Lonely dog digs up dead cat
Oscar the dog was so miserable when his feline pal Arthur died he decided to take matters into his own hands - sneaking into the back garden, digging up the dead cat and taking him back inside to his basket.
The next morning owners Robert and Mavis Bell, of Kilburn Drive, Standish, found the two of them curled up together in the same basket.
Robert, 73, said: "Oscar had watched me bury Arthur that day. They had been inseparable and he simply sat beside me as I dug the grave and lowered Arthur in."
But Oscar, an 18-month-old Lancashire Heeler, dug down 18 inches to uncover his friend.
He then pulled Arthur through the cat flap, cleaned him up and placed him in the basket they had shared. Oscar then curled around Arthur and went to sleep.
Robert said they had been constant companions after Oscar arrived at their home.
He said: "Oscar was so small he couldn't get on to the settee.
"So Arthur, who was a big cat, would place his paw underneath him and hoist him up. They really loved each other.
"We were amazed when we got up that following morning.
"Because Oscar is a small dog, he had managed to climb out through the cat flap in the night, obviously with the intent to get Arthur back.
"Bearing in mind that Arthur was a huge cat, Oscar must have used all the strength he could muster.
"Then he pulled him into the basket and went to sleep next to him."
What also surprised the couple was how clean Arthur was.
Robert said: "Because he had been ill for a few weeks, Arthur's coat was grubby.
"But lying there in the basket he was absolutely spotless, his coat was gleaming white.
"Oscar had obviously licked him clean, it must have taken him nearly all night before curling round him and falling asleep."
Arthur is now buried back in the garden in a secure grave and Oscar has a new playmate - a kitten called Limpet.
"He's already very protective of her," said Mavis. "He won't leave her alone."
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 02 September 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
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