Is it permissible to sell cats for their capital cost only, or must one dispose of them by other means, bearing the loss, in the event that selling them is prohibited?

The prohibition against selling cats was narrated by Muslim from Jabir. Scholars have differed regarding the authenticity of this hadith; some, like Al-Tirmidhi, deemed it weak, while others, such as Imam Muslim, authenticated it. The majority of scholars hold the view that selling cats is permissible, either because the hadith is weak, or because the prohibition is understood as a recommendation (tanzih), or applies only to harmful or unowned cats. Their evidence is that the default ruling for a owned, beneficial cat is that its sale is permissible. A number of Companions and jurists have permitted its sale. As for those who disliked its sale, some of them did not authenticate the prohibition, or interpreted the prohibition as applying to cats that are not beneficial, or as disliking taking their price due to its lowliness. Some scholars believe that it is permissible to sell a domesticated, beneficial cat, especially if its purchase involved a high price.