Hello Kitty Is Not A Cat

Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist at the University of Hawaii, is currently curating a Hello Kitty exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

Yano was corrected by Sanrio after the company proofread her texts for the exhibit, in which she described the famous character, naturally, as a cat.

“I was corrected — very firmly,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “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.”

Regardless of whether or not she's a girl or a cat, she remains as a strong figure that represents the Japanese, an identity marker, especially for those who grew up in 1970s.

Here are other facts about Hello Kitty, according to Sanrio, which all Hello Kitty fans should know:

1.     She is a bright, bright girl with a golden heart.
2.     She was born in the suburbs of London, England.
3.     Her real name is Kitty White.
4.     She is as tall as five apples, and as heavy as three.
5.     Her birthday is November 1st.
6.     She is a Scorpio.
7.     She loves to bake cookies.
8.     She loves to play piano.
9.     She dreams of being a pianist or poet someday.
10.     She loves mama’s apple pie.
11.     She has a twin sister named Mimmy, a third-grader.
12.     She has a pet hamster named Sugar and a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.

In light of this issue, however, Snoopy, who is by our calculations the world's oldest living beagle, is indeed a dog, Peanuts Worldwide confirmed today via Twitter

We can confirm, Snoopy IS a dog.

References:

Don't Be Silly, Hello Kitty Is a Cat
Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
Hello Kitty
Sanrio Reveals That Hello Kitty Is NOT ACTUALLY A CAT
Childhood ruined: Hello Kitty is NOT a cat
In Response To Hello Kitty Not Being A Cat, Peanuts Confirms Snoopy Is A Dog