A homeless kitten was the first animal discovered to be neither male nor female. He was spotted by veterinarians at a charity in Tyneside, England.
According to the BBC, Hope, a white-spotted cat, was found without internal or external genitalia after being examined at a cat sanctuary in Gateshead. The vets added that there is no deadline for learning about the cat’s condition because it is so rare, but that it is an “exciting and special discovery”.
The charity added that the 15-week-old baby is healthy and ready for home. Hope was originally thought to be a cat when she was delivered to the Cat Conservation rescue center in Warrington by a family, but vets were unable to locate her external genitalia.
Cat Sanctuary veterinarian Fiona Brockbank said it looks like a case of agenesis, which is a lack of development of an organ. A reality that he and his colleagues have never seen before.
Image: BBC
Brockbank says there is an external possibility that some ectopic ovarian tissue may be hidden internally, but he believes this is extremely unlikely. “This is so rare that there is no really used term for this condition,” he adds.
The charity said tests showed Hope would not be affected. Beni Benstead, director of the Tyneside Adoption Center, said the cat was “a pleasure to look at” and that the animal “will bring many years of fun and companionship”.
“Discover situation Hope’s special moment was an emotional one because none of us have seen it before or will likely never see it again.”
source: Noticias
