A MAN thought he bought an adorable puppy but was left horrified when he discovered it was actually a disgusting creature.
The new owner grew suspicious and soon found out his little pet isn’t what he expected.
The lonely Chinese office worker allegedly purchased his new four legged friend from a “dog dealer” near his home.
When he got “pup” back to his apartment, the small animal “didn’t walk like a dog”, according to Chinese media outlet Shanghaiist.
Suspicious of the animal’s “weird behaviour”, he took to Chinese social media site Weibo to try and identify the new furry addition to his household.
To the owner’s surprise, the users eventually identified the “dog” as a bamboo rat often found in Southern China, Burma and Vietnam.
These rats feed on bamboo shoots and roots, and are allegedly considered delicacies in some Chinese cities.
Following his discovery the man has since claimed that he has given his pet away because he was unsure of how to properly care for a bamboo rat.
The Sun Online has not been able to independently verify the claims.
The bamboo rats are the natural hosts for the disease-causing mold, Talaromyces marneffei, which is endemic in all species in Southeast Asia.
It could lead to talaromycosis which is a fungal infection that affects primarily HIV-positive patients and people with weakened immune system.
This isn’t the first time pet owners are left shocked when their fury friends turn out to be something else.
A woman who took in a stray kitten was left stunned when it grew into a terrifying creature.
The adorable black kitten named Luna was taken into a loving home where she was fed and quickly grew into something much larger.
There have been many incidents where people unknowingly take wild animals into their homes, believing them to be domestic pets.
Similarly, one kindhearted animal lover rescued a sick “dog” hiding on her porch but was horrified to learn it was something much more dangerous.
Sharon Bertozzi found the ill animal hiding behind a ceramic vase by the front door of her house in California and mistook it for a dog.
Another family raised a 250-pound pet mastiff for two years before realising it wasn’t a dog but an endangered animal.
The animal is highly profitable on the black market- easily fetching thousands of dollars in illegal sales.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
