Mummified Cats, Butcher Knives & Playing Cards, All Lurking Under L.A. Houses

Jason Lassen entertains with his mummified cat. Screengrab from video interview on The Working Actor blog.

Jason Lassen, 40, works as a seismic retrofitter in Los Angeles. Originally from New Hampshire, he spends his days crawling under houses. He's discovered some "outrageous" objects in the dirt, and thanks to a video interview with Lassen on The Working Actor's blog and a tipster, we've got the skinny on what's concealed below Angeleno dwellings.

Firstly, what exactly does a seismic retrofitter do? Lassen explains his profession clearly.

"Basically, I crawl underneath a house, and I secure the house to the foundation and bring it up to the current Los Angeles County standards and codes."

Lassen often finds playing cards under houses. He's set a goal to eventually gather a full deck.

One discovery that particularly peaked Lassen's interests was a butcher knife buried five inches under the ground.

But our favorite treasure, which is apparently also Lassen's favorite, is the last item he shares in the video. He reveals a mummified cat, noting that cats in various states of decay are a common find for men and women in his profession. Lassen's relationship with the decayed feline appears playful. He voices a couple impressive cat sounds, including a meow, points out several body parts then adoringly says, "Good kitty."

Lassen hopes to create a picture book of his findings one day.