Yoda, my bad-tempered cat seems to have gotten over his abscess. His face isn't swelling further since he scratched it open on Tuesday. He is being friendlier and was sleeping in the cat bed and purring when I scratched his head. He even allowed be to touch the affected area. There is a small lump remaining but I think it may be over.
Being Yoda, he likes to spread himself around and only curls up in the cat bed if he feels cold. The rest of the time, he sleeps like this or in other untidy shapes. Some days, he sprawls all over the desk so that I can't use the mouse.