Question:
What is the ruling for the fur left by cats around the house due to shedding?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Regarding this issue, we would like to state that cats are a type of pet that walk around humans or their owners. Scholars in madhhab al-Syafi’e ruled the fur from shedding is najis if the animal is prohibited to be eaten. Thus, cat’s fur is najis for cats are animals that are prohibited to be eaten.
However, cat’s fur is a forgiven najis because it is impossible to control a cat from shedding or manage to clean all of its fur for cats tend to move around everywhere. Thus, if someone’s body, clothes or place of prayer have some cat’s fur on it, the prayer he performs is still valid.
أَنَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ، دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا فَسَكَبْتُ لَهُ وَضُوءًا فَجَاءَتْ هِرَّةٌ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ فَأَصْغَى لَهَا الإِنَاءَ حَتَّى شَرِبَتْ قَالَتْ كَبْشَةُ فَرَآنِي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَتَعْجَبِينَ يَا ابْنَةَ أَخِي قُلْتُ نَعَمْ . قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِنَجَسٍ إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنَ الطَّوَّافِينَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَالطَّوَّافَاتِ "
From Kabshah binti Ka’ab Ibn Malik: "Abu Qatadah came to visit me one day, I poured some water for him for Wudu', and a cat came and drank from it, so he tilted the vessel for it to drink." Kabshah said: "He saw me looking at him and said: 'Are you surprised, O daughter of my brother?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'They are not impure, rather they are among the males and females (animals) who go around among you."
Sunan al-Nasa’ie (340)
Thus, cat’s fur is included as a forgiven najis and the issue should not be lengthened further. May Allah SWT give understanding for us all. Wallahua’lam.