shine , cats and food

[LilyPhoenix]

i have a shine with pictures of the Gods and Goddesses
i want to give food to the Gods and Goddesses but i have two cats and one of them likes to steal food
he will eat anything including flowers and other things
.
So i cant keep the food in the room for very long as we let the cats roam free in the house ( There house cats )
i am unsure weather to bin the food after or not i don't want to do the wrong thing
Also i wanted to know if the food can be anything ? or does it have to be from your meal ?

Thank you

 

[Aupmanyav]

Let them roam free, let them have the 'prasad'. They have the same soul as we have. After partaking your portion, put it in their pan. Let them also have the grace of deities. The food should be first offered lovingly to the deities, the best that you may have, like what you would like to offer to a honored guest.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I agree with Aup, unless it is something that might actually make them sick. Some foods are toxic for cats. If you are truly concerned, you can leave some Tupperware containers near your shrine and place the offered food there once it is offered.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I suppose you could move the shrine to an area where the cats can't get to it; but I'm not sure if that is entirely possible. Otherwise, it doesn't really seem like there's much you can do.

As for what you offer, it really can't just be "anything". For example, it my lineage, we don't offer non-Sattvic food. Meaning, we don't offer meat or anything with egg, onion, or garlic.

 

[Aupmanyav]

That, I think goes for all Hindu deities. Exceptions being Shakti and Shiva on particular days or in particular rituals (not always).

 

[SomeRandom]

Feeding/allowing animals to eat Prasad is completely acceptable I think and even encouraged by some sects. If we accidentally make too much Prasad or forget about it on the table and came back to unsafe for human consumption food (summer doesn't always agree with Prasad lol) then we often put it out in the garden or the lawn so animals can eat it. Even normal left overs often find their way to our garden. (Provided it is not toxic to the various wildlife we know is around of course.) At least in my tradition this act is considered to bring great blessings to you, because you are giving food/sustenance to God's creations.

 

[Kirran]

I'd actually like to share prasad with my cat now Haven't shared prasad with an animal before. Humans aside.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Harikatha, Satsang and Prasada must always be shared with as many people as possible. No closed doors when talking about deities or worshiping.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

i have a shine with pictures of the Gods and Goddesses
i want to give food to the Gods and Goddesses but i have two cats and one of them likes to steal food
he will eat anything including flowers and other things
.
So i cant keep the food in the room for very long as we let the cats roam free in the house ( There house cats )
i am unsure weather to bin the food after or not i don't want to do the wrong thing
Also i wanted to know if the food can be anything ? or does it have to be from your meal ?

Thank you

Namaste,

When we have more then enough Prasad left over, we always feed it to the animals, birds, strays or leave it for insects such as ants ect ect in the garden. Prasad should not be thrown in the rubbish bin, it should be consumed, it is believed to be punya karm (Dharmic Act) for offering other living beings food, Daan (offering) is part of our Purushastra.

Dhanyavad