Is it permissible to buy toys for cats, and meat that is not halaal?

Question: 239264

Is it permissible to buy cats toys that have eyes sewn or printed onto them e.g. Toy mice, for them to play with? Also, is it permissible to buy cats food that does not contain halal meat (but is not pork) e.g. Chicken, turkey, beef dry/wet food, or does this food have to be halal (as this is not sold in the UK?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

It is prohibited in general terms to keep images, and we are instructed to erase their features, as in the hadith of Abu’l-Hayaaj al-Asadi who said: ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: Shall I not send you on a mission like that on which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any image without erasing its features or any built-up grave without levelling it. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to enter the house of ‘Aa’ishah when she acquired a cushion on which there were images; and he tore down a curtain on which there were images and stated that the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image. There are many well-known hadiths on this topic in as-Saheehayn and elsewhere.

No exception is made from the prohibition on keeping images except what has been narrated about it being permissible in the case of toys for little children. This has been explained in detail in the answer to question no. 119056.

So if you erase the facial features from these toys, then the prohibition no longer applies, and it is permissible to keep them.

But if you do not erase the facial features, then it is not permissible to buy them or keep them, whether for cats or for adornment or for any other purpose, apart from that which is permitted in Islamic teaching, which is for small children to play with them.

See the answer to question no. 72915

Secondly:

It is permissible to feed cats dead meat [that which is not slaughtered in the prescribed manner], pork and so on, and it is not stipulated that the meat should be slaughtered in the prescribed Islamic manner. So if you find such meat thrown away, or it is given to you for free, then you may give it to the cat. As for buying it, that is not permissible, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (2236) and Muslim (1581) from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

It is permissible to feed dead meat to hunting birds, but it is not permissible to sell it.

End quote from al-Majmoo‘ (9/285)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about canned cat food that contains pork; is it permissible to buy it and feed it to cats?

He replied: If that means buying the cans, then it is not permissible, because it is not permissible to pay the price of pork and buy it.

But if someone finds it thrown away, and feeds it to his cat, then there is nothing wrong with that. And Allah knows best. End quote.

And Allah knows best.

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Source:

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin Said In Al-Liqa Al-Shahri 17