Whether the second cat is a demonic presence or merely a stray that the narrator projects his guilt onto remains ambiguous. What is certain is that the narrator cannot escape his own conscience. The cry from the wall is the truth breaking through the facade of his sanity.
The narrative structure of the story is notable for its use of an unreliable narrator and a non-linear timeline. The narrator's account of events jumps back and forth in time, creating a sense of confusion and disorientation.
One night, while the narrator is intoxicated, he cuts Pluto's eye out with a penknife. The narrator tries to justify his actions by claiming that Pluto was trying to attack him, but he knows that he did it out of cruelty. The next day, he regrets his actions and tries to make amends with Pluto, but the cat has become aloof and distant.