Having three service animal cats, I have found that pre-education and
letter on doctor's letterhead stating that this is a service animal
smoothed over any situations I might have had. I was always ready to get
defensive should I need to and I carried the law as well as the letter
with me. Of course, I also made sure my animals were trained to be in
public and would behave on a leash as I needed for them to behave before
I took them anywhere.

At some point in the last ten years, all three animals stayed with me in
our local hospital, one of them went to all of my therapy appointments
for almost a year when I needed him to and one has traveled all over
with me. My apartment complex recognizes them just because I say so, so
getting them into my new digs last year when I moved was not a problem
and in 2001 when I tore my knee up and was in the nursing home for
several months, I got to have one there too.

The most I ask of them these days is to keep me warm at night and watch
TV with me. They excel at these tasks and they do make the difference
between life worth living and life not. A friend of mine who had a
service dog had a hard time with the idea of cats as service animals,
but I think that deep down she was jealous that my cats did more for me
than her dog did for her. The dogs she trained were always high strung
and didn't cope well outside of the house with her whereas my cats were
always relaxed, hung tight with me and never had any trouble coping.

I love my cats and all they have done for me. No matter how long my day
has been, each one of them gets attention when I am home so I know how
they are doing and I can give them attention. I can't imagine not having
them as service animals. It has really made a difference in my life.

Bridget

I don't agree with that gym's position but I can sort of see their point.
Most people are used to seeing dogs, not cats, as "service animals".  And
their vision tends to be shorter than that of a seeing-eye dog.

Jill