'Zombie Cat' May Have Been Buried Alive Intentionally

The little tuxedo cat who captured the nation’s attention after returning home alive five days after his burial is now the focus of a custody dispute between those providing his care and his owner.

Humane Society of Tampa Bay executive director Sherry Silk has stated Bart the cat would be better off in the care of someone other than his original owner. Now, she’s saying she believes he may have been intentionally buried alive, according to the Huffington Post.

“I think they knew he was breathing,” the Post quoted Silk as saying.

That allegation is based on a YouTube video neighbor Dusty Albritton posted on Jan. 23 following Bart’s return from the grave, the Palm Beach Post reported. The video indicates neighbors, at least, might have known the cat was alive when he was buried.

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Bart gained national attention last month when he was brought into the Humane Society for care. The cat, it was reported, had been hit by a car and was believed dead by his owner, who ultimately buried him. Bart, however, returned five days later with a broken jaw and blind eye.

The Humane Society took the cat in and helped oversee medical care. He underwent extensive surgery to repair the jaw and remove the eye and now remains under the society’s watch.

Last week, the society announced its intentions to not give Bart back to his owner, Ellis Hutson.

Hutson is denying allegations of wrongdoing and says he simply wants his cat back.

Both sides vowed last week to take it to court if necessary.

While Bart’s eventual fate remains unclear, the cat is on the mend, the Humane Society reports.

“Bart continues to improve, day by day,” the organization wrote on its Facebook page Wednesday. “Today when we approached his cage, he actually got up and walked to the door to greet us with chirps and meows.”

The critter’s jaw will remain wired shut for another six weeks following surgery to repair his broken jaw. Even so, “he is definitely on the mend.”

Photo from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay Facebook page