10 Best Cat-Friendly Alcohol And Drug Rehab Centers

One of the things that may cause a person to forgo treatment in a drug and alcohol rehab facility is that they may have to leave their pet behind. They’ll be pleased to learn that there are indeed drug and alcohol rehab facilities that allow patients to bring their pets, especially their cats. This even includes outpatient facilities.

Experts in addiction medicine have discovered that there are many benefits for patients who are able to bring their cats with them to a rehab facility. Having the company of their cat reduces anxiety and stress and encourages the patient to think positively, which will help when treatment becomes challenging.

The presence of their pet also heightens the patient’s self-esteem. These benefits are even measurable. Patients whose pets stay with them during treatment have lower blood pressure and heart rates, and their withdrawal symptoms are eased.

Of course, the cat needs to be current when it comes to vaccinations, and some rehab centers ask for homeowners or renters’ insurance before the cat can be admitted with the approval of the management.

Many of these cat-friendly addiction treatment facilities are open 24 hours a day and provide luxury services. Here are 10 of the best cat-friendly alcohol and drug rehab centers, chosen for facility accreditation, client reviews, variety of treatments, and other crucial treatment criteria:

1. Alta Mira Recovery Programs, Sausalito, California

This rehab facility, which has up to 24 beds available at a time, is a luxury rehab program. Along with being-cat friendly, they operate a residential treatment program where the patient has the choice of a 90-day program, a 30-day program, or a family program.

They treat patients holistically to uncover the physical, social, spiritual, and psychological roots of their substance abuse.

While in these rehab programs, patients are treated for addictions to:

• alcohol
• opioids
• prescription drugs
• benzodiazepines
• marijuana
• methamphetamines
• cocaine
• other stimulants
• other sedatives

They also help patients with dual diagnosis and those who have problems with chronic relapse.

Addiction therapies include experiential and alternative treatments such as:

• yoga
• guided meditation
• massage
• acupuncture
• art therapy
• music therapy
• equine-assisted therapy

Experiential therapies include outings to Bay Area recreation such as rock climbing, sailing, hiking, and kayaking. Alta Mira also helps patients overcome their addiction through medication-assisted detox and 12-step peer support.

2. Broadway Treatment Center, Huntington Beach, California

This cat-friendly rehab center offers residential, IOP, and aftercare programs to help patients battling and recovering from their addiction to drugs and alcohol. They also stage interventions and operate a detoxification program to purge the patient’s body of toxins caused by their substance abuse.

Besides being pet-friendly, Broadway Treatment Center helps couples who are both caught in addiction. They also treat patients who have dual diagnosis, which means they are suffering from mental health problems as well as drug or alcohol addiction. They have a drug diversion program for patients who would otherwise be incarcerated for their drug use.

Their holistic addiction treatment programs include:

• Matrix Model for patients addicted to stimulants
• replacement therapy
• art therapy
• trauma therapy
• yoga
• recreational therapy

3. Capo By The Sea, San Juan Capistrano, California

Another cat-friendly addiction treatment center, this luxury rehab center relies on evidence-based treatment to help their patients conquer substance abuse. The rehab center offers a residential detox program where patients are monitored and given MAT in the form of buprenorphine and methadone. Medications help them detox with less discomfort and without the cravings for the drug of abuse that can interfere with their treatment.

When patients have been stabilized, they enter a residential or outpatient rehab program where they are helped through dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, and individual and group counseling.

Other therapies include:

• 12-step approach
• EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
• massage
• recreational therapy
• acupuncture
• equine therapy

4. Changing Tides Addiction Treatment Center, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Located on North Carolina’s beautiful Outer Banks, this cat-friendly IOP and long-term residential treatment center offers private rooms and suites for families. These accommodations are ideal for a beloved cat and its recovering owner.

Treatment therapies offered at Changing Tides include:

• drug rehab programs
• mindfulness-based therapy
• motivational interviewing
• reality therapy
• solution-focused brief therapy
• trauma therapy
• CBT
• art therapy
• experiential therapy

They also offer individual, family, and group therapy as well as continuing care and interventions.

5. Cumberland Heights—Nashville Addiction Treatment, Nashville, Tennessee

Found on a lush 177-acre campus on the Cumberland River, this pet-welcoming facility embraces the 12-step philosophy. They treat patients who are addicted to opioids and alcohol with MAT with such medications as buprenorphine and Campral. They run both outpatient and inpatient rehab programs and stage brief interventions.

