A Florida cat has had surgery after apparently clawing its way out of his grave following a collision with a car.

Bart the cat was discovered by its owner’s neighbor in Tampa five days after he was found lying in the road stiff in a pool of blood, and was presumed dead.

The cat is now recovering after treatment for a broken jaw and ruptured eye.

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay, which is caring for the animal they have dubbed “Bart the Miracle Cat”, say they have never seen a case like it.

Bart’s owner, Ellis Hutson, told the Tampa Bay Times he “couldn’t stand” to bury the animal and asked his neighbor Dave to dig him a shallow grave.

Five days later, bedraggled Bart was found meowing for food by another of Ellis Hutson’s neighbors, Dusty Albritton.

“At first it blew me away,” Dusty Albritton said.

“All I knew was this cat was dead and <<Pet Sematary>> is real,” she added, referring to the horror film and book by writer Stephen King.

A shocked but delighted Ellis Hutson, discovering that vets’ bills would be too expensive, took Bart to Tampa’s Humane Society.

Bart had surgery on January 27 to remove his ruined eye and treat his broken jaw, and is now resting comfortably according to the society’s Facebook page.

[youtube My0evURJ-oM 650]