Saudis Ban the sale of dogs and cats

I realize that Saudi imans regularly refer to Jews as ‘dogs’ but the Saudis are not banning the sale of Jews – just in case there is any confusion concerning the terms. Ynet News carries this report:

Saudi Arabia's religious police, normally tasked with chiding women to cover themselves and ensuring men attend mosque prayers, are turning to a new target: cats and dogs. The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence.

The prohibition on dogs may be less of a surprise, since conservative Muslims despise dogs as unclean. But the cat ban befuddled many, since Islamic tradition holds that the Prophet Muhammad loved cats — and even let a cat drink from his ablutions water before washing himself for prayers.

The religious police, known as the Muttawa, have the role of enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code. Its members prowl streets and malls, ensuring unmarried men and women do not mix, confronting women they feel are not properly covered or urging men to go to prayers. But the government also gives the Muttawa wide leeway to enforce any rules they deem necessary to uphold the social order.

The decree — which applies to the Red Sea port city of Jiddah and the holy city of Mecca — bans the sale of cats and dogs because "some youths have been buying them and parading them in public," according to a memo from the Municipal Affairs Ministry to Jiddah's city government. The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, urges city authorities to help enforce the ban.

Personally, I prefer dogs but I do like my cat. I’d say we have the perfect arrangement. In exchange for food and water he kills mice. It works out well but using water the cat’s drank out of for bathing is a just little too much over the line for me, which is reason #99999999 I could never convert to Islam. I just wouldn't want to attempt to emulate or rever a man who used the cat’s water for washing – or even marry one who did. That’s just too twisted for me - call it one of those women thingies.