What is the kiss the cat rule?

Ruling on keeping cats

I know that cats in Islam are regarded as clean and pure animals but i am not sure what the ruling is on keeping them in the house as pets.
I don’t have anything against cats but i feel keeping them in the house and letting them wonder around the kitchen، bedroom etc is unhygienic. Please could you shed some light on this issue.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

It is permissible in Islam for a person to keep permissible things that no one else has taken possession of before him, such as taking firewood from the desert or wood from the forest. The same applies to taking cats and raising them. One takes possession of a permissible thing by be acquiring it and having it under one’s care, provided that it does not belong to anyone.

Based on the above, we may say that there is nothing wrong with keeping cats which do not belong to anyone, on condition that one feeds them and does not torment them. But if it is proven that they cause some harm, such as if they are ill or one fears that they may transmit disease, then you should not keep them, because “there should be no harming nor reciprocating harm.” So whoever will be harmed by a cat’s presence should not keep one. Similarly, one who is not able to feed a cat should let it eat from the vermin of the earth and not keep it locked up, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (3223) and Muslim (1507) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both), according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman was punished because of a cat which she kept locked up until it died, and she entered Hell because of it, because she did not feed it or give it water when she kept it locked up, neither did she let it eat from the vermin of the earth.” For more information see question no. 3004.

With regard to cats eating food or drinking water, that does not make the food or water naajis (impure), because of the report narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood and elsewhere, which says that a woman brought some hareesah (a kind of food) to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) and found her praying. (‘Aa’ishah) gestured to her that she should put it down. Then a cat came and ate some of it. When ‘Aa’ishah had finished praying, she ate from where the cat had eaten and said, “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘They (cats) are not naajis (impure), rather they are among those who go around among you (al-tawwaafeena ‘alaykum).’ I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing wudoo’ with water from which a cat had drunk.”

According to another report narrated by Abu Dawood (68) from Kabshah bint Ka’b ibn Maalik, who was married to Ibn Abi Qutaadah, Abu Qutaadah entered and she poured some water for him to do wudoo’. A cat came and drank from the water, and he tipped the vessel for it so that it could drink. Kabshah said: “He saw me looking at him and he said, ‘Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “They (cats) are not naajis (impure), rather they are among those who go around among you (al-tawwaafeena ‘alaykum).”’” These two reports were classed as saheeh by al-Bukhaari, al-Daaraqutni and others, as was stated in al-Talkhees by Ibn Hajar, 1/15.

“Those who go around among you (al-tawwaafeena ‘alaykum)” means that they are like servants who are with people in their houses, i.e., cats are always with people, in their houses and among their vessels and furnishings, etc., and this is something that cannot be helped.

So if a cat drinks from a vessel or eats some of the food, it does not become naajis (impure). The owner has the choice. If he is not put off or if he needs it, he may eat (the food) or drink (the water), because it is taahir (pure), unless it is obvious that it will cause harm. If he is put off by the idea of eating or drinking, then he may leave it.

But we should point out here that what some people do, paying a great deal of attention to their cats and beautifying them, spending large amounts of money on them, is indicative of a lack of common sense and religious commitment, and exaggeration with regard to leisure, when there are millions of needy Muslims all over the world, let alone the fact that we Muslims should pay attention to making the best use of our time and filling it with worthwhile and beneficial pursuits, far removed from this folly which has come to us from the kaafir west where some people spend more on their cats and dogs than they spend on their own sons and daughters, let alone the poor and needy. They may even bring their pets to stay in fancy hotels and bequeath large amounts of money to them. Praise be to Allaah Who has honoured us with Islam and distinguished us from all the other nations.

We should also point out that selling cats is not allowed, as was narrated in Saheeh Muslim (2933) from Abu’l-Zubayr who said: “I asked Jaabir about the price of a dog or a cat. He said, ‘The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade that.’” For more information see question no. 7004 and 10207.

And Allaah knows best.

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Is It OK to Kiss Your Cat?

Humans use hugging and kissing as a way to show affection, and many times, we use those methods to try and show our cats we love them. But do cats like to be kissed?

Some Cats Don’t Mind Kisses

Cats have lived with humans for centuries, and they’ve adapted well to most of our strange ways. Many cats tolerate or even seem to respond positively to kisses from their favorite human, especially quick pecks on the top of the head. Here are some ways your cat will show you she doesn’t mind being kissed:

Purr when you kiss her
Rub you back with her head
Lean in when you kiss her

If your cat gives you these signs, it’s probably fine for you to kiss her.

Some Cats Hate Kisses

Some cats dislike being kissed. They might be similarly averse to hugs. Here are some things your cat will do if she doesn’t like kisses:

Lean away when you kiss her
Lay her ears back against her head when you come in for a kiss
Whip her tail quickly back and forth when you try to kiss her
Hiss or swat at you when you give her a kiss
Run away when it’s obvious you’re going to kiss her

If your cat does any of those behaviors, don’t try to kiss her. She’s telling you she doesn’t like it. Instead, find a different way to show her you love her, like engaging in an interactive play session or simply petting her.

How Do Cats Show Humans Love?

Most of the time, cats don’t kiss to show love, though some cats do lick their humans affectionately. Some other ways that cats show love instead include:

Gazing into their human’s eyes and then very slowly blinking one or both of them
Bumping their head into or rubbing their cheeks on a part of the human’s body
Kneading their front feet rhythmically while touching their human with them

You can use the slow eye blink toward your cat to show her you love her if she doesn’t like kisses and hugs.

Some Rules for Kissing Cats

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind surrounding kissing cats:

Never kiss a cat that is showing signs of not wanting to be kissed, like hissing, growling, laying the ears back, or leaning away
Don’t kiss cats on the lips, both because you’re at higher risk of being bitten if you do so and also because some intestinal parasites can be spread that way
Teach your child to avoid kissing cats because some cats have less tolerance for kids than adults, and kids often don’t recognize signs of an angry kitty and move away fast enough
Never attempt to kiss a cat you don’t know well

Do Cats Like Kisses?

Does your cat like it when you kiss him? Some cats do seem to like or at least tolerate human kisses. If your cat leans in, purrs, and rubs his head on you when you kiss him, he probably understands that you’re trying to show him affection.

However, if your cat’s ears go back, he begins to whip his tail back and forth, moves away from you, hisses, or swats at you, he doesn’t want to be kissed.

Kissing the way humans understand it isn’t the way your cat will show you he loves you, and it’s probably not the absolute best way to show him you love him, either.

How Do Cats Show Love?

Cats use body language to show their humans love. The slow eye blink is a big way for cats to say «I love you.» This is the equivalent of a human kiss, but it’s done from across the room rather than with actual physical contact.

Head-bumping is another way cats show affection. Although it may knock your glasses off, give you a sore nose, or threaten to topple you off your feet depending on where on your body the bump is delivered, a feline head bump indicates love.

Cats rub on you to show love. They have scent glands in their cheeks and lips, so rubbing on you is their way of marking you as their own.

Guidelines for Kissing Cats

Most cats will allow a peck on the head from their beloved humans. However, some don’t like it, and you should respect that. If your cat moves away from your kisses, puts his ears back, or hisses or swats at you, don’t use kisses to show him you love him.

Here are a few more things to know about kissing cats:

Avoid kissing cats on the lips.

Alternative Ways to Show Your Cat Some Love

If you’d like to show your cat you love him without human kisses, you can learn to do a kitty slow eye blink. Cats understand that this signifies affection, and they’ll probably return the gesture.

Find other ways to spoil your cat that let him know you love him. You can find many suggestions here: «You Love Spoiling Your Cat, but Should You?»

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