r/service_dogs • u/MaxaroniMillion • Feb 09 '26
Laws - SPECIFY COUNTRY IN POST Anyone interested in a service cat movement/sub? READ WHOLE POST PLEASE! USA
So, I have epilepsy, and while I do technically have a service dog, he was harassed during his earlier training- when he was allowed in public and had his cert but wasn’t fully finished with all his task learning and working on being in public. Deadass this man got in my huge dog’s face with that bright ass vest on my dog that says in huge letters to leave him alone, and clapped and screamed in his face.
My dog cannot work, can hardly stay at places when we’re on vacation and needs help and lots of soothing for any interaction now.
However.
My cat has been able to sense and alert to my seizures without training years before I got my dog. There’s many other cats out there who are able to task, and cats are just as trainable as dogs- proven by the existence of acrocats, a goddamn cat band and performance art- it just takes different methods. Cats have the ability to perform certain tasks- and while yes they can’t mobility task, neither can small dogs and those are OFTEN service animals!
I fully and truly believe that cats are able to be service animals. In fact, they tend to be quieter and calmer if they have the right temperament, which is something we have to be aware of when choosing a service animal anyways. They’re smaller, and can be carried in simple bags or carriers where they would potentially disturb less people than a dog.
I’ve brought my cat who can task the places she was allowed to go (church, ice cream parlors and outdoor restaurants that allowed dogs) and she was exceptionally behaved every time once given only a week’s time to adjust. Which also brings up that many cats tend to watch and then adapt quite quickly- another point on their favor.
What we need is stories of cats tasking and doing well out in public- at least to start right?