Hello Kitty isn't a cat, she's a girl

Here's a real shocker from the creators of Hello Kitty: They say she's not a cat.

Sanrio, the official home for Hello Kitty and Friends, just revealed that the feline-looking character is in fact, not a cat.

So what is she? Apparently, Hello Kitty is a girl who happens to live outside of London. She also has a twin sister and owns a cat of her own named "Charmy Kitty." Sanrio says Hello Kitty doesn't age, meaning she'll forever be in third grade.

Sanrio also says it forbids any depiction of the character walking on all fours or from acting out any other distinctly cat-like activities.

Why Sanrio chose to portray the little girl as a cat with no mouth is unknown. All this comes as Hello Kitty and Friends prepare for a 40th anniversary party in Los Angeles at the Japanese American National Museum in October.