<Tr> <Th> Publisher </Th> <Td> United States Saturday Post </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Media type </Th> <Td> Print (periodical) </Td> </Tr> <P> "The Black Cat" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe . It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post . It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell - Tale Heart". In both, a murderer carefully conceals his crime and believes himself unassailable, but eventually breaks down and reveals himself, impelled by a nagging reminder of his guilt . </P> <P> The story is presented as a first - person narrative using an unreliable narrator . He is a condemned man at the outset of the story . The narrator tells us that from an early age he has loved animals . He and his wife have many pets, including a large, beautiful black cat (as described by the narrator) named Pluto . This cat is especially fond of the narrator and vice versa . Their mutual friendship lasts for several years, until the narrator becomes an alcoholic . One night, after coming home completely intoxicated, he believes the cat to be avoiding him . When he tries to seize it, the panicked cat bites the narrator, and in a fit of rage, he seizes the animal, pulls a pen - knife from his pocket, and deliberately gouges out the cat's eye . </P>

What is the poem the black cat about