A 2002 experiment conducted by psychologist Dr. Steve Eichel, called "This Cat Is Not a Hypnotist", shows how he was able to obtain a hypnotherapy degree for his cat "Zoe".[6]
Dr. Eichel applied for and was able to obtain a variety of credentials on Zoe's behalf. In order to get her certified as a hypnotherapist by the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), the International Medical & Dentistry Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA) and the American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH), he only had to fill out online applications with made-up information and pay the application fee.