One less cat to wander around at night leaving crap in people's flower beds for them to find with their hands while gardening the next day.

He might have broken the cat's neck quickly. He didn't kill the cat for kickshe was afraid of being caught. He is more remorseful for this killing than any of his paid assassin jobs. The scenes with the crippled girl on the stairs shows his conflicted emotionsI believe he wants to feel pity for her condition, but is so caught up in his own pain from childhood that he doesn't know how.

I'm a cat lover and I was O.K. with it.
There are plenty of movies where something or someone a person likes gets murdered. That's hollywood.

I saw it that the cat WAS making a noise - and one of the bad guys heard it, and would have investigated had his companion not said (words to the effect of) " leave it, it's just a cat". ('Just' a cat - ha - shows how bad they were!).
Poor puss was obviously quite old and very placid (and, if you wish to see it as even more tragic, very trusting) and was well wrapped up in the rug. Raven would have been very quick and efficient in his deed.
few visible scars

eerie. didn't see it coming..

I don't remember the cat making noise.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

He didn't want to kill the cat. But he had to. The pussy was making too much noise.

Yes, that is what creeps me out. The cat was very happy in his arms. No one paid him to kill the cat, so the unconsciousness of this act is very sad.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

That scene is one of my few quibbles with this excellent film. He suffocates/strangles the cat without Ellen even noticing. Anybody who knows cats would know how much struggling and noise would ensue if he tried that.

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All good points, aplantage1.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

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3. yes, the secretary's death was pretty awful.
4. That's great! I have four cats, five, when my daughter visits. One of them looks like the cat in the film.
5. Film noir is my favorite genre, so I'm not adverse to being disturbed. Actually, I find noir to be oddly validating. But violence to animals and children hits me harder, crawls right under my skin. It's nightmare country.
   "Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

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1. I guess.
2. We do see the cat happily receiving love from The Raven, making his demise even more disturbing.
3. The death is inferred, increasing its impact, at least for me.
4. Movies and other expressions can crawl into your head like nothing else can.
   "Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

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I agree. I AM a cat lover and it is difficult to watch. Even though Raven is a "cat lover", he seems to act our how he has been treated.
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne