Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, 'This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?" He replied, "Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ بَيْنَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي فَاشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَطَشُ فَنَزَلَ بِئْرًا فَشَرِبَ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِكَلْبٍ يَلْهَثُ يَأْكُلُ الثَّرَى مِنَ الْعَطَشِ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ بَلَغَ هَذَا مِثْلُ الَّذِي بَلَغَ بِي فَمَلأَ خُفَّهُ ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَهُ بِفِيهِ ثُمَّ رَقِيَ فَسَقَى الْكَلْبَ فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّ لَنَا فِي الْبَهَائِمِ أَجْرًا قَالَ فِي كُلِّ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ  

The Prophet ﷺ prayed the eclipse prayer, and then said, "Hell was displayed so close that I said, 'O my Lord ! Am I going to be one of its inhabitants?"' Suddenly he saw a woman. I think he said, who was being scratched by a cat. He said, "What is wrong with her?" He was told, "She had imprisoned it (i.e. the cat) till it died of hunger."  

عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى صَلاَةَ الْكُسُوفِ فَقَالَ دَنَتْ مِنِّي النَّارُ حَتَّى قُلْتُ أَىْ رَبِّ وَأَنَا مَعَهُمْ فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ تَخْدِشُهَا هِرَّةٌ قَالَ مَا شَأْنُ هَذِهِ قَالُوا حَبَسَتْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَتْ جُوعًا  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger." Messenger of Allah ﷺ further said, (Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), 'You neither fed it nor watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the vermin of the earth.' "  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ عُذِّبَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فِي هِرَّةٍ حَبَسَتْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَتْ جُوعًا فَدَخَلَتْ فِيهَا النَّارَ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ لاَ أَنْتِ أَطْعَمْتِهَا وَلاَ سَقَيْتِهَا حِينَ حَبَسْتِيهَا وَلاَ أَنْتِ أَرْسَلْتِيهَا فَأَكَلَتْ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الأَرْضِ