Furrball

Furrball is a cartoon character from the Warner Bros. animated television series, Tiny Toon Adventures. He is one of the most frequently recurring characters on the show. Furrball is voiced by Frank Welker.

Biography
Furrball is a young, blue male cat with a hole on his right ear and a bandage on his tail. He attends Acme Looniversity and lives in Acme Acres. Furrball's mentor and favorite teacher at school is Sylvester the Cat, although the only similarity seemed to be their appetites.

Furrball lives in a cardboard box in the back alleys and is usually scrounging about on the streets where he is most often a comic victim. His primary goal in life is to find a home. Occasionally, Furrball will find a temporary home, only to become entangled with the likes of Elmyra, Sweetie, or Li'l Sneezer - all of which send him running back to the streets. Later in the series, however, Furrball seems to be living explicitly in Elmyra's home as one of her favorite pets.

Furrball hardly ever speaks throughout the show and is usually portrayed as a typical pet character (such as in the Porky Pig and Sylvester cartoons, in which Sylvester appears in to have a rare non-speaking role). His typical cat sounds are provided by Frank Welker. However, it is revealed that he speaks in four episodes. In the short, Duck Trek (in which Furrball played a spoof of Star Trek's Leonard McCoy), he is voiced by Rob Paulsen, but this is an obvious joke at lip-syncing, as Mr. Paulsen provides a voice similar (albeit exaggerated) to McCoy's voice. In the episode, Buster and the Wolverine (a spoof of the classic musical children's story, Peter and the Wolf), it is revealed that Furrball is voiced by his regular voice actor, Frank Welker. In the episode, Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow, he speaks precisely one word ("Years!," referring to how long he had been held captive by Elmyra; of course, he is exaggerating), with his voice again being provided by Welker. At the end of the short, Bleacher Bummer, after he and Dizzy Devil exposed the Perfecto Prep students' cheating at a baseball game, they both say at a victory party this one line, "We love Baseball."

Personality
Furrball tends to represent the epitome of "pathos." A feline version of Chaplin's tramp. Furrball is commonly portrayed as an archetype scaredy cat, though he has the potential to be brave and tough when needed to be. Furrball has a heart of gold, doing things for others he would not usually do and choosing to make friends out of enemies when he can. Although several appearances compare him to Sylvester, there are a few cartoons that cast him in a more sympathetic light. In these appearances, Furrball is an abandoned alley cat, constantly looking for a home. The shorts depict his misadventures in this goal, such as being mistaken for a dog by a blind couple; situations that are humorous, but also gather pity for the character. He is a lonely cat against the world, but never gives up hope, much like legendary comedian, Charlie Chaplin.

Furrball spends much of his time trying unsuccessfully to eat Sweetie and Li'l Sneezer. However, there has been one occasion where Furrball gets the last laugh on Sweetie when he has Arnold the Pit Bull hypnotized to chase her after recovering from the hypnosis she put him under. He also has a few run-ins with Byron Basset on occasion, who once prevented Furrball from eating some baby birds that he was protecting. Usually, though, the two of them are seen as living peacefully together in Elmyra's house, not paying much attention to each other and minding their own business.

As the intro suggests, Furrball is prone to misfortune ("unlucky" in the intro). Some of his other misadventures include getting a pair of malfunctioning 3-D glasses glued to his head, being hypnotized into trying to eat Arnold the Pit Bull for supper, dealing with his dog bully next door, becoming the host of a family of singing Italian fleas and being the love-interest of an amorous Fifi La Fume after involuntarily winding up with a white stripe down his back. The diversity of these adventures and his reactions to them have established Furrball as one of the most versatile characters on the show (a trait that is also shared by his mentor, Sylvester, in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series).

End Tag

 * Furrball's end tag credit is him roaring at the screen like a lion, before covering his mouth and letting out an apologetic mew.

