Claws out in fight over cat

Auckland woman Joyce Quah (pictured) believes her much-loved chinchilla persian Chloe has ended up in the care of 18-year-old internet sensation Caitlin Davidson. Photo / Supplied

A social media sensation, a purebred moggy and a broken-hearted owner have become engaged in an online catfight.

Auckland woman Joyce Quah believes her much-loved chinchilla persian Chloe has ended up in the care of 18-year-old internet sensation Caitlin Davidson.

But Davidson - known as "Caito Potatoe" to her 457,829 followers - says she found the cat walking the streets of Auckland and is refusing to give it back.

Quah's $600 cat disappeared from her Grey Lynn home at the start of the year, prompting a desperate campaign to track her down.

"It was just a really, really horrible time for me," she told the Herald on Sunday.

"I told her vet, I put up posters all over the suburb and in the supermarket, posted on Facebook pages for lost and found pets, but there was no response."

A few months ago a friend told her to check out the posts of social media star Davidson who was posting about a cat she had found and adopted. She called the cat Darling.

Chloe has a striking resemblance to Darling.

Quah also believes the timing of her feline's disappearance, and the start of Davidson's posts about Chloe are no coincidence.

Caitlin Davidson, aka Caito Potatoe. Photo / Supplied

In Quah's quest to identify Chloe she has also requested a sample of Darling's fur so she can get the two follicles DNA tested. But she said Davidson had refused.

Chloe does not have a microchip so can't be identified that way.

Convinced of the cat's true identity, Quah set up a Facebook page to try to draw attention to her plight. It prompted a law firm and a private investigator to offer their service pro bono to help with the case.

In response, Quah said Davidson and her family accused her of "bullying" and invading the teen's privacy, something she vehemently denied.

The law firm would send Davidson a letter tomorrow asking for cordial negotiations.

"I have all the documents I need to prove that the cat is more likely mine than theirs and I have offered to pay and reimburse them for all the care they have given her for the past nine months."

Police had also been contacted about the dispute, but determined it was a civil matter and not in their jurisdiction, she said.

Davison wouldn't comment to the Herald on Sunday, instead referring inquiries to her father, Tom.

Joyce Quah with her cat Chloe.

He confirmed his family had "made several complaints" to police yesterday.

He did not know if Darling was Chloe, and would not comment on why a DNA test had not been done.

"We're meeting police on Monday and hopefully we'll know more by then and can make a statement," he said.

He said "a lot of hate" had been directed his daughter's way.

"I'd love to have our side of the story on this, but it's not the right time," he said.

"Quite frankly, it's a cat. Is it really worth all this palaver? I don't think so. It's a cat."

It's not the first time someone has claimed "Darling" was a different cat.

In January, Davidson posted on her page that someone had accused her of stealing their cat Brutus from Glenfield, which she strongly denied.

"Darling has been a stray cat for a very long time and we have saved her and now she has actually been fed properly.

"Apparently she's been on the streets for a very long time so now she's in a happy home and we're looking after her and we love her to bits," Davidson said in a video post.