The cats at Sassafras Animal Shelter have been disappearing without a trace. The director accuses twelve-year-old Kale Flores of being responsible for the missing cats and no longer trusts him to work as a volunteer. Kale is devastated at being blamed for something he didn't do. With the help of two friends, he sets on a quest to find the cats and to clear his name. They search the town with few clues to go on, consulting with some colorful senior citizens along the way.

The answer Kale finds to the vanishing cats is more complicated than he ever imagined. Kale wants to save his reputation and return to work at the shelter, but to do that someone will have to betray an old friend. Will the cost be too high?