The fifth episode of the third season of Tiny Toon Adventures, and the eighty-third overall.
The episode begins in a proscenium theater, where Buster welcomes the viewers and tells them that today's episode focuses on a terrific, yet underused element. Plucky walks in, assuming Buster is talking about him. Buster then tells him that he was referring to the Flea Family.
At Elmyra's house, Papa and Flio have jobs as fur lumberjacks, which causes Furrball to itch. Furrball, who had previously befriended the Flea Family and let them stay on him, is still having trouble tolerating the way they treat his body. Whenever they cause his body to itch, he goes to great lengths to scratch it, such as having a piranha chomp on him. After Papa and flio finish chopping fown the fur, they carry it home, where Mama and Itchy are making insect-sized fur coats for Boss Tick, a job that Itchy hates. Itchy is relieved when she finds the hair bin empty, but her relief is unfortunately short-lived when Papa and Flio bring in more fur. Papa then asks Mama what's for dinner, and she tells him, "Cat, what-a else?". The Flea family then eat Furrball's skin, causing Furrball to itch again and relieve himself by sitting in the blender and turning it on.
As Itchy and Flio sit down to watch TV, Gnat, Itchy's new friend arrives and asks the family if they want to cruise the Flea Market. Itchy is happy to, as she needs a break from working for Boss Tick. Just then, Boss Tick appears on the TV and announces that he will be working all his employees overtime. He also tells his employees that they will only receive their profits if they keep working. Itchy smashes the TV in frustation, and Papa asks her why she so angry. Itchy then sings a song explaining how they're forced to work while Boss tick lives in luxury on Byron Basset. After her song, Papa calms down Itchy and tells her that from now on, he doesn't want to hear about Boss Tick, not even wanting anyone to say his name. Just then, the doorbell rings, and Flio answers it. To everyone's surprise, Boss Tick is at the door with his two employees, Flick and Flit. Boss Tick has come to collect the fur coats, and tells Itchy that he overheard her song. He likes her attitude, and decides to take her out on Sunday Night. Flick overhears, and reminds him of their previous engagement. Itchy tells Boss Tick that she wouldn't be caught on the same cat as him, which prompts him to summon an army of fleas from Byron Basset to make Furrball itch. Elmyra notices Furrball itching, and decides to take him upstairs to give him a bath. Itchy pleads for Boss Tick to stop, but he tells her he wouldn't be caught dead on the same cat with her and walks away. Elmyra puts Furrball in the water-filled bathtub, and a wave begins to appear in front of the Flea Family and Gnat.
In the second act, Itchy apologizes to Boss Tick and pleads for him to spare her family's lives. Boss Tick calls off his attack, and Furrball stops itching. Elmyra thinks that Furrball was just having a nightmare, and takes him out of the tub. Boss Tick, Flick, and Flit collect the rest of the fur coats and leave. Before he leaves, boss Tick tells the Flea Family that if they work hard enough, they might end up becoming his in-laws.
As Furrball takes his nap, Itchy and Gnat climb to the end of Furrball's tail, and while Gnat tries to enjoy the view, Itchy is still upset over her engagement with Boss Tick. Gnat is sick of hearing Itchy talk about Boss Tick, and tries to remin her about the good he has done for insects everywhere, such as building Fleadom hall. Itchy asks Gnat if he's ever seen it, and he admits he hasn't. Itchy admits she hasn't either, since Boss Tick works her too hard. She decides to travel to Fleadom Hall, located on Byron Basset to see if it's everything Boss Tick says it is. They reach the gate to it, but are stopped by two guards, one of whom tells them no one is allowed inside without Boss Tick's permission. Gnat tells them that the motto is "For All Fleas Everywhere", and the other guard tells him that it doesn't say "Anytime". Itchy decides to leave and come back when she and Gnat get Boss Tick's permission, shoving a donut in one of the guard's mouths before she does. Itchy then decides to sneak in by climbing up one of Byron's hairs. She runs up to the window and sees Boss Tick, Flick, and Flit looking over the Flea Family's fortune. He tells Flick that they could use another safe or two, and asks her if she agrees. Flick tells him that he's very smart, and he woos her over. He takes her and Flit out to dinner, and Itchy finds out that Boss Tick is after her family's fortune. Gnat finds out that Boss Tick has enough money to buy a whole new dog and retire.
