I am here to tell you that emotional support animals are a legitimate thing. I know, they aren't like other service animals, but that doesn't lessen their status as a service animal. I have two emotional support animals and they both help me in very different ways as I go through life. They're for my anxiety. They're my rocks when I just need that attention and security of someone (or something) being with me.

When I first moved out, I was living on my own and I knew that would be too hard for me to handle based on my knowledge of my mind and how it works. So I got Chester; a six week old squeaker who has grown so much in the last year and a half. He's imprinted on me due to the fact that I really raised him, which is what makes him the perfect cat for the job. He's an in-your-face cuddle bug, and he somehow always knows when to climb up to cuddle. It's like he can sense when I'm feeling down or upset about something. As I write this now, he's laying on my chest in front of my keyboard because he knows how much I'm thinking about all the homework I have to do later. He just gets me.

So why do I have two ESAs if he's so perfect? Well, it wasn't intentional. We went out and randomly got a second cat back in March. Katina. And she was mostly meant to be a friend for Chester and another happy cat to see around the house. She turned out to be my fiancé's cat; he could play with her better and cuddle with her more - which was only fair since Chester was so much my cat.

However, over the past few months she has grown to be another helpful friend in my times of need. Yeah, Chester is good at giving me love and affection, but sometimes his closeness actually makes me more anxious. It's just that some days are different from others, and being smothered sometimes isn't the solution. Katina is a very sit-at-your-feet kind of girl, which is perfect from those days. She's always wanting to be near someone, and I can always count on her being at my feet taking a power nap. Just looking down at her and knowing I'm not alone is a powerful feeling.

So don't tell me (or anyone else) that ESA's aren't legitimate service animals because they really are. Maybe I don't need Chester of Katina to see, to walk, or to detect a health problem, but they do calm me and prevent those moments in life that might turn ugly if there isn't someone there to catch me and calm me down. Sure, they didn't need any special training, but they really don't need it anyways. Animals are in tune with their owners after spending so much time together - it's no surprise they pick up so well on our emotions.

Shout out to Chester and Katina - my children and my support system.