When we first meet the narrator, he claims to have enjoyed a lifetime love of animals and that the animals have reciprocated his love. The narrator admires their loyalty and perception. Over the course of the novel, however, the narrator begins to use alcohol in larger quantities than advised.... the alcohol changes his personality, causing him to become violent toward his wife..... and his favorite cat Pluto. In the end, the narrator has changed completely, and whether it is the alcohol, some form of depression, or simply a descent into madness is questionable..... we never learn the reasons, but the outcome is obvious.