Palm Springs, California - An unusual-looking kitten from southern California is currently causing quite a stir on social media.

A few days ago, vet Dr. Phil Caldwell from Palm Springs took to Instagram to report on the cruel fate of fluffy furry friend Zoe.

After the young kitten was found bloated, the rescuers took her to the city's animal shelter.

Once there, after several exams, Dr. Caldwell made a shocking discovery: Zoe had a damaged windpipe.

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Based on the findings, the vet in charge assumed that the furry friend was suffering from a a rare condition called subcutaneous emphysema, where air becomes trapped under the skin.

As a result, oxygen passes through some parts of the trachea and accumulates in Zoe's body.

"This is the craziest veterinary case I've seen in quite some time," explained Dr. Caldwell via Instagram.

It remains unclear where Zoe's serious injury came from, but the vet assumes that the kitten, who is only a few months old, was either attacked by animals or born with a genetic defect.

Zoe is still too weak for a more detailed examination, but "we may do some diagnostics down the road to really discover what's going on," he added.

So far, the vet has been treating the furry friend with needle therapy, where Dr. Caldwell carefully pricks the cat's skin with a pointed object to remove excess air.

He does this on Zoe's neck, chest, and back.

But the procedure sounds more painful than it actually is.

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"It doesn't seem to bother her – she seems very relaxed," the vet explained to Instagram users.

Just a few days after Zoe's treatment, she seems to be feeling much better.

In an exciting update, Dr. Caldwell revealed that Zoe is now ready to enter a foster home, finally giving her a chance to live outside of the shelter!