Animals & Pets

Q:

1. Is it allowed to keep cats as pets inside the house?

2. Do we get reward?

3. In one of your fatwa's you told "Don't keep cats"? Is there is any reason behind it?

4. Which pets are allowed?

Q: We have a couple of cats at home and rely on buying brand cat jelly and dry food. I usually buy fish selection but recently discovered that both of the fish selection cat food brands have traces of pork in the food. It would be difficult to have to make homemade meat for them every day because we have many cats and they eat multiple times a day. Its a must to feed cats meat because otherwise they’ll be unhealthy. So what shall I do? I'm afraid they’ll get sick of eating tuna all the time and they need a lot of nutrition which can be found in these brand foods.

Q: I want to give up my cat to a charity who will help rehome them. One of the things I have to sign is a declaration that the charity is allowed to euthanise the cat if they have any “social, behavioural or other substantive reasons.” Am I allowed to sign this?

Q: Is it permissible to give medical aids or treatment to wounded pigs in Islam?

Q: I have a pet parrot for years. I take care of his food and environment (cold/hot) but he is alone i.e. no other parrot is with him. I have never clipped his wings. He is very innocent and don't fly properly. I am scared that if I liberate him, other birds or cats may harm him. Can I buy a female parrot for him so that he can enjoy some company. Is it permissible?

Q: Can we allow animals which we know are mother and son in relation to mate with each other or there is not this type of discrimination in animals?

Q: I have a female cat. Many people told me, including my cat doctor to get her spayed (spayed is a surgery to remove female cat uterus and ovaries to prevent her giving birth). My cat doctor told me spayed has many benefits (including health benefits because many female cat got cancerous cells after giving birth to lots of kitten and also less population so kittens cant roam homeless and starve on street also female cat will have less risk to get lost or injured in a traffic accident in searching of a mate which is because female cat dont go on a heat after spayed). My question is! Does Islam allow us to do female cat spayed? Is that haram?

Q: Today, my mother ordered my to kill a lizard that was in our house. It was the size of an index finger. I truly hate killing insects and pests and prefer to just take them outside. But in the heat of the moment I killed it. I am feeling very bad about it because I value life of other beings. I am still feeling bad about it. I really want to forget that but I cant. Is what I did haram?

Q: Is it permissible to keep a dog outside the house and take care of it? Also, if one keeps puppies with the intention of looking after them, will one be sinful? 

Q: I'm in the beauty industry. I need to know if it's permissible to use collagen that is extracted from the skin of a living calf.