Cat or dog? Viral photo of furry friend sparks debate on social media

A photo of an unusual-looking pet has social-media users scratching their heads.

The viral image, tweeted Friday by @1evilidiot, shows a fuzzy critter with long fur and an intense gaze. 

"Her.– do you have a dog or a cat? me.– I don't know," the caption reads. 

>> Check out the photo here

The picture, which has been retweeted nearly 13,000 times, sparked a hilarious internet debate.

"Yeah, what IS that?" asked @bleflarjackson.

"It's an owl," @FreebieBean wrote.

"I thought cat, wife thought dog," @meznak tweeted.

"That's a fizzgig," wrote @helenstwin, referring to a character from the 1982 film "The Dark Crystal."

Still not sure what you're looking at? The original poster revealed the answer here:

The Persian cat, Atchoum, has tens of thousands of fans, as well as his own websiteInstagram account and Facebook page.

"Some people say my wild furs and intense amber eyes make me look like a dog, an owl, a mad scientist, a Gremlin, Lorax or the Grinch, but I'm happy to be me," Atchoum's website reads.

Atchoum, who lives in Quebec, Canada, has hypertrichosis, which causes excessive hair growth.

"I'm hairy not scary!!" reads his Instagram profile.

>> See another photo here

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