Quick question: did you know that Hello Kitty is not a cat?
If you already know this fact, then congratulations. If not (like the author of this article which, apparently, still has so many things to learn), then congratulations as well! We have learned something new today.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty later this year, some fans of the beloved cat-inspired character were left shocked and confused after only just finding out that the iconic cartoon is, in fact, not a feline.
In an appearance on the Today Show, Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company that created Hello Kitty, confirmed that Hello Kitty is not a cat but a little girl.
“Hello Kitty is not a cat,” Jill Koch, the senior vice president of marketing and brand management at Sanrio, revealed in an appearance on the Today Show. “She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs of London.”
“She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Mimmy, who is also her best friend. She enjoys baking cookies and making new friends,” she continued.
Koch then described Hello Kitty as “weighs three apples and is five apples tall” before adding that she has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.
This isn’t the first time that the creator of Hello Kitty clarified the character’s true identity.
Back in 2014, Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist from the University of Hawaii, shared that after contacting Sanrio to fact-check the information she prepared for a Hello Kitty exhibit, the manufacturer told her that the cartoon character is not a cat.
[Following this news, INQUIRER’s very own mascot, Guyito, took to social media to clear the air with his followers. He reassured everyone that, true to his appearance, he’s indeed a carabao (a talking one). Guyito first appeared in the comic strip A. Lipin by Inquirer cartoonist Jess Abrera in 1985 and became the official mascot of the outlet in 1996.]
“Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She’s a little girl. She’s a friend. But she’s 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,” Yano said.
While this isn’t a new revelation, some people on the internet are only finding out about this fact just now, leaving them confused as if they were bamboozled.
"hello kitty is not a cat": they are trying to demoralise you
— stuart (@punished_stu) July 19, 2024
You're telling me that Hello KITTY is not a cat? Yeah okay. pic.twitter.com/cW9bGDc1On
— kay🍓 (@OKAYYYWOWWW) July 19, 2024
Since when… pic.twitter.com/cCibjBhtU8
— Ron Oliver (@RPOIII) July 19, 2024
so yall tryna tell me that a mf named Hello KITTY is NOT a CAT???
get the fuck out my face
— “IZA” (@IZAtheArtist) July 19, 2024
@arka.000 #hellokitty if not cat, why cat shaped? @Daniel Cheang @HITZ ♬ Can You Hear The Music – Ludwig Göransson
@kirkiimad😭😭♬ original sound – hellokitty
@kingkumar3210 Hello Kitty is a cat… let’s not mess anything up #cat #hellokitty #kittycat #catfamily #cartoon #wow ♬ vlog, chill out, calm daily life(1370843) – SUNNY HOOD STUDIO
Others were clearly in denial with the information they’d received, insisting that Hello Kitty is indeed a cat because of her name and that she has whiskers and cat-like ears.
we do not accept this
— Ashley (@AshleyDCan) July 19, 2024
I have never seen a human being with real life whiskers and cat ears. THAT IS A CAT AND I WONT BE GASLIGHTED LIKE THIS!!! pic.twitter.com/ZcCxKnnP9e
— E-Man (@WigginsWick22) July 19, 2024
Ummm…I’m sorry no. She’s a cat
— tara strong (@tarastrong) July 19, 2024
I can’t believe I’m being gaslit into thinking that’s not a cat. It’s a cat and it’s been a cat all my childhood.. pic.twitter.com/faxh5UuyzY
— ⋆ ᵀᴬᴱ ⋆ (@hardtingz) July 19, 2024
u cannot change history, that’s a CAT
— GP (@GhoulPinks) July 19, 2024
bitch how df is hello kitty not a cat ??? its literally in her fuckin name ….
— ⭐️IT GIRL⭐️ (@aliyahInterlude) July 19, 2024
@jennnnwick Hello Kitty is not a cat‼️ #hellokitty #hellokittylover #hellokittyandfriends #hellokittygirl #hellokitty😻 ♬ original sound – JennWick
Have we been gaslighted by Hello Kitty or are we just ignorant of the fact that she isn’t a cat (lmao)? But hey, at least we knew better now!
Hello Kitty was created in 1974 with its first appearance as a design in a vinyl coin purse sold in Japan in 1975. The beloved character came into prominence with the emergence of kawaii culture, becoming the ultimate icon of cuteness.
More than just a character, Hello Kitty was named by UNICEF as the children’s ambassador to the United States in 1983 and the children’s ambassador to Japan in 1994. She also earned the title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children in 2004, a title only unique to the beloved cartoon.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Voice actor Tom Kenny reveals SpongeBob Squarepants is autistic
YG Entertainment goes over and beyond expectations following the announcement of their 2025 plans
Filipino educator’s call for presidential support on his ‘math discovery’ met with backlash
[Commentary] Educating about people’s pronouns truly matters, but it shouldn’t be done this way
CARATs enraged after international news outlet’s claim that SEVENTEEN’s Woozi use AI for his music