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Emotional Support Animal (ESA)Program
​When our daughter was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, we knew that we needed to find a quiet and affectionate animal for her. Dogs were no longer an option for us since a dog’s activity and noise level triggered her anxiety. Our research led us to believe that a Maine Coon would be the best cat breed for her. We attempted to find a breeder that bred and raised Maine Coon kittens to serve as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), but that was a fruitless endeavor. Eventually, we settled on a local breeder and added a wonderful male Maine Coon, Yondu, to our family. It didn’t take long to see the positive effect Yondu had on our daughter. That was when we realized that we wanted to offer families, like ours, the opportunity to add an ESA Maine Coon to their family. We are fortunate to be able pursue our goals of producing cats for show, producing ESAs, and preserving this wonderful breed.
Maine Coons as ESAs...
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An ESA provides a therapeutic benefit to a specific person with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition through companionship and affection. Maine Coon cats make excellent ESAs due to their ability to bond with their caregiver, their gentle and docile temperament, their size, and more. In terms of housing, they are clean, quiet, and non-intrusive. ESAs are not trained to perform tasks or ameliorate disability as service dogs do. Rather, they offer support during challenging or difficult events and situations. There is a wide range of mental and emotional conditions that an ESA can help provide support and/or relief from: panic and anxiety disorders,
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, intellectual disabilities, phobias, mood disorders.
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At MicoliCoon Cattery, we assess each kitten to select the best candidate to serve as an ESA. There is no guarantee that a litter will produce an ESA candidate. There must be at least four (4) kittens in a litter. No more than one (1) kitten in a litter will be selected as an ESA candidate. ESA kittens receive additional experiences to prepare them for their future role.
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The applicant must provide evidence of the mental and/or emotional need for an ESA. Please contact us to apply for a MicoliCoon ESA Maine Coon.