It was certainly alive and well (npi) in Britain during the Revival in the early/mid-'60s, because I have a recording I made from BFN in Germany. At this remove I can't remember who the singer was. But it was "our old tom cat" who appeared to die, the filler was "tatata raaaa ra", and the ending definitely didn't involve kittens.

Our old tom cat went and died last night,
And me wife said, "Bury it out of sight."
Now we haven't got a garden for we're living in a flat,
So what was I to do wi' the body of the cat?
Just then an old brown bag I spied,
And I put the body of the cat in-side.

Now [later: So] off I went wi' the body in the bag,
The body in the bag, tatata raaaa ra.

...

He pokes out his head and gives a cheery "miaow"
Saying "that's all right, you needn't bother now"

That's all I can remember except that the man starts gibbering at the end.