Gnat loses itchy, and looks all around Fleadom hall for her. He finds her inside Boss Tick's lair, watching Boss Tick, Flick, and Flit about to toast their new fortune. Flit tells Boss Tick it sounds like a song cue, but before they can sing, Itchy barges in and tells him she knows all about his plan. Boss Tick sends in two of his employees, who muffle Itchy by putting tape over her mouth. Boss Tick tells Itchy to marry him, or he'll drown her family. Itchy reluctanly nods her head, "Yes", much to Flick and Flit's shock. Boss Tick decides to hold Itchy prisoner in one of the spikes on Byron's collar until their wedding tomorrow morning. Flit tells Flick that she was supposed to marry Boss Tick to get half of his fortune, so that he could be the second-in-command. Flick tells him that they are going to exterminate Itchy to that she will marry Boss Tick instead of her. Gnat has overheard them, and flies over to the spike, where Boss Tick tells Itchy that he is going to marry her tomorrow, and he will tell her family. Gnat tells Itchy about Flick and Flit's plan, then tells her that he will get the rest of her family so they can help her. Gnat then flies over to a crying Elmyra, who is holding a poorly-drawn picture of Furrball holding a bindle, obviously implying that Furrball has run away. Gnat realizes that Itchy's family is on Furrball, who has been captured and taken to the Animal Shelter. Gnat rushes outside and witnesses Furrball being taken to the Animal Shelter.
In the third act, Gnat flies all night to the ACME Animal Shelter, and reaches it the next morning. In it, he finds Furrball playing a harmonica. On him, the Flea Family is still sad over Itchy having gone missing. Flio tries to cheer Mama and Papa up by telling him they don't have to work for Boss Tick anymore. Gnat arrives, and Papa asks him where Itchy is. Gnat tells the family that Itchy is being held prisoner by Boss Tick. Back at Byron Basset, Itchy is being chased by Boss Tick. Gnat decides that they have to get Furrball back to Elmyra's house so they can rescue Itchy. He helps the Flea Family help Furrball so that Elmyra will notice him through song. Eventually, Elmyra arrives at the Animal Shelter, looking for Furrball, but she can't find him, and decides to take another kitten home instead. The Flea Family and Gnat make Furrball itch, and Elmyra notices him. She takes him out of his cell, and he runs back to her house so they can rescue Itchy.
Back at Elmyra's house, Itchy continues calling for help. Flick and Flit aim a cannon of flea spray at her, and Itchy continues to call for help. boss tick, who is getting ready for his engagement to her, overhears an rushes outside to investigate. He finds out that Flick and Flit are about to exterminate Itchy, and he pushes the cannon of flea spray out of the way. He orders Flick and Flit to stop, but they tell him they're not taking orders from him anymore. Gnat snatches the key from Boss Tick's pocket and uses it to unlock the door on Itchy's spike. He takes her back home to Furrball, where the Flea Family is happy to see her again. Elmyra then sees Byron itching, and takes him upstairs to give him a bath. The Flea Family and Gnat hear the water running, and are glad they don't have to deal with Boss Tick anymore, especially Itchy.
This episode provides examples of:
- Attention Whore: Plucky in the prologue. He thinks that Buster is talking about him when Buster mentions that today's episode is going to feature a terrific, yet underused element, when Buster was actually talking about the Flea Family.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When Itchy trips over a stair, she blames the animators. Later, she complains to the toonsters about her lack of screen time in the third act.
- Captivity Harmonica: Furrball plays one at the animal shelter.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Boss Tick. He overworks the Flea Family to get their fortune, tries to marry Itchy, despite his previous engagement with Flick, and threatens to drown the Flea Family if Itchy refuses.
- Credits Gag - It didn't work on paper - It doesn't work on film.
- A Day in the Limelight: Like "Starting From Scratch" before it, this episode does feature regular characters (namely Furrball), but the main focus is on the Flea Family.
- Flea Episode: Furball now has the entire Flea Family living on him. And as before, he can't stand the itching.
- Four-Legged Insect: Besides the Flea Family, there's also Gnat, Boss Tick, Flick, Flit, and Boss Tick's army.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Boss Tick forces Itchy to marry him.
- Little Miss Snarker: Itchy.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Boss Tick's engagement to Itchy is what causes Flick and Flit to turn against him.
- Musical Episode: Apparently, all toon insects have a tendency to burst into song. The gangsters attempt to start a song, only to be thwarted by Itchy.
- Talking To Himself: The versatile Jim Cummings as both Papa and Boss Tick.
- Terrible Trio: Boss Tick, Flick, and Flit.
