Source: Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani – Ahkām wa Masā’il: In the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah
Is the leftover (liquid or food) consumed by a cat considered impure (najis)? What is the Islamic ruling regarding it?
The leftover of a cat (known as “luqmah” or “liquid it drinks from”) is not impure (najis).
This is based on the clear statement of the Prophet ﷺ regarding cats:
"It is not impure. It is from those [creatures] that go around among you."
(Muwatta’ Imām Mālik: 1/17, Hadith: 13; Musnad Aḥmad: 5/303, Hadith: 22990; Ibn Ḥibbān: Hadith 1299; Tirmidhī: Hadith 92)
If a cat drinks from a vessel, the water or food in that container remains pure and permissible for use. There is no need to discard it, nor is it considered filthy or impure.
This is a mercy and practical ruling in the Sharīʿah, given the cat's frequent movement in households.
❖ Question:
Is the leftover (liquid or food) consumed by a cat considered impure (najis)? What is the Islamic ruling regarding it?
❖ Answer:
The leftover of a cat (known as “luqmah” or “liquid it drinks from”) is not impure (najis).
This is based on the clear statement of the Prophet ﷺ regarding cats:
"It is not impure. It is from those [creatures] that go around among you."
(Muwatta’ Imām Mālik: 1/17, Hadith: 13; Musnad Aḥmad: 5/303, Hadith: 22990; Ibn Ḥibbān: Hadith 1299; Tirmidhī: Hadith 92)
Conclusion:
If a cat drinks from a vessel, the water or food in that container remains pure and permissible for use. There is no need to discard it, nor is it considered filthy or impure.
This is a mercy and practical ruling in the Sharīʿah, given the cat's frequent movement in households.
