Hello Kitty Is Not Actually a Cat, Says Sanrio

Sanrio has confirmed that their biggest mascot isn't actually a feline after all.

By Evan Valentine

Sanrio's top mascot is arguably the most popular mascot of all time as Hello Kitty persists in bringing the company untold amounts of funds the albino character's face is printed on merchandise worldwide. On top of scoring tons of merch, Hello Kitty has also had her fair share of animated series, video games, comics, and feature-length films. For some time, many fans assumed that Hello Kitty was clearly a feline considering her name and appearance but Sanrio has some shocking news for said fans. In a recent interview, a Sanrio executive confirmed that Hello Kitty is not a cat after all. 

In a recent interview with ABC's Today, anthropologist Christine R. Yano confirmed that Sanrio has shot down the idea that Hello Kitty is an albino feline, "That's one correction Sanrio made for my script for the show. Hello Kitty is not a cat. She's a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. 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."

Will Hello Kitty Ever Be The Same?

Despite shooting down the idea that Hello Kitty was ever a cat, that isn't stopping the mascot from continuing to be a merchandise icon and a character that travels to anime worlds. In one of the most mind-blowing crossovers to date, Hello Kitty was seen on new merchandise alongside with horror creator Junji Ito's biggest character, Tomie. 

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Alongside the new interview, Sanrio confirmed several other factoids regarding Hello Kitty that read as such,

  • Her full name is Kitty White.
  • She is little girl (and not a cat).
  • She was born in the suburbs of London, England, where she still lives with her parents.
  • She has a twin sister named Mimmy, who wears a yellow bow on her right ear.
  • Kitty's hobbies are traveling, reading and baking.
  • Her favorite food is her mother's apple pie.
  • She dreams of one day becoming a pianist or a poet.
  • Her birthday is November 1, 1974.
  • She has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.
  • Kitty's boyfriend is her former childhood friend Dear Daniel, or Daniel Starr, who was introduced to the public in 1999.
  • Daniel's hobbies are animal photography, dancing, and playing the piano.
  • Daniel wants to be professional cameraman some day.
  • Kitty's best friend is Tiny Chum, a little teddy bear who wears a red bow that Kitty gave to him as a gift.

Via Today

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