Hello Kitty fans tweet shock after learning she's not a cat

Hello Kitty fans were left yowling on Thursday as major news broke about the adorable little cartoon character they've come to love over the last 40 years: She's not a cat!

Hello Kitty floats down 6th Avenue in New York City's annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013.

As reported in the Los Angeles Times, Kitty creator Sanrio confirmed that she's actually a little girl who even has her own pet cat, Charmmy Kitty. Her real name is Kitty White, she has a twin sister and is forever in third grade. Plus, she lives in London — not Japan, despite the character's identification with that country.

The revelations come from anthropologist Christine R. Yano (author of "Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific"), who said that Sanrio "very firmly" corrected her when she initially referred to Hello Kitty as a feline.

Fans — both celebrity and regular folk — have reacted with astonishment and humor, particularly on Twitter:

The thing is, Hello Kitty is a cat in virtually all of her fans' minds. And let's face it, a bewhiskered being with pointed white ears hardly seems like a child. 

As for Sanrio's contention, according to Yano, that Kitty is clearly human because "she's never depicted on all fours" and "sits like a two-legged creature," that's probably not enough for some fans to let go of their cat illusions. After all, the species of classic favorites like Snoopy and Mickey Mouse are pretty much set in stone. Though as anyone who watched "Stand By Me" knows, Goofy's identity remains up for debate.

Source : today