Vets in shock as they find 'the rarest ever' kitten with no sex organs

Hope, a 15-week-old rescue kitten, is lovely, cheeky, and playful. But unlike other cats, it is neither male nor female. It has no internal or external sex organs.

Despite its uniqueness, Hope is expected to live a long and happy life once it finds a forever home.

An intersex cat

Hope, its mama cat and three siblings arrived at Cats Protection in Warrington, England after their ‘busy family’ owners were no longer able to give the fluff-balls the care and attention they needed.

Hope was thought to be a female but once the vets started examining the pet, they froze in disbelief. The kitten had no sexual organs and could not be identified as either a ‘girl’ or a ‘boy’.

The care team admitted that although they have seen cats with both male and female sex organs before, Hope was the first one to have none.

Cats Protection’s senior field veterinary officer Fiona Brockbank explained:

We carried out a procedure to look for sex organs, but there’s nothing apparent inside or out. This is not something we’ve come across before at Cats Protection.

She is calling Hope’s lack of gender agenesis, which is when a sexual organ or organs simply don’t develop before birth. But having nothing at all is so rare that there is no commonly used medical term to describe it.

The ultra-rare kitty is looking for a forever home

Hope’s agenesis won’t impact its quality of life at all, and the kitten will be rehomed at some point in the future.

Brockbank said that even though the charity has no previous experience of caring for genderless cats and they aren’t 100% sure how it will affect Hope in the future, they are now taking time to ensure the kitty can do its toilet business ‘appropriately’ before it’s listed for adoption.

Hope, who’s described by her carers as a ‘delight’, won over the staff of Cats Protection.

Tyneside Adoption Centre manager Beni Benstead said:

Discovering Hope’s special status has been an exciting time as none of us has seen this before or is likely to again. We know they will bring someone many years of fun and companionship.

The sweet kitten has already been vaccinated and microchipped, and an insurance company confirmed that Hope won’t need any special cover.

More details about adopting Hope at Cats Protection and the ways to support the charity’s vital cat welfare work can be found on their website.

Sources used:

- Metro: 'Sweet rescue kitten found to have no sex organs whatsoever'