✿ Sharʿī Ruling on Harming or Killing a Cat Due to Household Damage ✿
✍ Answered by: Researcher Dāwūd Ismāʿīl ḥafiẓahullāh
If a cat is causing damage in the home, is it permissible to kill it according to Sharīʿah?
Before considering harming or killing a cat, Islam encourages taking non-violent measures first.
➤ The better and preferable approach is to relocate the cat to a distant place or employ alternative methods to prevent harm.
"إذا اندفع بالأسهل حرم الأصعب"
“If harm can be repelled through an easier method, then resorting to a harsher one becomes impermissible.”
If:
The cat is causing harm or danger,
No other solution is available,
And removal or deterrence is not possible,
— then it would be permissible to kill the cat, but only through a method that minimizes suffering.
Islam strongly prohibits cruelty towards animals, and harming any creature without valid reason is a major sin.
➤ First priority: Remove the cat without harm — relocate or deter it humanely.
➤ Only when harm is certain and no other solution exists, killing is permitted — and it must be done in the least painful way possible.
➤ Always adhere to the Islamic principle of mercy and necessity.
✍ Answered by: Researcher Dāwūd Ismāʿīl ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Question:
If a cat is causing damage in the home, is it permissible to kill it according to Sharīʿah?
✔ Answer:
Before considering harming or killing a cat, Islam encourages taking non-violent measures first.
➤ The better and preferable approach is to relocate the cat to a distant place or employ alternative methods to prevent harm.
❖ Fiqh Principle:
"إذا اندفع بالأسهل حرم الأصعب"
“If harm can be repelled through an easier method, then resorting to a harsher one becomes impermissible.”
✔ Permissible Only as a Last Resort:
If:
The cat is causing harm or danger, No other solution is available, And removal or deterrence is not possible,— then it would be permissible to kill the cat, but only through a method that minimizes suffering.
⚠ Important Note:
Islam strongly prohibits cruelty towards animals, and harming any creature without valid reason is a major sin.
✔ Summary:
➤ First priority: Remove the cat without harm — relocate or deter it humanely.
➤ Only when harm is certain and no other solution exists, killing is permitted — and it must be done in the least painful way possible.
➤ Always adhere to the Islamic principle of mercy and necessity.
