Just So You Know… Hello Kitty Is Not a Cat

A person walks past a sculpture representation of the Hello Kitty figure that forms part of ‘Cute’, an exhibition exploring the idea of cuteness in contemporary culture, at Somerset House in London, Britain February 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Hello Kitty turns 50 this year, so Sanrio… the company that owns her… decided to mark the occasion by informing us that everything we’ve ever believed has been a lie.

Because it turns out that Hello Kitty is NOT A CAT.

Sanrio Exec Jill Cook says, quote, “She’s actually a little girl, born and raised in the suburbs of London.  She has a twin sister Mimmy, who is also her best friend.”

Not only that, but Hello Kitty has a pet cat of her own:  Charmmy Kitty.

One of the reasons this isn’t more widely-known is that Hello Kitty wasn’t introduced in a movie, TV show, or any other kind of story.

She was always just a product.  Her first appearance was on a vinyl coin purse sold in 1974.  So there’s never been much backstory.

SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly