The Scratchbelly family dwell behind the skirting boards and under the floorboards of a human house.

The Mice: Scratchbelly, his wife Slickwhiskers, and their offspring - Scratchbellies One, Two, Three and Four, along with wise grandad, Old Grey, spend their lives cobbling together food, dodging the Noisy Sucker (a Hoover, to you and me), and avoiding being Spotted. When a human Spots you, you've had it!

Poison, traps, screeching and chair-hopping are just the start of it... finally the humans will resort to the ultimate rodent exterminator: a pussycat. So, when Scratchbelly's younger son gets Spotted, the inevitable happens and a ghastly moggy by the name of Hannibal is drafted in. Poor old Scratchbelly is in despair! The only solution is to befriend the cat - and find him something else to sink his teeth into: a rat, for instance.

The race is on to find a rat for Hannibal, to keep the Scratchbelly dynasty alive and foraging... But will Hannibal play ball?