Mercy killing of pets

September 4, 2010

Question

A family has a pet cat which is dying of cancer, the cat is in terrible agony. Some members want the cat to be put down by a vet to end its suffering while others argue that this is against Islam since you are taking a life and if you can do mercy killing for pets what prevents mercy killing’s on a human being suffreing from cancer. Also can a family spay their pets to prevent unwanted animals. What is the Islamic viewpoint.

Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth.

1. It would not be permissible to have the cat killed even though it is in agony. It is a living soul and its death should not be affected by its owner. It should be allowed to die its natural death. However, if the animal is close to dying and there is no chance of recovery it could be slaughtered to relieve the pain.
(Radd al-Muhtar 5:305)

2. It is permissible to castrate animals if some benefit is derived thereof, for example the animal becomes more healthy or its meat tastes better, etc. or it can save from some harm. In the case in question if there is nowhere to send the kittens and they are becoming a nuisance around the hose or locality then it would be permissible to spay it. (Fatawa Hindiyya 5:357)

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

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Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

Dr. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera is a British Muslim scholar educated in both the Islamic and Western traditions. He memorised the Qur’an by heart and graduated from the Darul Uloom seminary Bury, UK, and later earned a specialised licence to issue fatwa (legal responses) at Mazahir ‘Ulum Saharanpur, India. He earned his BA from the University of Johannesburg and completed his MA and PhD in Islamic Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He holds an honorary fellowship at The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman has the unique experience of serving as an imam in Muslim communities on both sides of the Atlantic, eight years in Southern California and over five in the great city of London—and his continued work as an international speaker and lecturer enables him to address and offer pertinent advice on current challenges that face Muslims in the West. He is the founder of Whitethread Institute, a post-graduate insititute for Islamic scholars. He is an avid traveller and continues to teach hadith and work on scholarly publications through White Thread Press (www.whitethreadpress.com). Many of his lectures are available on www.zamzamacademy.com and his courses through Rayyan Institute (www.rayyaninstitute.com).