Appearances
Season 1


 * Episode 1: The Looney Beginning -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 2: A Quack in the Quarks -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 3: The Wheel O' Comedy -- Prologue before the episode segment: Devil Doggie (Cameo: Still image of head and face shown), Prologue before the episode segment: Optical Intrusion (Cameo: Still image of head and face shown), Episode segment: Optical Intrusion (Main protagonist), Prologue before the episode segment: Win, Lose, or Kerblowie (Cameo: Still image of head and face shown)
 * Episode 4: Test Stress -- Episode segment: Lil' Sneezer (Main role)
 * Episode 5: The Buster Bunny Bunch -- Episode segment: Squish (Minor role: Shown in Dizzy's dream sequences), Prologue before the episode segment: Born to be Riled (Cameo: Still image of head and face shown)
 * Episode 6: Her Wacky Highness (Cameo)
 * Episode 7: Journey to the Center of Acme Acres -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 10: Looking Out for the Little Guy -- Episode segment: Bird-Dog Aternoon (Main antagonist)
 * Episode 11: Starting from Scratch -- (Main role)
 * Episode 13: Furrball Follies -- Episode segment: K-9 Kitty (Main role), Episode segment: Aroma Amore (Main role), Episode segment: Cross Country Kitty (Main role)
 * Episode 14: The Acme Acres Zone -- Episode segment: A Bacon Strip (Cameo), Episode segment: Senserely Yours, Babs (Cameo)
 * Episode 17: Prom-ise Her Anything -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 18: Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow -- (Supporting role)
 * Episode 19: Cinemaniacs! -- Episode segment: Duck Trek (Main role)
 * Episode 20: You Asked for It -- Prologue before the episode segment: Debutante Devil (Cameo: A still image is shown)
 * Episode 21: Gang Busters -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 22: Citizen Max -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 23: Wake Up Call of the Wild -- Episode Segment: Kitty Cat-astrophe (Main Role)
 * Episode 24: Buster and the Wolverine -- (Main Role)
 * Episode 28: The Wacko World of Sports -- Episode Segment: Tennis the Menace (Supporting Role), Bleacher Bummer (Main Role), Miniature Goof (Cameo)
 * Episode 32: Spring in Acme Acres -- Prologue before the episode segment: Elmyra's Spring Cleaning (Cameo), Episode segment: Elmyra's Spring Cleaining (Cameo)
 * Episode 33: Psychic Fun-omenon Day -- Episode segment: Class Cut-Up (Cameo)
 * Episode 35: A Ditch in Time -- (Cameo: A prehistoric version is shown)
 * Episode 36: Animaniacs! -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 37: Career Oppor-Toon-ities -- Episode segment: Working Pig (Cameo: A stuffed toy version is shown), Episode segment: Falling to Pizzas (Cameo)
 * Episode 38: Strange Tales of Weird Science -- Prologue before the episode segment: Pit Bullied (Cameo), Episode segment: Pit Bullied (Main role), Episode segment: Duck in the Muck (Minor role)
 * Episode 39: Inside Plucky Duck -- Episode segment: Wild Takes Class (Minor role)
 * Episode 40: The Acme Bowl -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 42: Looniversity Daze -- Episode segment: The Learning Principal (Cameo), Prologue before the episode segment: Eating Between the Lines (Cameo), Episode segment: What's Up Nurse? (Minor role)
 * Episode 43: Best O' Plucky Duck Day -- Episode segment: One Minute Til' Three (Cameo)
 * Episode 44: Hero Hamton -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 45: Whale's Tales -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 46: Ask Mr. Popular -- Episode segment: Dapper Diz (Minor role), Prologue before the episode segment: A Pigment of his Imagination (Cameo), Episode segment: A Pigment of his Imagination (Supporting role)
 * Episode 47: Son of Looniversity Daze -- Episode segment: Plucky's Dastardly Deed (Cameo: Face not shown), Episode segment: C Flat or B Sharp (Cameo)
 * Episode 48: Mr. Popular's Rules of Cool -- Episode segment: Mr. Popular's Rules of Cool (Minor role)
 * Episode 49: Fairy Tales for the 90's -- Episode segment: Bear Necessities (Cameo)
 * Episode 50: Who Bopped Bugs Bunny? -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 52: The Return to the Acme Acres Zone -- Episode segment: Real Kids Don't Like Broccoli (Cameo, and a robot version is also shown), Episode segment: Duck Dodgers Jr. (Cameo: A still image is shown)
 * Episode 54: Weirdest Story Ever Told -- Episode segment: Robin Hare (Cameo)
 * Episode 55: Viewer Mail Day -- Episode Segment: Out of Odor (Cameo: Face not shown)
 * Episode 56: Son of the Wacko World of Sports -- Buster at the Bat (Minor role), Acme Acres Summer Olympics (Cameo)
 * Episode 57: Pollution Solution -- Episode segment: No Deposit, No Return of the Trash Bag Dispenser (Cameo)
 * Episode 60: How Sweetie It Is -- Let's Do Lunch (Main Role), Epilogue after the episode segment: The Raven (Cameo)
 * Episode 61: New Character Day -- Episode segment: The Return of Pluck Twacy (Minor role)
 * Episode 62: Here's Hamton -- Episode segment: Milk, It Makes a Body Spout (Cameo)
 * Episode 64: K-Acme TV -- (Cameo: A still image is shown)

