That's me, Fred the housecat.

When my family leaves for the day, I don't just sit inside watching the world go by.

I become...

Nature Cat, backyard explorer extraordinaire!

♪ Oh, go go go ♪ Tally-ho!

♪ Go go go ♪ Tally-ho!

♪ We're climbing up the trees now ♪ ♪ We're swinging through the breeze now ♪ ♪ We're getting muddy knees now ♪ ♪ With Nature Cat ♪ ♪ Nature Cat, Nature Cat ♪ ♪ Nature Cat, Nature Cat, Nature Cat ♪ ♪ So what are we waiting for?

♪ ♪ We're so excited to explore ♪ ♪ All that nature has in store with Nature Cat ♪ ♪ Go go go ♪ Tally-ho!

♪ Go go go ♪ Tally-ho!

♪ He's our favorite nature guide ♪ ♪ We just can't wait to get-- ♪ Outside!

♪ We're swinging through the trees now ♪ ♪ We're jumping in the leaves now ♪ ♪ We're getting muddy knees now ♪ With Nature Cat!

Tally-ho!

♪ Nature Cat, Nature Cat, Nature Cat ♪ Tally-ho!

Keep up, fellow nature adventurers, for today we are in for quite a nature surprise!

Ooh, nature surprises!

I love nature surprises!

Ask anyone!

Literally anyone!

Bring it on, man.

The mouse is in!

Me too, but... can you give us just a little bit more info, Nature Cat?

I just want to make sure we're prepared.

But of course, Daisy!

It's something on my nature curiosity list.

Okay, alright... Aha!

Question number 783: "What would it be like to meet a desert tortoise?"

Oh, I've never met a desert tortoise in real life!

Me neither!

They seem so old and wise and mysterious, like they would know all of your secrets.

Not that I have any secrets.

Oh boy, a tortoise?

A real tortoise?

(Laughing) So excited to meet a tortoise.

So, Hal, are you gonna ask what a tortoise is now?

Nope!

I'm good.

I know what a tortoise is.

(Laughing) Then follow me to see a tortoise at the national park!

(Laughing) The tortoise at the national p-- wait, what's a national park?

I don't know what that one is.

I know a tortoise, but n-- national park?

I-- I don't even know what that could be.

Is that a food?

I heard it's a place where the land and the things that live there are protected and that visitors love going there.

Yeah!

And I bet National Parks have all kinds of critters and plants that we've never seen before!

Like the desert tortoise!

The tortoise we're heading off to meet right now!

Onward and let's-meet-a-tortoise-ward!

I've wanted to meet my first tortoise for so long.

But now that it's happening, I don't wanna mess it up!

What do I say?

Hmmm...

I mean, do I start with a fanciful "Hello"?

No, that feels too formal.

Perhaps a more understated "Hi there."

Nah, that's too next-door-neighbor-y.

What about a "Wuzz up?"

Now you're just playing it too cool, Nature Cat!

And do we shake hands?

Can tortoises even do that, or will they topple over?

It's going to be okay, bud.

Of course it is!

I'm sure it is!

It's gonna be great!

Why wouldn't it be?

Alright, gang.

Barrel Cactus National Park!

It's time for tortoises!

Tally ho!

Whoa-ho-ho-ho!

HAL: What he said!

SQUEEKS: Wow!

DAISY: Man oh man oh man oh man!

Whoa, I heard this national park was big, but I didn't know they meant this big.

This place is huge.

I can't even see where it ends!

Yeah, where are all the fences like a regular park?

Or the swing sets or slides?

Or-- or the spinny thing that makes me dizzy all the time but I still love it so I go on it anyway?

Hal, this national park is true wilderness.

It's a natural place where people can't build on it or change it.

In these places, nature can, you know, do what comes naturally!

(Sighing) It's just good to get back to nature, you know?

I know.

I got such a peaceful, easy feeling.

Oh, look, an eagle!

Ah, yes.

No wonder animals love it here!

