Can a Guinea Pig Be an Emotional Support Animal?

Guinea pigs make great at-home emotional support animals due to their size, ease of care, and cuddle factor!

Guinea pigs make good emotional support animals for a number of reasons:

• They are generally healthy and live 5-7 years on average
• Guinea pigs are fairly easy to house and care for
• They have unique personalities
• They purr when you pet them (just like cats) and make funny noises
• They are a lot of fun to watch – they ‘popcorn’ when they’re excited and happy
• They are friendly and playful
• Guinea pigs are not destructive
• They recognize and greet their owners

What ESAs do for people

Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort and therapeutic support to their owners through companionship, affection, positive regard, and a focus in life. While all domesticated pets can qualify as ESAs, not all owners can.

Emotional support animals can help your brain chemistry by stimulating the productions of hormones responsible for good mood. This will increase your happiness, decrease stress and loneliness, and make you feel safe and loved. ESAs will also help ease their owner’s anxiety on airplanes by making them less focused on the fear and by comforting them.

Animals can also improve people’s relationships by offering their unconditional love and helping people connect with the world. This can make owners feel less lonely and provide a sense of security. Emotional support animals also help people keep their emotions under control throughout the day. Petting an animal can do wonders for stress relief and mood improvement. Being around a calm animal can also help stabilize your blood pressure.

As you can see, the benefits of having an emotional support animal around are substantial. They can help you battle negative emotions and reconnect you with the world. In order to get a prescription letter for your emotional support animal, a licensed mental health professional needs to determine that you have a mental health disability that your pet can alleviate.

The process to make a guinea pig an ESA

The process of getting an ESA letter, can be done online or in person! To qualify online, complete the ESA questionnaire at the bottom of this page. 

The first thing you need to do when you want to make a guinea pig an ESA is to see a licensed mental health professional. They will determine if you have a mental health disability that can be helped with an emotional support animal. Once they determine that you are eligible, you will receive an ESA letter.

There are a few requirements for emotional support animals. The most important thing is that your guinea pig needs to be domesticated and not pose a threat to people or housing. Since guinea pigs are generally not destructive or aggressive, it’s likely that you will meet this requirement.

Another important thing is that your therapist needs to determine that your guinea pig can actually help alleviate some of the symptoms related to your mental health disability. They will determine if it’s appropriate for you to have an emotional support animal.

You should also understand that your emotional support animal is there to help with your symptoms but it is helpful to see a therapist to continue working on your treatment. In other words, your emotional support guinea pig is not a cure for an illness, but it can be a part of your wellness process.

Qualify for your ESA Letter Online

Traveling with an ESA guinea pig on a plane

When you have a valid ESA letter for your guinea pig, you may be able to travel with your guinea pig on a plane. An emotional support animal may travel in the cabin of an airplane with you as long as it doesn’t pose a threat to people or create a nuisance. No special training is required, just basic good behavior and a pet carrier. Please note that some airlines will not accept rodents as emotional support animals. This specific restriction is addressed directly by the Air Carrier Access Act so until further notice, we recommend traveling with an airline that has a friendly policy towards your ESA. 

If you are uncertain, you would want to check with the airline in advance to avoid any confusion or inconvenience. Some airlines only allow guinea pigs in the cargo or luggage areas. You should know that these animals are sensitive to noise and temperature changes so this may not be the safest option.

Living with an ESA guinea pig

Emotional support Guinea Pigs can live with their owners, even in “no-pet” housing! Emotional support animals are not considered regular pets. 

Guinea pigs are fairly easy to house so you can even have them in your apartment. If you live in a housing that has a no pets policy, your ESA letter can help. When you have a valid emotional support animal letter, you can live with your guinea pig even in pet-free housing. You will not have to pay additional pet deposits of pet fees.

Qualify for an ESA Letter today!

Get the Love and Support you Deserve!