An adorable ‘puppy’ discovered to be a ‘RAT’

A man in China was shocked after the ‘puppy’ he bought for cheap from a ‘dog dealer’ was actually a bamboo rat.

Speaking to Chinese media, he said as his little furry friend began to grow, he started to have his doubts over the authenticity of the animal, mirror.co.uk wrote.

According to btime, he felt something was wrong as the pooch was ‘behaving weird’ and ‘didn’t run like a dog’.

Perplexed by the four-legged creature, he took to social media to seek advice.

He shared pictures of his new ‘dog’ on Weibo in the hope that someone may be able to tell him what it was.

Small, with large ears and short legs, the animal was very identified as a bamboo rat — a rodent commonly found in Southern China, Burma and Vietnam.

As their name would reveal, the rodents feed on bamboo, as well as the roots of plants. They live in forests and grassy area and can measure up to 50cm with a 20cm tail. They are in fact a source of food for the Chinese, which can be found cooked in markets across the country.

They also carry disease-causing mould, marneffei.

According to local media, the dealer sold the black ‘dog’ for cheap.

Shocked by the blunder, the man apparently gave his fake pup away due to not knowing how to care properly for the rat.

The Mirror has been unable to verify the claims, but the animal bears many resemblances to a hairless guinea pig. Penicillium him