My doctor has said that I should get a therapy animal to help

Well declaring is cruel no matter the cat op. Did you do some research on these cats? I heard they're pretty high energy and give no fucks. I don't think your antiques would be alright even if you did let them outside in a rural area. Why not try an older dog or cat? Maybe there's an older cat that the previous owner declared already.

>getting a wild animal as a therapy animal
>getting a huge, high-energy cat when you collect antiques
>even considering declawing
>wants to let a fucking serval be an outdoor cat

pls no
pls no to all of this.

Get a shelter cat, an older cat that's either really laid back or already declawed from a previous owner. You don't need a speshul snowflake pet to keep you company. Savannah cats are notoriously destructive, and servals are wild animals.

>>2038032
Declawed god damn phone

>>2038029
Such a collection of terrible ideas it can't be real.

>>2038029
>my therapy animal needs to be a special snowflake!
Just get a dog you fucking hipster

>>2038033
This Op, what the fuck? An outdoor savannah?

>needs a therapy animal
>picks a cat

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>>2038029

Maybe get a small animal? Get the special animal when they are moved into the rural area. Nothing wrong with a cage of hamsters, hedgehogs, or gerbils.

A few years ago there was a savannah cat lose in Detroit. All the nig nogs were terrified of it. One of them ended up shooting it.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/27/detroit-big-cat-roaming/2706217/

OP, your doctor is wrong. You should never, ever care for another living being.

>>2038029
For an animal to be legally considered a registered therapy animal (which would allow you to be able to live in certain no pet apartments with it) they have to not pose a threat to you or the public. Cats are already a bad choice because of scratching and the fact that they are difficult to train, but exotics cause a lot of damage and are more prone to cause a lot of damage because they are half wild. If you want the animal to be a real therapy animal, a cat may not work.

Another thing to think about is if you'd need any kind of licence or special registration for owning a half wild animal, or if it is even legal. Obviously, this would also keep your animal from being an actual therapy animal

>>2038067
I believe OP is referring to an ESA, not an actual certified therapy animal. Said ESA might not even be getting registered, I think it was just a descriptive term for its purpose.

OP, coming from somebody with severe depression + anxiety, don't get an exotic animal. I think this is bait, but I'll answer anyway. If you actually have depression and you're not just a faggot baby, you want something easy to care for. I have clinical depression and it's extremely hard for me to muster the energy to do much of anything. I ended up with a lot of pity pets, like "if you don't take it it will die or be owned by somebody who makes their life worse than death", and it's completely overwhelmed me and stresses me out constantly. I live in constant fear that my lack of motivation and executive function issues will get too bad and I won't be able to properly care for anything. You don't want a high energy, high maintenance pet that will destroy your house and make life harder.

If you live alone, small animals like rats would be really nice. They're easy, trainable, and affectionate. The upfront cost is maybe 150-200 dollars for a cage + accessories + rats. If you have somebody else who can help you out, there's a lot of really great dog breeds for therapy and emotional support, but a lot of them require moderate - high levels of exercise. I would advise against cats unless you're willing to get a purebred. Ragdoll/similar are very low energy and affectionate. Don't get an outside cat, though. It'll die in a year and then you'll kill yourself.
For some people, just caring for another creature is soothing. A plant, a frog, a fish; anything.

>>2038102
Emotional support animals may not be supported by the ADA, but it is covered by the FHAA which is covered by some housing. There are steps to having an ESA as compared to 'just' a pet, which requires shit like a doctor's prescription, and have regulations, like the animal can not be a danger to people. Although, the only real reason I can see to get an animal to be an ESA would be if you lived in no pet housing. Otherwise there really isn't a point to it, you could just get an animal without the prescription

I will admit, when I was depressed, high maintenance animals did not help at all. Especially ones that needed daily attention, because I couldn't always give it to them. Then it turns into a shitty cycle; you're depressed and don't take proper care of your animals, then because you don't give your animals the attention they deserve, you get depressed, etc. For my chronic depression, pets actually made my time worse. I think it depends on OP's depression; if it's a 'i can't get out of bed' depression, or if it's more of a lonely or bored depression.

>>2038102
>. It'll die in a year
So do rats,though.

>>2038126
Yeah, if you smash it with a brick.

>>2038102

rats a shit

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>>2038029
OP, this is either the hardest bait I've seen on /an/ or you are the most autistic person alive.

>>2038102
> $200 for a rat
Rats a shit

>>2038029
Anon, a medium sized semi wild potentially damage causing cat is not going to make a good therapy animal. A medium sized, laid back dog, or a larger, overly friendly dog would be a better choice. Consider a newfoundland, even though they may be a bit destructive due to being neurotic, but if you're home all day or have adequate time to train one, it should not be a problem.
If considering the larger end of dogs, there's a lot of options, since many of them were bred to be extremely fond of humans.

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>>2038252
>newfoundland

Why not tell OP to get a pony? OP do not listen to this oaf.

>>2038029
Hell yeah it'd be cruel to declaw a WILD cat. If it's an out door cat don't declaw it, in fact don't declaw any cat. Jfc. If you get a serval keep your antiques in a no-cat room. Servals are high energy and destructive so you have to be high energy too.

i know a guy with one, a savannah i think?.. he's a coke dealer who gives zero fucks so he's the right kind of person for it

that said, it's a terrible pet

>>2038201
it depends. really the only cost is the rat- like $2. mine cost $50 coz they came with a huge cage. but really they're great pets for DIYers- bedding and food can be close to free.

