A woman in China got the surprise of her life after discovering the adorable “puppy” she bought from a pet shop wasn’t a dog at all — it was a fox.

Ms Wang, from Jinzhong in China’s Shanxi province, believed she had purchased a fluffy Japanese Spitz. For the first few months, everything seemed normal… until her “puppy” started acting very un-dog-like.

At around three months old, the animal suddenly refused to eat dog food. Even stranger, it never barked. Instead, its fur became thicker, its face sharper, and its tail noticeably longer than a typical dog’s.

That’s when alarm bells started ringing.

“The fur became much thicker and its face started looking more pointed,” Ms Wang explained. “Its tail also grew longer than a normal dog’s.”

Things got even more suspicious during walks in the park. Other pet owners kept pointing out the obvious — the animal looked suspiciously like a fox. Even other dogs seemed nervous around it.

Despite the strange behaviour, Ms Wang continued caring for the animal, feeding it fruit, chicken breast and other foods — though it stubbornly refused dog food.

Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she decided to ask professionals at Taiyuan Zoo to take a look.

Their verdict? It wasn’t a strange dog.

It was a fox.

Zoo specialist Sun Letian confirmed the animal was a domesticated fox, explaining that foxes often carry a strong natural scent that becomes more noticeable as they grow.

The fluffy imposter currently measures around 30cm (12 inches) long and is expected to get even bigger.

After learning the truth, Ms Wang decided the fox would be better cared for by experts and handed it over to the zoo. The animal will now spend a month in quarantine before potentially moving into a proper enclosure.

One thing’s for sure — that pet shop definitely had some explaining to do.