The subject of cats in the home came up recently.  I am an avid cat lover so it was a concern for me as to what Islam says about cats.  I thought I would share with you all the things I found.

From this website, http://cats.about.com/cs/tabbycats/a/tabby_cats_2.htm - http://cats.about.com/cs/tabbycats/a/tabby_cats_2.htm  I found this quote:

Mohammed and the Tabby

Islam legend tells us that Mohammed loved cats. One story says that he once cut off a sleeve of a garment when he had to leave to attend prayer, rather than to disturb his cat, Muezza, who was sleeping upon the sleeve. It is said that the reason he loved cats so much is that one once saved his life when a snake crawled into his sleeve. (This may be a variation of the well-known Muezza story.) Legend also claims that Mohammed bestowed on cats the ability to always land on their feet. A writing of Mohammed tells about his vision of a woman punished in Hell for starving her cat to death. These stories have all come down to the assumption that the "M" symbolizes the enormous esteem which Mohammed felt for cats and that the sight of the "M" on a cat's forehead invokes memories of Mohammed. In any case, cats today are still generally protected and respected in the Islamic world, and are even permitted inside mosques.

I also found more information on this website:

http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=7004&ln=eng - http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=7004&ln=eng

Inshallah you all find this as informative as I did.

As-salaam alaykum warahamatullah

Jazakallahu for sharing this topic with us.I personnaly have known that Islam permits the keeping of cats as pets because of his Sahaabah,Abu Hurayrah but stillwished to learn more about it because of the superstitions attached to it.Well,may be not all over the world but in my home country.As regards the "M" sign on the Cat's forehead,i haven't heard or read anything about that unti now.You know Cats have the ability of knowing someone's going to die(especially if the person's sickly) and they now avoid such person.I read a news in Yahoo of recent about some hospital,using a cat to detect if a patient would survive or not.This was after they had observed the cat stayed away from a few patients who now died afterwards.

In my home country however,you can't help but listen to the 'aupernatural powers' attached to cats.They think they're'evil' especially if they're black&that it's some witch that controls it.Kids (even i) grew up with such believes & was only able to overcome the phobia for Cats after I had a better understanding of Islam,alliamdulillah!I really wish to understand this creature better because besides dogs,it's about the only domestic animal i can keep as a pet.But i prefer them fluffy&white.Sorry if i went off-topic!

Forum Search, all forums, topic subject:  Cats

http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1&SI=TC&FM=47&OB=1 - http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1& amp; amp; amp;SI=TC&FM=47&OB=1

http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1& amp;SI=TC&FM=0&OB=1 - http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1& amp; amp;SI=TC&FM=0&OB=1

Forum Search, all forums, topic subjects:  Dogs.

We discussed cats under the dogs heading, as I remember.

Salaams.

I read quite the opposite about cats and their "6th" (I�ll bet they have far more!) sense about impending death.  In the article I read it claimed that cats would go and sit or lie down with someone who was terminally ill or approaching death from old age.  Apparently this behaviour has often been observed in nursing homes. *

I know from many experiences that my cats will stay very close to me if I am ill or upset.

*   Mind you, the idea of all those little old ladies putting their moggies out in the street because they insist on staying too close kind of worries me!!!

Cassi

P.S. Just a little story I would like to share:  I shared a lovely smile with an old man at a bus station recently in Morocco when he saw that I was paying attention to a mother cat and her almost grown kitten. It was just one of those "wordless" moments that we pass by all too often.  C

I have a friend who is deaf. She was sleeping in her apartment. Her cat, Lady, woke her up in the middle of the night. She got up and as soon as she got up, the ceiling of the apartment crashed and fell down!

Animals are incredible.. Many animals before the Tsunami hit left the low land areas and headed up to higher ground. Some catpive elephants who were at the moment, not chained, left. And as they went up the hill the grabbed some children and carried them up the hill. We can learn somethin from all of Allah's creatures.

Okay.. off topic  

Actually, I think it is great to talk about how amazing Allah's animals are.  I have read many of those stories too.  I think especially if you give a lot of love devotion to animals, then in their way, they pay you back for all of that.

I got a kitten myself and she loves to follow me around the house wherever I go.  I never feel alone with her to remind me of her presence and needs.

AS-salaam alaykum warahamatullah

I've got no pets at all,but would have loved to keep kittens!!!

Cat People Unite!

Here's a video present for all of us.

The one of the cat going round and round the carpet has left me with tears streaming down my face!!! LOL

FUNNY CATS...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk5hliTiUyk - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk5hliTiUyk

P.S. I also have a house rabbit.  Highly recommended for sheer entertainment (don't ever let anyone tell you that rabbits are boring!) but a bit hard on electric cables.  Ouch!

alsalam alaikum,

Ok, now that is an interesting, lovely and happy subject,

Well, now I guess Salams_wife will say that she wants to get a cat too and call her some fluffy name or something and then wants to keep her cat in her home and make her husband even more jealous, I wish if I know how women think, ok Salams_wife, since you are trying to raise a cat in your home then I will try to raise a dog in my home and we will see who is going to win!! the dog that I will raise in my home or the cat that Salams_wife will raise in her home,

Someday we will see, it seems like a battle between men and women is going to start here!

Thank you very much,

Best regards,

alsalam alaikum,

Her_Husband

Here is some information for you about keeping dogs:

"It is NOT haraam to own a dog, though it is not hygienic to keep a dog in the house."
http://www.islamicconcern.com/dogs.asp - http://www.islamicconcern.com/dogs.asp

http://www.worldofislam.netfirms.com/dogs.html - http://www.worldofislam.netfirms.com/dogs.html

http://www.albalagh.net/qa/dogs_islam_prayer.shtml - http://www.albalagh.net/qa/dogs_islam_prayer.shtml

so I can't keep a dog when you keep a nice beautiful wonderful cat in your home?

if that fair?

AS-salaam alaykum warahamatullah

Jazakallahu for the site references salaamswife.They're very useful.I tell you we really need to educate ourselves because it's very easy for people to give some unfounded claims on certain issues!!Thanks for sharing!!!

And Cassie,I love Rabbits.They're clean animals,but i have no clue the first thing about raising them.lol!

Too bad i couldn't view that Video on Cats.'think it's my system!!!