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Bart the Miracle or Zombie Cat took a step forward in his recovery today as another dramatic development in his strange story came to light.
Bart, as you may recall, is the Florida cat who was thought dead when his owner found him lying in the road, apparently having been struck by a car. The cat was buried in a shallow grave by the side of the road, then shocked his owner and neighbors by digging himself out of the grave and returning to his owner by appearing in a neighbor’s yard 5 days after his burial.
Bart’s has been in the care of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay since owner Ellis Hutson took him to the Humane Society’s Animal Health Center for care.
Bart had surgery last Tuesday to remove a badly damaged eye and to wire his broken jaw. The following day he received a blood transfusion because he was somewhat weak and anemic. Bart’s medical expenses were covered by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Save-A-Pet Medical Fund
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay initially defended Hutson and said Bart would be returned to him, but after new information came to light they announced on Friday that they’d reversed their decision to return Bart to Hutson.
Today, Bart’s caregivers were encouraged when he took his first bites of food since his arrival. While he still needs his feeding tube, it was a good sign that he’d eaten a little bit on his own.
The Humane Society wrote an update to a blog page devoted to Bart and his progress today, saying: February 2, 2015- Well, Bart surprised us today by taking his first bites of food since coming to our facility on January 23. This is a very good sign of his continued recovery. Because he is unable to eat enough food to sustain him, he will still need his feeding tube for several more weeks. He receives feedings every 4 hours through the tube to ensure that he is getting enough nutrients. We are so proud of this brave boy!
Meanwhile, in another ‘weird news’ dramatic twist to the much reported ‘Zombie Cat’ tale, it was reported today that the Humane Society of Tampa Bay received a threat over the weekend from someone who said they were going to “storm” the organization’s animal hospital and steal the newsworthy cat.
Hospital officials are taking extra precautions because of the threat, placing personnel on alert and having extra staff on duty in the lobby. Staff have been told to call the police if intruders force their way in, and not to resist if they attempt to take the cat, but to call police and let them handle the case.
The Humane Society hopes the threatening call was just a hoax.
Bart will eventually be made available for adoption but he needs time to fully recover from his injuries and surgery.
We expect this will not be the last we hear of Bart, and hope for more positive reports on his recovery.
Watch as Bart Takes His First Bites!
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See our earlier posts on the story:
Miracle Cat, Back From The Grave
Cat who returned from the grave recovers from successful surgery
Miracle “Zombie” Cat Bart will not be returned to his owner, Humane Society says