>>2038252
>being this ignorant of mental illness and dogs at the same time

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This has got to be bait please

>>2038201
>>2038144
About 10 dollars for two rats and up to 200 dollars for a cage, depending on what you want. People spend thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars for a dog or a cat that often serves no purpose anyway. What's the difference?
OP needs an animal that's easy to care for, but also affectionate, interactive, and intelligent. Rats perfectly fill this role.

Haven't heard from OP, starting to believe it's bait. I think it's better to assume it isn't; one of these days it won't be bait and someone will do some stupid ass shit because they don't know better

>>2038942
Because dogs and cats are companions.
Rats are vermin.

>>2038942

rats are shit pets

>>2038947
>>2038948
Wow. Just look at all those hard facts and tear wrenching personal experiences.

Rats are only vermin when they are let loose on their environment.

Same for cats and dogs.

>>2038102
>It'll die in a year and then you'll kill yourself.
And rats will die in two years,not really changing much here

>>2039003
Because rats are a shit

too lazy to make my own thread

what are some low maintenance plants or animals i can raise for funzies?

>>2039042
Cats are low maintenance. Cactuses are lowest maintenace.

>>2039042
Betta fish, but only if you get a 5 gallon tank or bigger for it so you don't have do water change all the time.

>>2039042

Stick insect.

>>2039000

they don't have as much personality as people who own them pretend they have, they smell, they have short lifespans and are prone to diseases, they aren't as trainable as people who own them pretend they are, animals that require bedding are annoying and disgusting to clean up after, and someone depressed is not going to want to do it as much as necessary to avoid giving them respiratory infections and making their house reek of rodent

>>2039042

succulents, cacti, vines

>>2039109
mine are 2 pounds of personality in a 1 pound package. they smell if you leave their cage.
cat's aren't very trainable either, yet people love them and a cat box isn't much better than cleaning a cage- I put fabric in the bottom of my cage, shake it out, and wash it- easy.

But yeah, someone who isn't motivated to take care of them shouldn't keep rats. Same thing for any pet IMO unless you like your dog/cat shitting all over your house.

>>2039109
Rats are about equal in work needed to a dog or cat.
Fish, plants and reptiles are more along the lines of what a depressed person can handle, with the plus of not suffering very much if the person misses caring for them for days at a time.

>>2039114

i said this about cats >>2038049

rats always have significantly less personality than their owners claim, they're almost the equivalent of people pretending their snakes are full of personality, just slightly less deluded

rats a shit

this is such obvious bait. /an/ is so retarded.

>>2039140
my rats run up to give me kisses. I've never had a cat that did that.

each one of my four acts completely differently- one is grumpy and bites, one is more dominant, one is a sweetie and constantly begging for attention, and the last girl likes to run around in circles when you play with her. seriously tho the only point that I was arguing is that they have a lot of personality. I don't think that a rat is a better companion animal- that's definitely dog territory.

>>2039351
I don't think it's /an/ being retarded so much as the fact people in general really are retarded when it comes to animals. We all know people who are aren't good animal owners and it's not implausible that OP is serious. I worked at a Petsmart for half a year, and it was the worst, you would be astonished by some of the shit I was asked.

>>2039359

i've been around somewhat affectionate cats that do that

since when is running around in circles is the same as having personality? rats seem to come in two types bites and doesn't bite

>>2039042
tarantulas

>>2039351
/an/ is just bored, outdoor cats threads get a lot replies even tough literally everyone in this board knows that they are bait

>>2039000
Rats are genuinely shit pets. They're no better than a hamster or a Guinea Pig. It's a rat. What does it even do? At least a cat will play with you. A dog can protect you and tell you when the phone is ringing. What use is a rat other than to get for your kid to teach them about responsibility and morality.

>>2039119
Rats are not equal in work to a dog or a cat. Quit baiting it's pathetic.

>>2039918
Rats can play, be trained, and "purr" when you pet it or make it happy. They come when called. You can take them on walks, sometimes off leash. They do have personalities above that of a hamster or Guinea pig. They've shown clear signs of empathy in lab tests.
Also, you couldn't fucking hear the phone ring on your own? We're talking about depression, not deafness.

Everyone's ignoring that this suggestion was made exclusively in the context of somebody dealing with depression. You know, the thing that takes away all your motivation and will to live. Even if it is bait, OP obviously couldn't take care of a border collie or a Bengal cat. This suggestion is exactly what somebody with low motivation needs. A pet that can show affection and be trained while still requiring almost no care.

>>2038029
Will lay your living space to waste.

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>>2038065

> call boss
> boss, my dog died last night. I'd like the day off
> ok anon. Sorry to hear that.


> call boss
> boss my rat died last night. I'd like the day off.
> your rat? Get your ass to work you faggot.

No one gives a shit about a rat.

>>2040005
If you're looking to kill things for paid leave, adopt children.

>>2039999
I'm sorry you're mad, OP, but you really shouldn't be keeping animals if you're going to cut their fingertips off or keep them in a home that's not suitable for them.

>>2040038
Didn't say anything about pay.

>>2040043
Wow this

Don't fucking mutilate an animal for fear of your precious "antiques" getting scratched up you stupid fuck.

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>>2040043
>>2040089
>taking this thread seriously

>>2038102

>If you actually have depression and you're not just a faggot baby

There's literally no difference.

A "faggot baby" is a depressed person you don't like who's more miserable than you are.

Kind of like how a druggie is someone you don't like who gets high more than you.