CLEANLINESS CHAPTER · 38 – THE CAT'S REMAINS
75 – Kebsha bint Kâ'b bin Mâlik (may Allah be pleased with her) relates: Abu Katada was present at the marriage of his son’s bride. Abu Katada entered and I poured water for ablution upon him. A cat came and drank from the water, and he held the vessel to the cat until it had finished drinking. Kebsha says: When he saw me observing (him), he said, “O daughter of my brother, are you surprised?” I replied, "Yes." Then Abu Katada said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The cat is not impure, for it is an animal that dwells among you.” [86]
EXPLANATION
The flesh of a cat is considered impure. However, its remains are disliked (makruh). It is the default ruling that the saliva of animals whose flesh is impure is also impure. But cats enter male and female households just as male and female servants freely enter homes, and they constantly touch vessels. Protecting these vessels from them is very difficult. Therefore, their remains are considered pure. It is disliked (makruh) to perform ablution with the water a cat has drunk if clean water is available.
Shafi’i, Malik, and Ahmad bin Hanbal do not see any objection to eating, drinking, or using something a cat has touched. (Bezl’ül-Mechûd vol. 1, p. 300)
If a cat eats an impure substance and then drinks water without the trace of it leaving its mouth, its remains are considered impure.
76 – It is related from the mother of Dawud bin Salih bin Diner al-Timar that she said: One day, my former mistress sent some sweets to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). I found Aisha in prayer. She signaled me to put what I was holding down (and I did), and a cat came and ate from the sweets. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) finished her prayer and then ate from the place where the cat had eaten, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The cat is not impure, for it dwells among you.” I also saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) perform ablution with the water a cat has drunk."
EXPLANATION
This honorable hadith is evidence that the remains of a cat are not impure. If a cat has eaten something, one should examine it; if it is a dry food like rice pudding, the portion eaten by the cat should be removed and the rest can be eaten. If it is something liquid like soup, according to the Hanafi school, eating its remains is disliked (makruh), while according to other schools of thought, it is not disliked (makruh). (Avn’ül-Mabûd vol. 1, p. 29)