Story highlights Humane Society says it no longer plans to return "Zombie Cat" to his owner

Bart the cat underwent jaw reconstruction, eye removal and a blood transfusion

Cat was nicknamed "Zombie Cat" because he was found dead, was buried, then found alive

(CNN) A custody battle could be brewing over the Florida cat that was supposedly thought to be dead, buried and found alive several days later.

The latest in the thickening plot line ripped from an animal version of "The Walking Dead": The executive director of the Tampa Humane Society announced the group would not be returning the cat to its owner.

Bart, still in custody at the Tampa Humane Society, takes a morning nap.

Bart, or "Zombie Cat," as he has been called on social media, was discovered "unresponsive" by his owner last week lying in a pool of blood. His body was cold and his face was severely disfigured, representatives from the Tampa Humane Society said.

The cat's owner, Ellis Hutson, told the Humane Society that he buried his pet with the help of a neighbor.

"If we'd seen that cat on the road, we'd assumed he was dead," said Nash McCutchen, marketing coordinator with the Tampa Humane Society.

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