Season 2


 * Episode 66: Pledge Week -- Prologue before the episode segment: The Kite (Cameo)
 * Episode 68: Elephant Issues -- Episode segment: C.L.I.D.E and Prejudice (Cameo: Face not shown), Episode segment: One Beer (Cameo)
 * Episode 69: Hog Wild Hamton -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 70: Playtime Toons -- Prologue before the episode segment: Strung Along Kitty (Main role), Episode segment: Strung Along Kitty (Main protagonist)
 * Episode 71: Toon Physics -- Prologue to the episode segment: A Cub for Grub (Cameo), Episode segment: A Cub for Grub (Main antagonist), Episode segment: The Year Book Star (Minor role)
 * Episode 72: Acme Cable TV -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 74: Henny Youngman Day -- Prologue before the episode segment: Stand-Up and Deliver (Cameo), Episode segment: Stand-Up and Deliver (Cameo), Prologue before the episode segment: The Potty Years (Cameo), Episode segment: The Potty Years (Cameo)
 * Episode 75: Love Disconnection -- Episode segment: My Dinner with Elmyra (Minor role), Episode segment: The Amazing Three (Brief cameo from behind)
 * Episode 77: Sepulveda Boulevard -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 78: Take Elmyra Please -- (Main role)

Season 3


 * Episode 80: New Class Day -- Prologue before the episode segment: Sound Off (Cameo), Prologue before the episode segment: A Night in Kokomo (Cameo)
 * Episode 81: Fox Trot -- Episode segment: Can't Buy Me Love (Supporting role)
 * Episode 83: Flea for Your Life -- (Supporting role)
 * Episode 86: Toons from the Crypt -- Prologue before the episode segment: Wait Till Your Father gets Even (Cameo), Episode segment: Night of the Living Pets (Supporting role)
 * Episode 88: Buster's Directorial Debut -- Prologue before the episode segment: Fit to be Stewed (Minor role), Prologue before the episode segment: Ducklahoma (Minor role)
 * Episode 89: Washingtoon -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 90: Toon TV -- Music video segment: Video Game Blues (Cameo: Top of head shown), Music video segment: Toon Out, Toon In (Cameo)
 * Episode 91: Grandma's Dead -- (Minor role)
 * Episode 92: Music Day -- Episode segment: The Horn Blows at Lunchtime (Cameo)
 * Episode 93: The Horror of Slumber Party Mountain -- Prologue: (Minor role), Episode: (Minor role)
 * Episode 95: Weekday Afternoon Live -- (Cameo)
 * Episode 96: A Cat's Eye View -- Prologue before the episode segment: Little Dog Lost (Minor role), Episode segment: Homeward Bound (Main protagonist)
 * Episode 97: Best of Buster Day -- Episode segment: Compromising Principals (Cameo)
 * Episode 98: It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special (Cameo)

Film


 * How I Spent My Vacation -- (Minor role)

Specials


 * Spring Break Special -- (Minor role)
 * Night Ghoulery -- (Minor role)

Video Games


 * Tiny Toon Adventures for NES: He is one of Buster's three sidekicks. His special ability is climbing walls. He will slowly slide down, instead of plunging down.
 * Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble in Wackyland for NES: He is playable in the Log Ride stage.
 * Babs' Big Break for Game Boy: He appears as the helper in the City stage. To find him, you must play a game where you have to guess which trash can he is in. If you guess right two out of three times, he will help you by crawling under the low pipes.
 * Buster Busts Loose for the SNES: He is playable in a bonus round, practicing tennis. He is also one of Elmyra's captive pets in the Maze bonus round, and Babs Bunny has to rescue him.
 * Acme All-Stars for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive: He is one of 12 playable characters in multiplayer mode.
 * Toonenstein: Dare to Scare for PS1: Furrball appears as the main character, besides the cameos of his friends, Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig.
 * Furrball's other appearances are mostly cameo appearances, usually showing him chasing Sweetie. A notable cameo of Furrball is in Wacky Sports for the SNES in the password menu, where he is one of the cheerleaders, dressed in drag.

Appearances outside of Tiny Toon Adventures


 * Animaniacs -- Episode 25: Home on de-Nile (Cameo)

Trivia
According to Comics Scene #17, before they decided to use "Furrball" as his name, he was either to be named "Puddy Tat" or "Alley Tat".

Merchandise

 * McDonald's Happy Meal toy
 * Playskool plush
 * Hallmark Keepsake ornament

Trivia

 * His appearances in the Stephen Squirrelsky and Friends' Movie Spoof Travels are Skunkules, Home on the Range, Kermit's Winter Wonderland, and The Little Jungle Boy and will hopefully be in more.