By Lauren Beavis via SWNS
A couple renovating an 18th-century cottage found a mummified cat left to guard against evil spirits – and now their dog is scared to go in.
Michelle Keane, 52, and husband Declan, 58, discovered the feline in the thatch roof of the historic home – and it may have been there for over 200 years.
People once used to conceal a dried cat to protect the home from natural and human disasters, and supernatural attacks from witches or evil spirits.
Michelle, who owns The Dental Works in Essex, said even her dog Paddy will not go into the home – and they have to carry him.
She said: “We thought we would find some artifacts in the cottage, as it is probably the most historic house in the village – but a dead cat wasn’t something we considered!
“Folk law says they put mummified cats in homes to ward off bad spirits and get good luck.
“So when …