Like that kangaroo rat!

Yeow!

Oh, hey, kangaroo rat.

It's me, Hal.

We met one of you guys last time we were in the desert.

You know, no big whoop.

Speaking of animals, we have some desert tortoises to meet!

Onward and yonward!

Whoa, I can't believe this is the same park!

This part looks so different from where we started.

DAISY: Yeah.

(Chuckling) Who ever expected to see pine trees in a desert?

(Chuckling) One thing I don't see is tortoises.

Me, either, too, too, also, as well.

Boo-ee, boy, I overdid the adverbs again, didn't I?

Where are you, tortoise?

Hey, you guys looking for tortoises?

Yeah, how did you know?

With these bad boys?

You wouldn't believe what I can hear.

Oh, I know, right?

(Laughing) Exactly!

The name's Jack, and I know where the tortoises are, if you'd like me to show you.

I'm Daisy, and we'd love it!

(Laughing) Alrighty then!

Follow me.

Onward and hop-ward!

(Nature Cat grunting) (Nature Cat grunting) JACK: Aw, no.

Oh, why would someone doodle on a rock like this?

That just makes me so, so mad!

Viva la nature!

Yeah, that doesn't follow the "leave only footprints, take only photos" rule!

Some people just don't get it.

These national parks are for everyone to share.

That means leave nothing, take nothing.

Leave everything the way you found it.

(Groaning) A few bad apples treat the park as their own personal canvas.

Man, it really gets my goat!

Wait!

You have your own goat?

(Laughing) Oh, Hal.

You are just too funny.

(Laughing) Oh, man.

Well, come on.

(Laughing) Yeah, I'm hilarious.

I have no idea why.

JACK: We're close.

I can feel it.

Should be right around this bend, and... Aha.

Jackpot.

I present to you a desert tortoise.

(Gasping) A tortoise.

It's really a tortoise, right in front of me!

Yep!

Well, if you guys ever need anything, just give a holler, and I'll come running.

You've got a new friend.

Here it is.

The moment of truth.

(Clearing his throat) Hello there, Mister Tortoise.

(Clearing his throat) Bonjour, Monsieur Tor-twah!

Hello, tortoise!

(Sobbing gently) (Gasping) Oh, no, I blew it!

What's wrong, Mister Tortoise?

Why are you crying?

The name's Shelby.

I'm just sad because, well... HAL: A party?

I love parties!

Did you forget to fill the piñata with candy before you hung it up?

Yup, yup, I do it all the time.

I hate when that happens.

Nah, that isn't why I'm sad.

Phew.

So the piñata does have candy.

You see that?

That's for the Shellerson family reunion, which I've thrown for my family every year for the past 52 years.

Aw!

I love family reunions!

I have one every year with Granny Bunny and all my relatives.

Well, ours was supposed to be today, but no Shellersons showed up.

So, it's just me.

All alone.

(Crying) By myself.

That's just the saddest thing I've ever heard!

Oh, me, too.

(Squeeks crying) Me, too, too, also!

I didn't mean to trigger the water works.

I just really miss visiting with my family... (Choking up) and dancing the Shellerson family turtle twist.

There's gotta be something we can do about this!

I just hate to see a desert tortoise I just met cry!

I don't see what we can do.

(Sighing) Looks like the Shellerson family reunions have come to an end.

No way, sir!

We are going to have your family reunion, and all the Shellersons will be here doing whatever you tortoises do to celebrate!

But... how, Nature Cat?

I... didn't get that far in my thought process.

(Chuckling) Kinda just feeding off the excitement here.

But I-- don't worry!

We're going to solve this family reunion dilemma somehow.

I-- uh-- right, gang?

Hmm.

I know!

Maybe a little investigation can help!

Yes, investigation!

Right!

And, um, how can that help, again, Daisy?

Shelby, where do the other Shellersons come from to get here?

They come a long way, from the other side of the park.

They all usually take that trail to get here.

