Is giving catnip to a cat halal?

Question

Is it cruel to give a cat catnip? Cats go after the herb by themselves, but too much can make them aggressive.

Would it be considered halal or haram to give a cat catnip?

Answer 1

What is the benefit of giving catnip to cat?

Just for fun? Does it annoy them?

I assume you are not sure because it has no benefit to the animal and will annoy them. Annoying animals and other creatures without any reason is definitely not pleased by God.

I found this Hadith a really great example, to what degree the rights of animals is important in Islam. It is from Nahj-Al-Balagha, Sermone 224.

قال علي ابن ابي طالب (کرم الله وجهه): وَاللهِ لَوْ أُعْطِيتُ الاََْقَالِيمَ السَّبْعَةَ بِمَا تَحْتَ أَفْلاَكِهَا، عَلَى أَنْ أَعْصِيَ اللهَ فِي نَمْلَةٍ أَسْلُبُهَا جِلْبَ شَعِيرَةٍ مَا فَعَلْتُهُ

Ali ibn Abi Talib (Karramallahu Wajhah): By Allah, even if I am given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant I would not do it

Answer 2

So, the person who answered previously is correct that you aren’t to annoy animals. However, I think they’re misunderstanding the use of catnip and how cats react to it.

They seek the plant out in the wild and use it themselves. It often calms them and stimulates their mind, especially in an indoor environment. I asked a veterinarian about it just a few minutes ago actually, and he said unless the cat is one of the few who has a bad reaction to it or you give them way too much, he thinks it’s “great” and can be very beneficial. So, you know your own cat better than us. Does catnip seem to annoy him or make him happy and mellow? If it makes him happy and it’s something he might seek out in the wild, I don’t think it qualifies as impermissible with the aforementioned evidence.