After his parents refuse to let him keep the talking cat Matroskin [ru] (voiced by Oleg Tabakov), Uncle Fyodor leaves home.

With the dog Sharik (voiced by Lev Durov), the three set up a home in the country village Prostokvashino (Russian: Простоквашино, IPA: [prəstɐˈkvaʂɨnə], Простокваша = "soured milk").

After his mother forbids him from keeping his talking cat Matroskin, Uncle Fyodor runs away from home to live on his own.

Uncle Fyodor's parents become very agitated at the loss of their son, and even put out a missing persons notice in the paper.

The parents tell the animals that they are welcome to come back to the city with them, but they decide to stay in Prostokvashino to make a summer house (dacha) for Fyodor.