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“Mom, can we get a cat?!” Recently, a friend asked me what it is like to have a cat in the house. You see, her young daughter has been asking for one and she is hesitating because she is a very busy mom masha'Allah and knows well that she will be the one responsible for its daily care; however, and despite not being much of a cat person herself, she is considering it for her daughter and other children. So, I advised her - not because I am an authority on cats by any stretch of the imagination but because I happen to love cats and alhamdulillah have some experience caring for them. This thread will serve as further assistance for my friend and others facing a similar dilemma: to get a cat - or - not to get a cat. Okay, before we get too deep into this business of cats, we should first answer a few very basic, preliminary questions (click on the short answer to link to detailed answers according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence insha'Allah): (1) Is it permissible for us to keep cats as pets? Short answer: yes (2) Is it a sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallem) to keep cats as pets? Short answer: no (3) Can we keep cats as indoor pets? Short answer: yes (4) What about our prayers? What if the cat walks in front of us as we pray. Won’t it be sinful? Short answer: no (5) Are cats pure? Short answer:cat hair and saliva are pure; whereas urine, feces, blood and vomit are impure and are considered major filth. ~~~ Now that we are equipped with these answers and may be warming up to the idea of answering our child in the affirmative, we should take a moment to consider each of the following: * is everyone on board? * Are we ready to commit to its long-term care? * have we considered allergies and other health concerns (e.g. pregnancy)? * how are cats with babies and young children? * what should we look out for to make sure the cat's temperament matches our family? * Where should we go to get a cat? * Are we okay with an older cat or should we insist on a kitten? * What should we feed the cat? * What should we take into consideration in terms of the its medical care? * Are there any legal requirements we need to be aware of? * Will our neighbours mind? * What will we do with the cat when we travel? * Are there any issues with our home and garden environment we should consider? * What types of supplies will we need? Misty (our current cat) and Tiger and Precious (two of our past cats) will serve as examples for the points above.