Bart the black and white feline from Tampa, Florida, is headed home after escaping an early grave.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that when 1-year-old Bart was hit by a car earlier this month, owner Ellis Hutson was so distraught he couldn't stand the thought of burying the cat. So he asked neighbor Dusty Albritton to dig a shallow grave.
But five days later, on Jan. 21, a matted and injured Bart emerged, meowing at Hutson's neighbor for food.
Hutson got in touch with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which through the Save-A-Pet Medical Fund will help cover costs of surgery to remove an eye, wire his jaw shut and insert a feeding tube.
Bart should recover in about six weeks and he'll go home with Hutson.
Successful Surgery for #BartTheMiracleCat! What a brave boy. He’ll return home after a week of recovery. #tampa #cat pic.twitter.com/HEPr8diBo7
— Humane Society Tampa (@HumaneTampaBay) January 28, 2015