Sack Tarley is a pathetic, anxiety-ridden man whose life revolves around stress-eating store-bought pies. His day takes a dark turn when he accidentally hits and kills his neighbor's cat, Jinglepuss, while driving distracted by a strawberry pie on his passenger seat.
The cat belongs to Gary Lardob, an intimidating ex-convict turned locksmith who has gone straight and adores his daughter's pet. When Jinglepuss goes missing, Lardob canvasses the neighborhood with missing cat posters, growing increasingly desperate and violent in his search for answers. He threatens extreme torture for whoever took his daughter's beloved cat, describing in graphic detail how he plans to trap the culprit in a heated dog cage.
Terrified of Lardob's wrath, Sack attempts to dispose of the evidence by burying the cat, but is scared off by a raccoon and a dog owner. The guilt consumes him as Lardob's visits become more threatening. When pressed for suspects, Sack desperately points to Wingro, Lardob's recently released prison buddy who had approached Lardob about a jewelry store heist.
The situation spirals when Sack discovers a blood-soaked yellow post-it note (containing the jewelry store combination) inside the cat's body - evidence of Lardob feeding the note to Jinglepuss to destroy it. Wingro eventually confronts Sack about the missing combination, and when he sees the bloody evidence, assumes Sack has murdered and dismembered Lardob himself.
In the climactic scene, as Sack tries to dispose of the cat's remains in his garbage, Lardob appears just as a raccoon emerges from the bag, having been eating the carcass. Jinglepuss's distinctive jingle collar falls out, revealing everything. The truth exposed, Lardob traps the retching Sack under a garbage can and walks away, leaving him to face the consequences of his cover-up.