SQUEEKS: So let's follow the trail and see what happened to the other tortoises!

Let's go!

Just get the reunion ready, Shelby.

We'll be back, and it will be family reunion party time!

Onward and yon-ward!

How lucky are we that we get to see more of this amazing national park while we look for the tortoises?

Yeah, this Joshua tree lives for hundreds of years.

Makes sense it should be protected so no one can touch them.

Oh, the desert is so intense.

So awesome.

Uh oh!

Someone has touched right there!

Ugh!

That is just not right!

Someone cut the flowers and took them!

Don't people understand the "take nothing, leave nothing" rule?

Still no tortoises anywhere.

We gotta find Shelby's family!

We just gotta!

Don't worry, gang!

We will get to the bottom of this tortoise trouble!

Nothing can stop us now!

Oof!

I really have to stop saying that.

Hey, what is that?

A cooler?

Hmmm.

Curious that someone would just leave a cooler here.

In the national park!

VOICE: (Behind cooler) Eh... hel-- hello?

And curious that it's a talking cooler.

Did you just hear that?

VOICE: Hello!

Is someone there?

Oh, hi, talking cooler.

It's me, Hal!

VOICE: Oh, uh, ni-- nice to make your acquaintance, Hal.

Oh, thank you.

Such a polite talking cooler.

Aha!

Coolers can't talk.

This doesn't make any sense!

Hello?

VOICE: Hello?

Oh, hi, there!

ALL: Hello!

It's the Shellerson family!

They're here!

Whoa, hey, guys!

Excuse me?

Were you all on your way to the Shellerson family reunion?

Yes, ma'am.

But, uh... we can't get by.

This thing is blocking our path.

Yeah, Shelby's probably waiting for us.

Don't worry, tortoises!

We're here to help!

(Grunting) DAISY: Ugh, it's no use!

Where'd it even come from?

(Angrily) Someone probably just left it here in the park.

They can't do that!

Hmm... We might need some help with this, gang.

Oh, I know who can help!

Hey, Jack!

Jack!

One, two, three, pull!

(All grunting) Now come on, tortoises.

We have a family reunion to get to!

Get ready, Shelby!

It's time to have a family reunion, tortoise-style.

Sheldon!

Shellison!

Shelvira!

Shelby!

We made it!

BOTH: Happy Shellerson family reunion!

Thanks for your help, Jack.

No prob, Daisy.

We'll take care of this.

We'll leave it at the forest ranger's station.

Take nothing, leave nothing!

Yup!

We want it to look just like this, hundreds of years from now.

I met a tortoise!

And now it's time for the turtle twist!

Ha ha!

SQUEEKS: Roar!

I'm a dinosaur!

HAL: Hi, dinosaur shadow.

It's me, Hal's doggy hand shadow.

Bark, bark.

My doggy shadow is so smart.

He moves just like I do.

Shadows do that, Hal.

Whatever you do, so does your shadow.

(Laughing) Amazing!

(Chuckling) What even makes a shadow?

Must be some sort of shadow wizard or something.

No, Hal.

You need sun to make a shadow.

When your body blocks the sunlight, you make a shadow.

Works every time.

SQUEEKS: Yeah, yeah, check it out, Hal.

Look.

The sun... Squeeks... Squeeks' shadow!

Hi, Squeeks' shadow.

It's me, Hal's hand, waving.

And there's Hal's hand shadow waving, too, too, also!

Hi!

Hello.

Those shadows are okay, but for the record, I'm the best hand-shadow maker around.

SQUEEKS: Oh, yeah, Ronald?

Says who?

Says this first-place trophy.

Best hand shadow maker around.

Thank you very much.

Show us what you got, Ronald!

Don't mind if I do.

Here we go.

Whoo, alright.

Get ready!

Are you ready?

Yeah!

Mmm-hmm!

Nice try, Ronald, but, uh, you're not making any shadows.

What?

Okay, well, try this one.

Oh, yeah!

