"Operation Stuart" is the first segment of the twenty-first episode of Recess.
Synopsis
Mikey rescues Stuart, a stray cat, who wreaks havoc at Third Street School.
Plot
The episode begins with Hank the janitor taking out the trash, when he notices the lid off the trashcan and puts it back on, unaware there's something alive in there.
All of a sudden, T.J. and friends come along talking about their favorite movie monsters, when they see the trash can move. Spinelli opens it and out jumps a mangy stray cat, that Mikey thinks is cute, while Spinelli states that he's hosting a bug convention. The kids decide to adopt the cat and Mikey names him Stuart. Spinelli states that their teach won't allow him in the classroom, so T.J. suggests leaving outside so they can visit hi during recess. But Mikey worries that Hank might find him and turn him into the office and and they'd send him to the pound. When recess ends, they slip Stuart into Mikey's backpack and decide to keep him safe by hiding him. As they head inside, they are unaware that Stuart is really a female who has kittens to care for back under the dumpster.
While in class, Mikey hides Stuart in his desk. T.J. tells him to keep the desk closed, but Mikey opens it and Stuart gets out. The kids head outside to recess once more to find their cat, asking the other kids if they've seen him? They soon find Stuart with The Ashleys, who have Stuart in a baby carriage, dressed like one. T.J. and friends try and take him back, but during an argument with the Ashleys Stuart gets away once more and they begin chasing him all over the playground. As Stuart is about to get back to her kittens, she is captured by the kindergartners. They kids find the kindergartners feeding Stuart, thinking they're fatting him up so they can eat him. Mikey goes in to stop them, but Stuart manages to escape once more as the kids pursue after the cat.
Stuart then jumps through an open window into Principal Prickly's office, startling him and tells his secretary Miss Lemon to call animal control. Prickly, along with Miss Finster chase the cat outside, until she retreats under the dumpster. Prickly orders Hank to move the dumpster so they can catch the cat, but Mikey intervenes stating that Stuart isn't just a cat, but a living being like them and states that they all should be ashamed for they way they've been treating him, even trying to eat him. But the kindergartners state they weren't trying to eat Stuart, but feed him because they loved him. Depsite all this, Prickly insists that Hank removes the dumpster, much to everyone's objection. Once the dumpster is out of the way everyone discovers Stuart's litter of kittens and they realize that Stuart is really a Stella (being am female). Animal control arrives, but Prickly says that the cat jumped over the fence 10 minutes ago. Thinking that the cat is gone, the two officers leave the school and go to get donuts, as the kids rejoice with joy.
When school is over, T.J. states that since the vet said the kittens are old enough to be weened they can now have owners of their own, three of which leave with Ashley Armbruster, Miss Finster and Prickly, while Stella goes home with Mikey.