While attending the rehab programs, patients are provided:

• individual counseling
• group counseling
• family counseling
• anger management
• relapse prevention
• motivational interviewing
• contingency management/motivational incentive

Case management helps to coordinate the levels of the patient’s care, and they receive continuing care after they graduate from the program.

6. Discovery Institute, Marlboro, New Jersey

Open 24 hours, the rehab programs offered by this cat-friendly alcohol and drug rehab facility include:

• 12-step recovery
• detox
• residential
• short-term residential
• regular outpatient
• IOP

They help patients undergo opioid detox through the use of buprenorphine and also help patients detox from alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, and meth. The staff at Discovery Institute treats patients with dual diagnosis.

Patients are helped through therapies that include:

• cognitive behavioral therapy
• individual therapy
• group therapy
• trauma therapy
• 12-step approach
• dialectical behavior therapy
• relapse prevention
• anger management

They treat patients who have been referred by the court, save those with DWI citations, and there is a psychiatrist on site.

Other services provided include:

• aftercare
• discharge planning
• case management
• transportation assistance

7. Hanley Center At Origins, West Palm Beach, Florida

Another cat-friendly drug rehab program found close to a beautiful beach, the Hanley Center offers medication-assisted treatment for patients addicted to both opioids and alcohol. Programs include inpatient and outpatient drug rehab, short- and long-term drug inpatient, IOP, and partial hospitalization.

Like other rehab facilities, they offer a variety of addiction therapies, including:

• motivational interviewing
• anger management
• relapse prevention
• 12-step approach
• cognitive behavioral therapy
• dialectical behavior therapy
• trauma therapy

The Hanley Center treats adults, young adults, and seniors as well as patients with dual diagnosis by using treatment programs such as:

• aftercare
• case management
• discharge planning
• individual counseling
• group counseling
• family counseling
• substance abuse education
• social skills development
• self-help groups

8. The Hills Treatment Center, Los Angeles, California

Open 24 hours, this luxury addiction treatment center first helps patients undergo detoxification before they are admitted into their inpatient and other treatment programs. There are detox treatments specifically for men and specifically for women. Patients can also opt for the partial treatment program when they graduate down from the inpatient program.

Other treatment programs at this cat-friendly rehab facility include:

• aftercare
• executive program for professionals who are subject to drug and alcohol screening
• family immersion
• family therapy
• individual therapy

The Hills partners with sober living facilities located in Los Angeles and Hollywood to assist patients who are graduating from their inpatient rehab programs.

9. Recovery Unplugged, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Recovery Unplugged is unique because it uses music to help patients heal from their addictions. It’s an outpatient rehab facility that welcomes the patient’s cat, whose presence can release the same types of endorphins as music. They offer medication-assisted treatment, and the Matrix Model is available for patients who are struggling with addiction to stimulants.

Besides music, therapy offered here includes:

• CBT
• DBT
• anger management
• community outreach
• rational emotive behavior therapy
• relapse prevention
• trauma therapy
• 12-step approach

Recovery Unplugged accepts patients with dual diagnosis, members of the LGBT community, active-duty military and their families and clients referred by the court, save those with DWI citations.

They also provide:

• aftercare
• case management
• discharge planning
• drug or alcohol screening
• substance abuse assessment
• group counseling
• family counseling
• employment training
• couples counseling
• social skills training

10. Taylor Recovery, Houston, Texas

Besides accepting cats, this rehab center offers patients IOP, residential, and partial hospitalization programs. Patients are treated holistically while in these programs through individual, group, and family therapy. The staff also leads patients through behavioral and experiential therapy and can connect those who have graduated from the rehab programs into sober living apartments.

Taylor Recovery also offers medically supervised drug detox. At this rehab facility, dru-addicted patients undergo drug detox with a minimum of medication, and most of the support is psychological. Medication given to patients undergoing detox is largely antianxiety and antidepressant medications.

How To Find Cat-Friendly Drug Rehab Programs

Being able to take your beloved cat with you to a treatment center makes everything just a bit easier. But a patient shouldn’t rule out traveling outside of their hometown for help at another facility that accepts pets.

Traveling separates the patient from relapse triggers and can introduce them to new treatment techniques that might be just right for them. For more information, contact one of our treatment specialists for help in finding cat-friendly drug rehab programs.

Published on February 18, 2020

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff