions that rats live in on streets, they become inherently unhygienic or filthy. Nonetheless, it does not make them by any means less supportive, intelligent, loyal, or unfit to be kept as a pet or an emotional support animal. When it comes to an animal being selected as an emotional support giver, the only criteria for their qualification is that they must be capable enough of supporting the owner in hard times emotionally. And there is not why a rat can not do this. Not only rats are caring and supportive but have the added benefit of being an immensely intelligent mammal too. From loyalty to intelligence, there are many pros of keeping rats as an esa letter for dog. Some of these pros are highlighted below which will definitely convince you to consider having a rat as an ESA if you ever need one. Therefore, it has been established as a fact that rats are easier to form a bond with, show physical affection, and are loyal too. What else one needs from an emotional support animal? Socializing One very unique feature of the rats is that they do not prefer being navel-gazing introverts, rather they like to socialize with more and more people and other animals too. rats love to socialize and hence when they live with human beings they often prefer spending time with their owners and even the visitors of the owner rather than sleeping, eating, or resting. This highly social and extroverted nature of these animals makes them highly suitable as emotional support animals as they can easily brighten up one’s day and will never be absent from the service of supporting the owner emotionally. Personality Just like human beings, every rat also has a unique personality of its own apart from some common features of the species to which they belong. Some rats have a more social nature, some are less extroverted although none is introverted. Some are laid back while others are always on their toes. This makes them an amazing puzzle to solve for their owners. Therefore, living with rats, bonding with them, and exploring their unique personality and nature is a fun task for a person struggling with mental health issues. It can also divert attention from the root causes of mental health problems. Intelligence An emotional support animal has to be an intelligent one because they need to look after their owners emotionally. Also for “how to get an esa letter“, they have to be aware of the signs that depict that the person needs some support at the moment. Therefore, generally, mammals are used as ESAs. The intelligence, inquisition, and empathy of rats make them one of the most competent animals when it comes to picking an ESA. Convenience, Affordability, and Low Maintenance Rats are convenient as they do not require an outside area where they can reign freely nor are they difficult to walk. Even the smallest apartment can be suitable to keep a rat as a pet. Moreover, they are not very costly in the very first place, and their food, beddings, treatments, nests, and toys are easily affordable too. A plus point is, none of the rats is a picky eater. Given such enormous benefits, if you own an ESA or want to have one, it’s high time that you invest in rats! Useful Resources: Emotional Support Cat – How to Get an ESA Cat & an ESA Letter for It? Traveling with Dogs – Helpful Tips and Tricks for a Fun-filled Journey How to Ask Your Doctor for an Emotional Support Animal Letter? Emotional Support Animal Registration – All You Need to Know