Exactly! We don’t have emotional support cans of soup or emotional support bricks. We have emotional support animals, because animals are emotional beings capable of interpreting and responding to emotions.

I have five cats and a dog. All are loving, but two of the cats are so attuned to me that I think they often recognize my moods before I can identify them. One gets in my lap or follows me around when I’m anxious; the other does the same thing when I’m depressed. If I’m in a mixed mood, they’re both all over me. They understand love more than many people do.