Scratch Kitten is stranded on a desert island. So he is delighted when a ship arrives and rescues him. However, life on board is not smooth sailing. The trip is being paid for by Sir Peter Petall, a wildlife collector. Sir Peter takes an instant dislike to Scratch when Scratch befriends one of his specimens, Toopo. Toopo is a strange chameleon-like mammal, never seen before, and Sir Peter wants to put him in a glass case. Can Scratch free Topoo and help him find his one true love? Will Scratch find a friendlier ship for himself? And what can be done about the strange, ghostly ship that keeps appearing out of the fog?