Can a Cat Purify Itself by Licking Its Fur?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Can a cat purify itself by licking itself?

For example, if a cat stepped on something impure, can we assume that the cat will lick its feet and they will be purified? It’s tricky to wash a cat so this can be a practical alternative if it is valid.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

You are not required to purify a cat from impurities. The cat will clean itself and yes, its saliva, being pure, is sufficient to remove the impurity.

Furthermore, do not assume that the cat stepped in impurity and brings the impurity around the house as it walks. This is not the case, as the transferral of impurity is very unlikely.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.