Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Once upon a time) a man was walking along a path when he became extremely thirsty. He found a well, so he went down into it and drank water, then came out. There was a dog there, panting and licking the mud out of thirst. The man thought to himself,“This dog is suffering from thirst just as I was suffering from its severity.”So he went down into the well again, filled his sock with water, held it in his mouth, climbed up, and gave the dog water to drink. Allah Almighty appreciated his action and sincerity, and forgave him. (Upon hearing this) the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked: O Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in (showing mercy to) animals as well? He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: (Yes,) there is a reward in (serving and caring for) every living being with a moist liver.

Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A sinful woman saw a dog on a hot day, circling around a well with its tongue hanging out from thirst. She took off her shoe (and gave it water to drink), and because of this, Allah Almighty forgave her.

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: A woman entered the Fire because of a cat. She had tied it up; neither did she feed or give it water herself, nor did she let it go so that it could eat the insects of the earth on its own.

Alqamah says: We were sitting with Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), when suddenly Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) also arrived there. Sayyidah said to him: Do you narrate that a woman was punished because of a cat, meaning she had tied it up and neither fed it nor gave it water? He said: Yes, I heard this from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Sayyidah said: Do you know who that woman was? Whatever that woman did, in any case, she was a disbeliever, and indeed, in the sight of Allah Almighty, the honor of a believer is greater than that He would punish him because of a cat. So when you narrate hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then also consider carefully how you are narrating.