At this time of year, we should be kind to all ... pets included

When thinking about “doing good” in Ramadan, we should think beyond giving to treating all living things with respect, writes Fatima Al Shamsi

As a child I was never allowed to have a house pet. My desire for a feline companion was so intense, yet my parents thought that giant stuffed animals would replace my love for a real animal. As a result, visiting my grandmother’s house in Abu Dhabi was always the highlight of my summer as a child. Cats, dogs, rabbits, sheep and ducks were among the cast of ever changing animal friends.

I was reminded of this a few months ago, when I stumbled upon a litter of kittens outside my grandmother’s house. After considering what was best to do, my sister, cousin and I decided to have them neutered. Unsurprisingly the kittens later managed to charm us into letting them move into the house.

I must have been 10 or 11 when I came across the American television show The Price is Right. To this day I remember its host Bob Barker’s parting words after every episode: “Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered.”

So it was a surprise to me that I met with quite a backlash when I announced that I was going to get the stray kittens neutered. I was told I was interfering with nature by not allowing them to have children or that the surgery would kill the animals. But from my perspective, when we consider the high number of stray animals who get killed or who do not have proper food or shelter, sterilisation is a widely accepted humane action. The UAE has a high number of stray animals. In addition there is an unfortunate trend for pets being abandoned by owners who just do not want them anymore or owners who leave for the summer or move back to their home countries and dump their pets on the streets instead of taking them with them.

The benefits of neutering your pets are numerous. It can help prevent risk of tumours and different cancers in both female and male pets. It decreases their desire to roam, which can reduce the chances of them getting injured or get into fights or car accidents. It helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. And, finally, it helps reduce the number of unwanted animals that inevitably end up abandoned on the streets or in shelters. This is important because it helps reduce animal overpopulation in the country, an overpopulation that more often than not results in animals being euthanised.

Furthermore, after adopting the cats, I was surprised by the comments I got about how I should be spending my energies and funds helping people instead of animals. While helping a fellow human definitely takes precedence in my list of priorities, the Quran strongly urges Muslims to treat all animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The way a relationship develops between animals and humans has always fascinated me. We are all living creatures, so there should be respect in the way we treat our animals.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, was reported to have said: “Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself.” Animals, together with the rest of creation, are believed to praise God, even if this praise is not expressed in the human language. That is why hunting for sport is not allowed in Islam, because taking an animal life should only be for necessity. This is also why the halal method of slaughter is about causing the least amount of suffering for the animal.

So this Ramadan I ask that we think about how “doing good” can extend beyond giving to charity and includes how we treat all living things. Not only is the UAE home to a variety of beautiful wildlife, boasting more than 500 species of marine wildlife and over 100 species of birds, it also has a rich history of caring for and relying on animals such as camels, horses and falcons, which were an essential component of Bedouin life. With respect to that heritage we need to curb some of our bad habits, such as neglecting or abusing pets and purchasing exotic animals for no reason other than to show them off. Instead, maybe leave a bowl of water out for the neighbourhood cats as a small token of kindness to our fellow creatures.

Fatima Al Shamsi is an Emirati who recently returned from New York City after pursuing a master’s ­degree in Global Affairs at New York University