Fleas bite, and their saliva is very allergenic to susceptible animals. This causes skin redness, itching, biting, scratching, chewing, crusts in the skin, and even a greasy feel and strong odor for some pets. In non-allergic pets, fleas don't bother the animal in these classic ways. Fleas love humidity and warmth.
It is a way of getting their name in the tabloids to promote their latest movie. Andrew Garfield likely got a text message, from his agency, informing him that he was dumping his girlfriend and on which date the media would break.
A cat named Nermal appeared in Garfield: The Movie, although he looked completely different from the kitten in the comic strip. He is known as Garfield's main and direct nemesis for the Garfield franchise.