Shocking news today: Hello Kitty is not a cat. Sanrio has corrected an anthropologist named Christine R. Yano explaining to her that the much-loved character does not purr nor meow.

Yano stumbled upon this discovery when she was curating a Hello Kitty retrospective which will be held at the Japanese American National Museum. Yano told LA Times that she has been firmly corrected by Sanrio about one statement of hers when she did a research for the said exhibit.

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Yano examined all things created by Sanrio with their character imprinted on them -  from toasters to coin purses - in order to find the perfect things which will be presented in the exhibit. Yano stated that when she turned her draft for her script to Sanrio, they corrected her saying that Hello Kitty is not a cat.

The expressionless icon is a cartoon character, a little girl, a friend, but not a cat. According to Sanrio, their character walks and sits like a two-legged species and was never depicted as a cat that uses all four paws to do anything.

Yano added that Hello Kitty has her own pet cat and it has been named 'Charmmy Kitty'.

Sanrio never corrected anyone about their character until today. Hello Kitty has been known as a cat for four decades now.

Twitter has been going gaga about the news and the different reactions.

Eric Neustadter tweeted: "First Pluto isn't a planet, now this. CHAOS REIGNS. RT @majornelson: In other news, Hello Kitty is not a cat http://j.mp/YXAOhn"

Another came from Michael Schneider saying: "So Tony Soprano isn't dead and Hello Kitty isn't a cat? TMI, internet. TMI."

Aside from the big revelation, Yano also talked about Hello Kitty's story. Her full name was said to be Kitty White who loves apple pie and is a Scorpio. Her parents are George and Mary White, and Hello Kitty has a twin sister, Mimmy, who lives outside of London. 

At least that's what Kitty's full back story says, as related by Yuko Yamagochi, Hello Kitty's official designer.

TagsHello Kitty, Not a cat, Christine Yano, museum, japanese, Sanrio, Character, Little girl