Hello Kitty Not An Actual Cat Sanrio Says - Refinery29

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTStory from Pop CultureADVERTISEMENTSanrio Says That Hello Kitty Is Not A CatLauren Le VineAugust 27, 2014, 9:45 PM Photo: Courtesy of Sanrio.Hello Kitty, the adorable little cartoon character beloved by Mariah Carey and the world alike, has been fronting this entire time. You see, dear reader, Hello Kitty is not an actual cat. Despite having the word "kitty" in her name, she is just a little girl and not of feline origin. She sits on a brightly colored throne of lies.Hello Kitty is turning 40 this year, and we're just now learning these important facts about the global icon. Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist from the University of Hawaii, has spent years studying Kitty and is the author of the book Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific. It's Yano who filled in the salient details of Hello Kitty's backstory for the Los Angeles Times:AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT"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."Hello Kitty, whose full name is Kitty White, is British, not Japanese. According to Sanrio, she lives in London with her mama, Mary; papa, George; and twin sister, Mimmy. In addition to her pet cat, she has a hamster named Sugar. She is "around five apples" tall, and weighs "around three apples." Kitty White is a Scorpio, and her birthday is November 1.We may need to take the rest of the week off to process this information. (Los Angeles Times)More entertainment buzz:30 Lies Film Tells Us About SchoolWhat Your Favorite Childhood Game Says About You14 Facts About Hollywood That'll Ruin Your ChildhoodAdvertisementADVERTISEMENT EntertainmentPolitical Pins Were A Golden Globes Fashion Statement. Are They E...The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards took place last night (January 11), and by all means, it was business as usual for the official kick-off to the 2026 awby Katherine SinghEntertainmentFrom Boho Braids To Blonde, Serena Page’s Hair Is As Versatile As...When we met Serena Page on Love Island Season 6, she was rocking the best boho braids I’d ever seen on TV. For six weeks in the villa, she showed us the by Kathleen Newman-B...EntertainmentMaybe Sydney Sweeney Is Exactly Who She Appears To BeThe script of the past seven days of discourse has followed the same structure as it always does. The classic problematic campaign meets backlash, followedby Kathleen Newman-B...AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTEntertainmentJaNa Craig’s Split Proves A Pattern & It’s Black Women Who Pay Th...Love Island Season 6 couple JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez have broken up nearly a year after leaving the villa. As soon as the split was announced,fans imby Taryn FinleyUnbotheredWhy Love Island USA Watch Parties Feel Like A ’90s...An audience of 130 people cheered infectiously at the big screen as they enjoyed cocktails, bar food and conversation with strangers at 275Park in Brooklynby Taryn FinleyUnbotheredDream Con Was A Black Girl Cosplay Fantasy & Megan Thee Stallion ...Megan Thee Stallion was on a mission as she scanned a room full of fans at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston: to find the best cosplaying hoby Taryn Finley¡Súbelo!Cardi B’s Claims Against Offset Reveal How Women Are Harassed Eve...Trigger warning: This article references domestic violence. Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B is no stranger to sharing her unfiltered thoughts onlby Zameena MejiaUnbotheredThe Entire Celebrity Interview Ecosystem Is Flawed — It’s Not Jus...Everybody has bad interviews. It’s part of the gig. If you talk to celebrities for a living, eventually one of those chats is going to go sideways. We’by Kathleen Newman-B...Unbothered“What We Deem As Important Is Enough.” Keke Palmer’s NAACP Image ...In December, I wrote that the best performances of the year were Black. The NAACP Image Awards is the only awards show that got the memo. Every year, the Nby Kathleen Newman-B...UnbotheredThe NAACP Image Awards Are The Brightest (& Blackest) Part Of Awa...The NAACP Image Awards show is an essential night of Black excellence, initially debuting in 1967 to “honor outstanding film, television, music, and liteby Alexandra PolkUnbotheredNetflix Brought A Different World Back — But It Never Le...What made A Different World such a cultural and influential staple within our community? Since its recent Netflix debut, I’ve binge-watched the serieby Dontaira TerrellUnbotheredDoechii, Janelle Monae, T-Pain & More. Inside Super Bowl LIX’s We...Doechii believes in the power of manifestation. And if you’re an Eagles fan, after last night’s Super Bowl, you probably do too. The Philadelphia Eagleby Kathleen Newman-B...AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT