Hello Kitty recently celebrated its 50th anniversary! Japanese entertainment company Saniro first introduced the character in 1974. For decades, folks have assumed that Hello Kitty is what her name says she is: an animal, specifically a cat. Turns out, that’s far from the case!
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Here’s The Tea On Hello Kitty
Sanrio’s retail business development director, Jill Cook, revealed that Hello Kitty is actually a human girl. She dropped the bombshell during an interview on the ‘Today’ show on Thursday (July 18).
Cook said, “Hello Kitty is not a cat,” adding “she’s actually a little girl.” Additionally, Jill Cook shared that HK was born and raised in the London suburbs with her family, including her parents, twin sister Mimmy, and house cat Charmmy Kitty.
All the tea from one of the world’s most famous characters is available on their website. In addition to baking cookies, HK enjoys connecting with new friends as she believes “you can never have too many…”
HK Creator Previously Said Character Was Cat-Inspired
Jill Cook has shaken the innanet with her comments. In large majority, people agree that the design of Hello Kitty definitely gives CAT, from the whiskers on her face to the triangle ears and white coat.
Internet reactions aside, though, the character’s designer, Yuko Shimizu, previously said her design was “a white cat with a red bow in its hair,” per BBC. As a child, she had received a “small white kitten” for her birthday and drew inspiration from that memory.
In recent years, Saniro has also reportedly confirmed that Hello Kitty is not a cat. Meanwhile, Yuko is no longer at Saniro, having left the company two years after designing a childhood favorite worldwide.
Keep scrolling to see how X (formerly Twitter) is cuttin’ up over the news.
every time someone new finds out hello kitty is supposed to be a girl and loses their mind it’s so funny
— chloe 🐰 (@CL0FAIRY) July 19, 2024
Lmfao idk why they are trying to gaslight us into saying Hello KITTY is in fact a girl and NOT a CAT.
— Dani ✨ (@_4thletterr) July 19, 2024
I blame the interviewer for asking that lady was Hello Kitty a cat, cuz what tf else would she be
— conspiracy theorist (@jwarr3n) July 19, 2024
Hello kitty being a girl is INSANE.
— ✨ (@_ChelsDaBomb) July 19, 2024
I hate how they’ve been trying to push that explanation of Hello Kitty for years. That is a cat with white fur, pointy ears and whiskers. Her friends are other animals. Why are we trying to make her a human???????
— Kaldur (@KidTiger__) July 19, 2024
What are your thoughts on Hello Kitty, roomies?