Hello Kitty is not a cat, its creators reveal, leaving fans shocked

Fans are shocked after learning that the iconic fictional character of 'Hello Kitty' resembling a cat, may not be feline at all.Japanese company Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, on its 50th anniversary, has set the record straight about the beloved character by stating that it is not a cat, albeit a little girl.

Sanrio’s senior vice president of marketing and brand management, Jill Koch, made the revelation which may surprise even the hardcore pop culture fans.

“Hello Kitty is not a cat.She’s actually a little girl," Koch told Today,ahead of the icon’s 50th anniversary.

Koch also informed that Hello Kitty is not of Japanese descent, despite being created by a Japanese company. She is based in London where she has a family.

“She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs in London.She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Minnie, who is also her best friend. She enjoys baking cookies and making new friends," sheadded.

Fans had a hard time coming to terms with the identity of Hello Kitty, with one stating:“If she has ears like a cat, has whiskers like a cat, she is probably just a little girl."

Another said:“So she has whiskers, ears, and is named ‘Kitty,’ but is actually human? What?”

Hello Kitty's history

Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974 and made her first appearance on a children's coin purse in 1975. Over the last five decades, the character has gained worldwide fans while delighting millions.

However, this is not the first timeSanrio has clarified Hello Kitty's true identity. In 2014,Christine RYano,the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, told the Los Angeles Times that she was corrected by the company about the character.

“She is a friend. But she is not a cat,” Yano said. “She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.”

Yano confirmed that Hello Kitty's full name was Kitty White and that she's a Scorpio, who loves eating apple pie.

“A lot of people don’t know the story and a lot don’t care.But it’s interesting because Hello Kitty emerged in the 1970s, when the Japanese and Japanese women were into Britain," Yano added.

(With inputs from agencies)