Animal companion skeleton

[Braininthejar]

If I cast animate dead on a killed animal companion, what stats should I use as the base stats for the skeleton?

1 The base stats for an animal of this species/size?
2 the stats the animal had before it died (since all its HD are 'animal' dice) ?

Also, a related question I hadn't considered. A skeleton loses most special qualities, except those that augment its meleee attacks.
Would a skeletal tiger retain its grab and pounce abilities?

[Joynt Jezebel]

I don't know a specific rule on raising animal companions, but if you raise a human or other character race you will get a basic skeleton regardless of the deceased's level. By the same logic you would get a skeleton of a normal animal of it's species and size.

As to your second question, I believe the answer is yes.

[Mysterious Stranger]

The abilities of an animal companion are class features of the class that grants the animal companion. Once they are dead or dismissed they lose any of those abilities. So, an animated animal companion will have the base abilities of the type of animal it is and does not get any of the abilities of an animal companion including HD.

The skeleton template specifically states the skeleton loses all special attacks but retains the natural weapons. Grab is listed under weapon, but the description of grab states it is a special attack. Pounce and rake are also special attacks. So, to a skeletal tiger does lose grab and pounce.

[Braininthejar]

So it looks like everyone agrees on the first answer

But I get contradictory answers on the second one.

[Pizza Lord]

The owlbear skeleton seems to maintain its grab on claw attacks. The advanced megaraptor skeleton seems to keep pounce and the multiplying T-Rex skeleton appears to keep its powerful bite.