Fire Panda is based off of the Red Panda, which was once considered a relative of the raccoon (closer to feline/fox looks in game) or bears but is now a member of its own family called Ailuridae.
Their face and body shape shape, if you look at the IRL Red Pandas, does more similar resemble the cat lines for this game than the plump Pandas.
I believe the designers close the closest in-game equivalent looks for this panda-not-a-panda. 😊
(This difference in size and stature also lends weight to why (Storyline Spoiler? Goal 11+ ) Mei's father was unwilling to ever let the Fire Pandas train alongside the rest. Meanwhile, Mei is giving them a chance in our realms where oddballs come to live together. ❤️ )