From the widely popular cutesy characters like Kuromi and Cinnamoroll to niche favorites like Hummingmint and Kumamilen, the Sanrio brand has come up with no shortage of beloved mascots. However, if one character can be considered the face of Sanrio, it has to be be Hello Kitty. The adorable little cat has been featured on all sorts of merchandise, from coin purses and mugs to crazier items like dental accessories and even a custom chainsaw. In the decades she’s been around, Hello Kitty has long since transcended past a simple mascot, currently standing as one of the most popular and recognizable characters of all time. Even those who have no interest in Japanese culture undeniably know Hello Kitty – and more than likely adore her endearing, iconic design.

However, Sanrio’s adorable cat character is far more complex than most realize – Hello Kitty’s most outrageous secret is that she, according to her creators, is not a cat at all, but a little girl. This strange piece of Hello Kitty lore resurfaces online with consistent regularity, yet it never fails to cause a commotion, with some fans accepting the claim at face value while others fervently refuse to believe it. In reality, Hello Kitty’s identity and origins are far from as simplistic and obvious as might seem at first glance. While the lore behind Hello Kitty is surprisingly detail-rich, she has always been more of a brand face than a narrative-driven character. Determining what exactly Hello Kitty is – a cat, a little girl, or just a design the fans can interpret however they want – is not as easy as one might think.

Hello Kitty’s Identity Has Been a Subject of Heated Debate for Years

Whether Hello Kitty Is a Human or a Cat Is a Surprisingly Puzzling Question

The discussion about whether Hello Kitty is a cat goes back to 2014. An article for the Los Angeles Times quoted Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist of Japan with a focus on popular culture, stating how Sanrio corrected her when she referred to Hello Kitty as a cat. According to Yano’s recount of Sanrio’s statement, Hello Kitty “is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend.” Specifically, the comment emphasizes the difference between Hello Kitty and Charmmy Kitty, Hello Kitty’s actual pet cat, who walks on all fours and resembles an animal, unlike the more human-like personality of Sanrio’s iconic mascot. While this statement never specified that Hello Kitty is a human, many fans took the announcement quite literally – even if, prior to 2014, no one has ever questioned Hello Kitty being a cat.

Years later, in 2024, another Sanrio executive, Jill Koch, reignited the discussion once again during her appearance on Today. Koch’s statement about Hello Kitty also describes her as a little girl who weighs three apples and is five apples tall. Once again, Koch reinforces that Hello Kitty is not a cat. Understandably, this has caused even more confusion among fans, who were, once again, quick to interpret Koch’s words as a confirmation that Hello Kitty is, in fact, a human girl – regardless of her obviously cat-like design. Visually, Hello Kitty quite obviously doesn’t resemble a human character, having the distinct features of a cartoon cat, like whiskers and cat ears. However, the rumor still became incredibly widespread, and the statement caused quite an uproar among more passionate fans of Hello Kitty.

According to the official Hello Kitty lore, the character is a little girl from the suburbs of London, her full name being Kitty White. At the time of Hello Kitty’s creation, characters from overseas were quite popular in Japan, leading to Hello Kitty’s British origins. She has a loving family, a younger twin sister Mimmy, and even a boyfriend – Dear Daniel, who shares a similar cat-like appearance with the members of the White household. Her hobbies include baking and traveling. Depending on the medium Hello Kitty appears in, her age varies, but she is usually depicted as a pre-teen girl attending elementary school. Of course, Hello Kitty’s character details are distinctly human-like, reinforcing her grounded, relatable personality and further supporting the rumor of her not being a cat.

Hello Kitty Is Not a Cat, But That Doesn’t Mean She’s Literally a Human Girl

Fans Have Different Interpretations of Sanrio’s Statement about Hello Kitty’s Origins

Regardless of how many statements Sanrio makes about Hello Kitty not being a cat, one thing remains consistent – the company never calls Hello Kitty a human. Nevertheless, quite a number of Hello Kitty fans have chosen to interpret her “little girl” moniker this way. A popular conspiracy states that Hello Kitty is actually a human child wearing a cat costume. However, that would imply that all members of the White family also constantly cosplay as cats, and other Sanrio characters Hello Kitty is friends with, like My Melody, must also use elaborate disguises. While surprisingly widespread, this theory obviously doesn’t reflect Sanrio’s intentions for how the Hello Kitty character should be perceived.

The most popular interpretation of the controversial statement about Hello Kitty being “a little girl” is that Hello Kitty is, obviously, not meant to be a literal animal but rather an anthropomorphic character with a human-like personality. Similarly to other famous cartoons, like Mickey Mouse or Winnie-the-Pooh, Hello Kitty uses a cat motif to be more appealing and visually interesting while still possessing distinct human features. Her being a little girl was never meant to be taken literally. The tradition of anthropomorphic mascots dates back to a time long before Hello Kitty’s creation, and, with Sanrio’s focus on cute designs with universal appeal, it’s not surprising that most of their characters happen to be personifications of animals.

In fact, the rumor of Hello Kitty being a human was disproved by Sanrio themselves way back in 2014. The company acknowledged that, while Hello Kitty is not quite a cat, she is still a gijinka – or an anthropomorphized character – with both cat-like and human features. Hello Kitty is meant to be a personification of a Japanese Bobtail cat. Just like Hello Kitty not having a mouth is simply a symbolic design choice meant to make her feelings more projectable and open to different interpretations, her appearance as a white cat is also an aspect of character design. Hello Kitty being a little girl refers to her relatable, friendly nature – not her species.

Hello Kitty Remains One of the Most Popular & Recognizable Mascot Characters in the World

Cat or Human – Hello Kitty Is Beloved Worldwide

Hello Kitty, like all Sanrio characters, promotes ideas of social communication and friendship, while her visual design emphasizes cuteness through an effectively simplistic, adorable cat motif. Hello Kitty’s design is outstandingly adaptable, making her popular with people of all ages and incredibly easy to integrate into different products. At the same time, her iconic features, like the distinct red bow, allow the character to be instantly recognizable. Hello Kitty was designed in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu, a legendary Sanrio designer credited with coming up with the company’s first original character, Coro Chan. Hello Kitty was one of the first characters to join Sanrio’s lineup and, over the years, established itself as the company’s most popular mascot.

The first piece of merchandise to feature the now-iconic Hello Kitty was a simple vinyl coin purse, which depicted her sitting sideways between a milk bottle and a goldfish tank. Yet now the character has been featured on nearly every imaginable object, and the demand for Hello Kitty doesn’t seem to be subsiding. Hello Kitty has become a true international phenomenon, inspiring fashion trends and pieces of artistic expression that reach far beyond the Sanrio brand. From songs to anime series to theme parks and live events – there are hardly any creative areas that don’t have a prominent Hello Kitty collaboration.

Over the years, Hello Kitty has seen countless different iterations, changing lead designers three times and appearing in myriads of illustrations – both official and fan-made – done by talented artists across the globe. The backstory and lore of the character also changed and expanded alongside her growing popularity. However, Hello Kitty was always intended to be more of a symbol than a character with a strictly established narrative, her success never relating to the depth or thoroughness of her story. Hello Kitty is meant to represent human connection, fostering friendships with fans around the world as Sanrio’s prime mascot. As such, her identity comes second to the ideals she personifies.