Nope, still nothing.

Hey!

Where's my shadow?!

What's going on?

The secret to seeing your shadow in front of you is having the sun behind you, Ronald.

Shh!

It's a secret.

I-- I-- I know what to do.

I'm the shadow champion.

(Laughing sadly) ALL: Woohoo!

(Laughing) (Nature Cat groaning) Hey, Nature Cat, wanna play hand shadows with us?

No, thank you.

Not right now, Squeeks.

Come on, Nature Cat!

It's so, so, so fun!

I would, you guys, but I can't move from this spot.

How come, Nature Cat?

I just can't.

It's really, really important that I stay right here.

Hey, Nature Cat.

Butterfly Hills is magnificent today.

So many hummingbirds zipping around.

You gotta come see it.

That sounds amazing, Hummingbertha, but I can't right now.

Thank you!

Hey, sorry, Nature Cat.

Um, you wanna come with me to see the fox kits in the forest?

They are unbelievably cute!

Oh, wish I could, Steve, but I can't move from this spot.

Okay.

I gotta go.

Why can't you move, Nature Cat?

Well, the most strangest thing happened yesterday.

Stranger than this?

(Making silly noises) Yes, Hal.

Hard to believe, but it was stranger than that, even though that was one of the strangest things I've ever seen.

Oh, why, thank you.

Excuse me, but what happened yesterday that was so strange?

Uh, can we roll the flashback, please?

Remember when we were all playing in the backyard?

(Camera snapping) (Laughing) Whoa nilly.

What's up, Norman?

Oh, brother.

You wouldn't believe what I just saw.

It's gone now, but I bet if you come here tomorrow at this exact time, to this very spot where I am, you will see something unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y.

Something unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y?

That sounds right up my alley!

I'll be there.

So, what is it?

What's so unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y?

No idea!

All I do know is that I have to be sitting right here at exactly the same time as Norman was to be able to see it!

Okay.

But what time was Norman sitting there?

I... don't have a clue.

Yeesh, really should have done my research.

Ha ha!

But I know I just can't miss it!

Me, either, neither.

I love unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y things, too, too, also.

Well, count the mouse in!

I don't wanna miss it either.

(Sing-song) We're gonna see something unbelievable!

We're gonna see something incredible!

Oh, brother.

We're gonna see something unbelievable!

We're gonna see something incredible!

Come on, guys!

You're wasting this day!

We can go see hummingbirds at Butterfly Hills!

Fox kits in the forest!

You can't just sit up there all day!

Well, it's not ideal, but we have to, Daisy!

For all things unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y!

What he said-dee-dee!

Maybe we can figure out when the squirrel was here yesterday to see if we have time to check out the other nature sights, then come back.

A brilliant idea, Daisy!

So long as I don't have to move.

Yeah, me, too!

Me, too, too, also.

Okay.

What was going on yesterday when the squirrel was here?

Maybe that will help us know what time it was.

NATURE CAT: Hmm... Let me think.

I do remember that Hal was digging in the yard.

What time were you digging, Hal?

All day!

It was my Hal-Dig-All-Day Day!

SQUEEKS: I was juggling acorns.

Five acorns was a world record for me.

And I certainly didn't do it all day.

Sweet.

But what time did you set your world record?

Daisy, I'm a wild mouse.

I have no concept of time.

Daisy, you were taking pictures all day.

Maybe we can find some clues there!

Oh, great idea!

Inspiration was flowing like the sunlight!

Oh, oh, my, oh, oh, you should see these nature pictorials.

Here's one I took very early in the morning.

See how the shadows play off the flowers.

It's all so... so nature-y!

Whoa, oh!

What's this?

Hey, look, you guys!

Daisy!

I can't see it from all the way up here!

I took this picture yesterday.

Hey, that's my doghouse!

I live there!

Why are we looking at Hal's doghouse, Dais?

DAISY: Look here, past the doghouse.

NATURE CAT: Hey, that's me!

