The decree has not been enforced yet, according to several pet shop owners and veterinary clinics in Jiddah. It applies only to selling dogs and cats, and there was no sign the Muttawa would confiscate pets.

The decree did not say whether the religious police would try to stop people from appearing in public with a dog or cat.

The ban distressed cat and dog lovers. Some have wondered why the religious police are focusing on this issue when the country has far more important challenges, such as terrorism and unemployment.

"I was shocked when I heard about it," said Fahd al-Mutairi, who owns 35 cats. "What was even more shocking was to hear that the ban came from an authority that has nothing to do with such an issue."

"I would understand if it came from the Health Ministry or anybody charged with ensuring pets coming from outside do not carry diseases," added the 23-year-old flower-shop owner.

No other Arab country restricts pet ownership. But in Iran, ruled by Shiite clerics, religious police sometimes harass people seen outside with their dogs.

Last year, Iranian police told people not to bring their dogs out in public, but the order was never backed up by law and dog-owners widely ignored it.

The inclusion of cats in the Saudi ban puzzled many, since there's no scorn for them as there is for dogs in Islamic tradition.

One of the prophet's closest companions was given the name Abu Huraira, Arabic for "the father of the kitten," because he always carried a kitten and took care of it.

A number of hadiths — traditional stories of the prophet — show Muhammad encouraging people to treat cats well.

Once, he let a cat drink from the water he was going to use for his ablutions before prayers. Another time, Muhammad said a woman who kept a cat locked up without feeding it would go to hell.

Dogs — considered dirty and dangerous — are less lucky. According to one hadith, Muhammad said a Muslim loses credit for one good deed each day he keeps a dog and even said dogs should be killed unless used for hunting or protection.

Still, in another instance, he said that a prostitute who carried water in her slipper to a thirsty dog would go to heaven, her sins forgiven because of her kindness.

"All these things considered, it is obviously not against our religion or our tradition to have dogs and cats as pets," columnist Abeer Mishkhas wrote in the Arab News.

"I sincerely hope (authorities) will leave the cats and dogs alone and concentrate on what should be their real business," she added.

Al-Mutairi said his friends and relatives cannot understand his passion for his cats, which cost him $1,000 a month to feed and care for.

"I tell them this is not a Western innovation," he said. "Our religion says we should take care of animals."