Ibn Umar said that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “A woman was punished on account of a cat which she kept captive till it died. So she entered the Hellfire due to her cruelty. She did not feed it or give it water whilst she kept it captive, nor did she let it out so it could eat the small creatures of the earth.”
(Bukhāri, Muslim)
This hadithdiscusses the good treatment of animals.So, whoever has animals must treat them well, or let them go. If one keeps an animal confined, it is obligatory to care for it and feed it. It is forbidden to leave it to die. If one is unable, they must be released to fend for themselves in their natural habitats. The woman cited in the hadith was cast into Hell because she kept a cat confined without food or drink, and would not release it so that it could fend for itself.
The hadith points to two matters:The permissibility of keeping pets such as birds and cats, even if they are somewhat confined, but they must be given food and drink and the ability to move around without being harmed. If one is not able to provide that, the creature must be released to fend for itself from the earth. If a person does not provide that, and the animal dies whilst in their care due to neglect then he is threatened with the Hellfire as a just punishment.
This hadith shows the excellence of Islam, its mercy and compassion towards animals.