And Norman the squirrel!

SQUEEKS: Hey, look at that.

The shadow is on the wrong side of Hal's doghouse.

What do you mean it's on the wrong side?

There's nothing wrong with my doghouse or its shadow!

No, no, no, Hal, look at your doghouse now.

The shadow now is in a different place than in Daisy's picture.

HAL: Oh, yeah, well, I'll have to get that fixed.

There's nothing to fix, Hal.

The shadow's here because it's morning now.

In the picture, the shadow is on this side.

Oh, no!

My doghouse moved!

No, Hal.

Your doghouse didn't move.

The position of the sun changed in the sky.

As the sun's position changed, the position of your doghouse shadow changed too.

Oh no!

What if the Norman the squirrel was already here?

What if I already I missed something unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y?

Ah, you couldn't have missed it.

You've been sitting in this tree all morning, and Daisy took the picture later in the day.

We know that because the shadow on Hal's doghouse is moving in the direction of the shadow in my picture.

It's getting closer and closer.

Fine!

I'll just sit right here until the shadow on Hal's doghouse matches the shadow in your picture, 'cause that's when Norman will be back!

Oh!

I have a great idea.

To make sure we don't miss the time, let's mark the spot on the ground where the shadow is in my picture.

Maybe Mr. Chewinsky would like to help.

Excuse me, Mr. Chewinsky.

Hi, would you like to help?

(Squeaking) (Gasping) Oh, he said yes!

Here's where the shadow is now.

And here's where the shadow is in my picture.

When this part of the shadow gets to Mr. Chewinsky, it'll be about the same time as yesterday!

Good job, Mr. Chewinsky!

I know, thank you.

Oh, you're welcome!

Hal, he didn't really do anything.

He did, too!

So now we know that what Norman saw won't happen again until the shadow moves from there... to over there.

So, what say you?

Let's go do nature-y things!

Tally ho!

Onward and explore nature-ward!

(Chirping) (All laughing) DAISY: Nope.

The shadow isn't at Chewinsky yet.

We have more time for nature.

(All laughing) (Kits chattering) SQUEEKS: Nope!

Shadow still isn't at Mr. Chewinsky!

(All laughing) (Ducks quacking) Guys, guys!

Just checked.

The shadow's almost at Mr. Chewinsky!

Hurry!

(All gasping) NATURE CAT: It's time, it's time, it's time!

Now what?

Wait for the shadow to move just a little bit more.

Wait for it...

Wait for it!

Contact!

Oh, you're here.

Okay, good.

You ready?

ALL: Ready!

I present to you something unbelievably, incredibly, amazingly Nature Cat-y!

ALL: Whoa!

NATURE CAT: Why... that shadow... it looks exactly like... me!

HAL: That's unbelievable!

SQUEEKS: Incredible!

DAISY: Amazing!

Huh?

Told ya.

(Camera snapping) Got it!

An everlasting memory.

Look!

The sun is moving.

And the shadows are changing!

Thank you, dear Norman, for this splendid shadow surprise!

Hey guys, what do ya say we keep the shadow fun going?

You wanna do hand shadows, Norman?

Ho-ho, I am so down with that.

Let's make more hand shadows!

Hey, what gives, man?

Where's our shadows?

No wonder!

The sun is over there now!

(Ronald giggling) It's Ronald.

My shadow's back!

And it's back big time!

(Laughing) Oh, yeah!

Hello, Ronald.

Oh, hello, Nature Cat.

Those are some pretty nifty hand shadows.

Of course, Nature Cat.

I'm the best.

So, uh, the sun is on your side, so we can't make hand shadows on our side of the fence.

Hmm... buh-buh-buh-buh... You mind if we join you on your side of the fence?

Well... okay, Nature Cat.

But don't forget who the champion hand shadow maker is!

Me!

Ronald!

Onward and let's-make-hand-shadows-ward!

Woohoo!

Yeah!

Woo-hoo!

(All cheering and laughing) ♪