In A First, Homeless Cat Found In UK Is Neither Male Nor Female

Veterinarians were surprised to discover the 15-week-old kitty called Hope had no internal or external sex organs post-examination

The tabby-and-white kitten called Hope was believed to be a female when it was admitted by the Cats Protection rescue centre.

A homeless cat in the UK has left veterinarians stunned after they discovered that it is neither male nor female. Initially, the tabby-and-white kitten called Hope was believed to be a female when it was admitted by the Cats Protection rescue centre in Warrington, according to a report in the Guardian. However, veterinarians were surprised to discover the 15-week-old kitty had no internal or external sex organs post-examination.

Cats Protection's senior field veterinary officer Fiona Brockbank cited the reason as a case of agenesis and noted that she and her colleagues had never come across such a thing before.

The condition of Agenesis refers to a condition in which there is a complete absence of an organ or a lack of specific cells within an organ. Talking about the condition in detail, Brockbank told the publication, ''There's an outside possibility of some ectopic ovarian tissue hiding away internally but we think this is extremely unlikely. This is so rare that there isn't really a commonly used term for this condition."

The veterinarians admitted that there are not any previous cases [on which] to base the knowledge of how it will affect Hope in the future. However, the doctors are monitoring the cat to ensure it can urinate and defecate properly before considering it ready for rehoming.

The kitten remains healthy irrespective of the condition as they wait for it to be rehomed at Cats Protection's Tyneside Adoption Centre. The centre's manager Beni Benstead said the kitten had been a "delight to care for" adding that it would "bring someone many years of fun and companionship".

The photograph of the kitten was also shared socially through the Instagram page of Cats Protection with a caption that read, "Playful kitten Hope came into our Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre with their siblings and was found to be of neither sex, which is extremely rare! So rare in fact that there isn't even a common term for Hope's special status and the news has gone global."

One user even described the cat as ''Non-Binary Icon'', in comments on Instagram. Another remarked, "Oh wow! Have never heard of this!'' Others showered love on the beautiful kitten, hoping that it soon finds a wonderful home.