Animals That Are Kept in Confinement and Not Fed

The questioner:
Allow me, Shaykh. On this day, I am appealing to my master, King Salman ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, may Allah prolong his life. I say, O Abu Fahd, I am turning to Allah and then to you. Please, please, O Abu Fahd.

Another questioner:
Very well, may Allah reward you with good. Among the questions we receive, Honorable Shaykh, this questioner says: What is the legal ruling regarding animals that are kept in confinement and not fed?

The Shaykh:
This is forbidden, and there is a great sin in keeping them in confinement and cutting off their sustenance. If they die because of that, it is a cause for entering the Fire. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A woman entered the Fire because of a cat she had kept in confinement, leaving it to eat from the insects of the earth. She entered the Fire because of this cat that she had kept in confinement and cut off from it food and drink until it died. It is obligatory to be kind to these animals, and if a person has any of them under his care, he must provide what is obligatory for them in terms of fodder and water, and a suitable place, and he must be gentle with them. Yes.