Spaying a female cat

Question:

Salam Alaikum,
I have heard that Mawlana Shaykh does not agree with sterilizing animals. I have a female kitten that needs to be spayed. Is it against Islamic Law to do it? Mawlana Shaykh gives us the highest standards to try and follow, I understand. I am wanting to do this with the intention of keeping her healthy to have a long life, insha-Allah. The procedure is completely humane and is done quickly.

Female cats can get pregnant often if left to nature. They make lots of howling noises when they go into heat and I have heard that they will make a mess in your house when they have periods. I worry about the fighting that insues (escaping unwanted mating, etc.) because she will be let outdoors. I did spay my other cat who was an outdoors cat and she lived 18 years, Masha-Allah. Thank you.

Answer:

wa `alaykum salam,
Some Ulama claim that “Neutering or sterilizing animals, while not encouraged in Islam, is not completely forbidden either”. A large offense according to the Islamic teachings would be to cause harm to the animal, however most scholars think it is okay to safely sterilize a cat as long as it is relatively young.

Imam Senad Agic
American Islamic Center – Chicago
Majlis #1 Head Imam (IABNA)
www.aicchicago.com
www.imamsenadagic.com
www.iabna.org

This entry was posted in Halal & Haram and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.