'Zombie cat' photos show recovery


The Humane Society of Tampa Bay released new photos Monday and gave an update of the recovering "Zombie Cat" who had been hit by a car and buried only to show up on a neighbor's yard a few days later.

The cat (Bart) appeared to be recovering from his injuries and has been gaining weight, according to the Humane Society.  The society also addressed a number of questions, including why they changed their mind about returning Bart to his original owner.

"We received information that the owner was actually present when Bart was buried and there was a witness claiming the cat was still alive. In addition, we discovered that Bart was not brought to us immediately after he crawled out of the grave. He suffered from severe injuries for at least 2-4 days in the care of his owner before the medical treatment was sought; this is against the law."

The humane society acknowledged that there is a pending lawsuit involving the owner and mentioned that they could not go into detail regarding the open case. The lawsuit is demanding the cat's return and owner Ellis Hutson accuses the animal agency of keeping Bart for fundraising purposes.

>>Read more about the lawsuit here 

The society is taking applications for those who are interested in adopting Bart and reportedly has over 100 potential adopters.

Read other frequently asked questions about Bart and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay's response HERE