Gaylord felt imprisoned. He wanted to be a real cat, but held in Harriet and Ned's apartment stopped him from realizing his dream of roaming free and determining his own life. When Harriet left a door open one day, he escaped and headed for the streets and alleys. A tenderfoot, he had never hunted or killed to stay alive, so he was terrified. Then, pretty Adele came into his life and they fell in love. An experienced alley cat, she agreed to be his mentor and teach him how to survive. After introducing him to Chubby, the clowder's senior tom, his life changed forever. He was truly free.