DNA test the cat

The Herald reports:

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. …

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.

Why would you refuse? If I found a stray cat and someone a few months later claimed to be the owner, I’d absolutely agree to identify the cat.

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

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.”

That suggests he almost concedes that cat is Chloe, but that the original owner should just give up as it is not worth it. If he thinks it isn’t important, then why not DNA test the 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.

Sure the claim may be wrong, but that is why you agree to identification. And it is great you cared for the cat, but if the original owner did not abandon her (and indeed she searched everywhere for her) it is not finders keepers.