What does Islam say about animal welfare? It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, nor did she let it loose to feed upon the vermin of the earth.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 3140; Muslim, 2242). The vermin of the earth means insects and mice, etc. This hadith does not denounce the woman for keeping a cat, but it demonstrates that the woman’s sin was in not feeding it or leaving it to eat from the vermin of the earth.