Phoenix, a New Jersey squirrel, is very proud of his coat and bushy tail, which make him the talk of the family. One day, however, Phoenix is kidnapped by a hawk who accidentally drops him on a recently tarred New York street which singes his coat off, making him look like a rat. Two wharf rat siblings, Lucy and Beckett, find Phoenix and take him in, and it's then that Phoenix joins the rats in helping prevent their home from being turned into a tennis complex.