(CNN) A kitten that was dyed purple and may have been used as a dog's "chew toy" is on the mend after receiving care in a California animal rescue shelter.

But the veterinarian caring for "Smurf" -- named for the bluish-indigo hue of his fur -- is worried the kitten's plight will inspire further mistreatment of helpless animals.

The kitten was about 7 weeks old and weighed less than 2 pounds when he was found in a cardbox box with rags and lemon slices on a street in San Jose, said veterinarian Monica Rudiger, founder of no-kill shelter Nine Lives Foundation . A person brought him to the San Jose Animal Shelter, which in turn delivered him to Nine Lives for medical care.

He had multiple puncture wounds resembling bite marks from a dog, Rudiger said. The color of his wounds indicate he was dyed before sustaining his injuries, suggesting he was used as a plaything, Rudiger said.

"He wasn't beaten or strangled; these are repetitive bites all over his body," she said. "I can't imagine how else he would come to have so many puncture wounds."

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