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Fatwa CenterFailing to take care of pets
Question
Alsalamu 3alaikum. My question is about cats. I have recently been taking care of 2 kittens at my home for about 2 months. After these kittens made a lot of damage to my house, my husband and I made a few attempts to get rid of them by trying to give them away to other people but no success. We loved them very much but had to get rid of them. Now we decided that my husband would to take them to a pet store that's inside a mall and just leave them there. My husband took them in a box and while he was entering the pet store, the cats ran out of the box and started running inside the store and my husband got out and went home. The pet store door was open so the kittens might come out with no problem and wander all over the mall since the pet store is located inside the mall. I have so much regret right now because I knew in my heart that this was not the right way to get rid of the kittens. They are actually 3 month old kittens and they need constant attention. I have been feeling regretful and tearful recently to a point that I am becoming depressed. I have committed a big sin and I kept asking Allah for forgiveness for I don't know what had happened to them after my husband left the store. Did they stay inside the store or did they got out into the big mall? So I called the pet store 2 days later and I asked the lady about the kittens and I can tell from the lady's voice that I am in big trouble so I hangged up the phone. What I need to know how big of a sin did I committ knowing that these are still kittens. I know that at the time of prophet Mohammad, there was a lady that entered hell because she prevented a cat from food and drink until the cat died. Were the actions of my husband and I like preventing these kittens from food and drink? We don't know what happened to them. Can you please tell me what to do and what is islam's point of view about what we did. I honestly can not sleep at night. I miss them and I am tearful. Jazakum Allah 7'air.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Take it easy on yourself, dear sister, since the matter is much easier than that, praise be to Allaah. There is no sin on you or on your husband concerning what has happened. The Hadeeth of the woman who entered Hellfire because she detained a cat does not apply to you in any way. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 133813.
Allaah Knows best.
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