the black cat

I don't think the narrator is concerned about anything coherent: that is the case with Poe's unstable narrators. The narrator is another of Poe’s unnamed and unreliable men driven to madness. All we really know about him—if his word can be trusted, that is—is that he has enjoyed a lifetime love of animals and that the animals have reciprocated this love. The narrator does make clear what it is about animals that inspires in him a higher level of love and respect: he particularly admires their loyalty and perception. In other words, if an animal remains loyal to you, you must be a good person—which should bring into question the character of any person whose pet begins to exhibit disloyal behavior.