Basement Cat (aka Stumpy) takes a break — “Evil-doin’ is hard work! I’m HOHNgry!”

Stumpy lurks behind a planter. Any resemblance to Basement Cat is purely coincidental.

Stumpy, the cleanest cat in the world (not!) rests on the carpet he has freshly strewn with seeds and stickers while he ponders his next step in achieving world dominion.

Stumpy was one of the strays hanging around our place. He’s a pretty big cat, but his legs look stumpy in comparison to the rest of him. He finally decided he would let me get close enough to pet him. Uh oh, what a big swollen cheek he had.

It was late in the afternoon, so into the garage he went until the next day. He let me pick him up and take him inside, and we locked him up until the next morning.

It was a two-person job catching him. One person had to sweep under the car with a broom, and the other had to catch him when he ran out. He was too fast for me, though, and got on the workbench (not behind the dryer, thank goodness).

Between the two of us we cornered him and — literally — scared the shit out of him. But I got him safely into the carrier and to the vet.

Yup, he had an abscess, a nasty one. We had to irrigate under his skin for the next week. Ick! Ick ick! Our hall bathroom turned into a kitty clinic, where he stayed as an inpatient.

I tell you, that boy loves to eat.