Mummified cat found in cottage's thatched roof

A mummified cat that was found in the thatched roof of a cottage has left homeowners shocked.

Michelle and Declan Keane were renovating the 18th Century property in the village of Milton Abbas, Dorset, after buying it during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, the married couple received a phone call from their builders who had discovered the long-dead feline.

Thought to be part of a superstitious act to bring good luck to the house, the pair said they would return the cat to where it was found.

This article contains a photo some may find distressing.

Bought for their retirement, the cottage was built in 1773 and the couple had been waiting for planning permission to revamp it.

Work finally began in September after a three-year wait.

"On Monday I got a call from the builders saying they'd found a mummified cat in the thatch," Ms Keane said.

"I didn't even know it was a thing - it was a bit of a shock."

Michelle and Declan Keane are looking for ways to preserve the cat for hundreds more years

Ms Keane said she had done some research and spoke to her architect, who advised her to put the cat back.

"History says they were put in the roofs of these houses hundreds of years ago to ward off evil spirits and to bring good luck," she said.

"The house actually backs onto a graveyard so I reckon it was put there to ward off any evil spirits."

The couple have instructed builders to put the cat back where they found it, but were looking into ways to preserve it for the future.

"I want him to stay there in the best possible way," Ms Keane said.

"It's such a historic part of Dorset and to find something like that really makes you think about the past, and the history of the house as well."

Builders removed the mummified cat during renovations