Spaying And Neutering Cats

8-6-2020 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum.
Last year I found a abandoned kitten.I took it and provided a good care. She totally depend upon me. She does not like left over homemade food. I have to order cat food online which is very difficult to maintain. I can not abandon her because of emotional attachment and her dependence on me.
Last night new 6 kittens born which made me very tensed. I searched online how to get rid of them according to Islamic way. I found if there is nuisance and harm and no one there to take care of them, then putting down may be allowed. So I put 5 out of 6 down in easiest manner. Now i've decided to neuter.
I know the Hadith of Cat and Woman
Now I'm very much disturbed and upset. And fearing the consequence of this deed.
Very much depressed plase reply me as soon as possible

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The scholarly opinion adopted at Islamweb is that of permissibility of spaying and neutering cats and preventing unwanted pregnancies if there is a benefit in doing so or if it would ward off harm. The author of the Hanafi book Al-Muheet Al-Burhaani stated: “There is nothing wrong with spaying and neutering cats if it yields a benefit or wards off their harms.” [End of quote]

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: “In the West, they spay and neuter cats to ward off nuisance; what is the ruling on that?” He replied: “If there are so many cats causing a nuisance and the procedure does not harm them, then there is nothing wrong with it because it is better than killing them after they have been created ... But if it is the usual cats and they are harmless, then perhaps there is benefit in letting them reproduce.” [End of quote from Fataawa Islaamiyyah, compiled and arranged by Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Musnid]

Allah Knows best.