Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Cat chase fever

While conducting services at my mosque over the weekend, I was asked by a young pug if it is permissible for a good Muslim dog to chase cats. This young pug was quite energetic, as puppies generally are, and he chased the family cat as a way to let off some steam. I told the pug -- and I will tell you now -- that it is, indeed, permissible under Islam to chase cats, provided it is done in moderation. As we know, cats tend to be lazy creatures who lie around all day. Their intelligence, when compared with the noble canine, is also sorely lacking. So it is our duty to ensure that these cats get their daily exercise. It is also our right to use these dumb animals for our purposes. But we must not go too far. As the Prophet Muhammad said, "Fear God in treating dumb animals, and ride them when they are fit to be ridden, and get off them when they are tired."

2 comments:

Leslee said...

Hmm... chasing cats can also be a dangerous thing for pugs. Sometimes cats are larger and don't want to be chased and will break out the claws and fight. These certain cats should be kept at arm's lenght at all times

Ayatollah Mugsy said...

You're right, Leslee. I remember being slashed across the nose when I was younger. I should have mentioned that it is best to stick to docile and declawed cats. And, of course, we pugs must keep up with our agility training.