HERMAPHRODITE KITTEN TURNS AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION TO THE WORLD.

When Bellini the kitten was brought to the St Helen’s Adoption Centre of Cats Protection in the U.K., it was initially thought that the tiny 9-week-old cat was male. The cat was scheduled to be neutered, then it was discovered by a veterinarian at the facility that the kitty possessed both male and female genitalia. This marked a turn for the adoracle kitty that has captured the attention of people worldwide. In a press release on the Cat Protection website, manager Sonia Scowcroft noted how rare it is to see a hermaphroditc cat and stated. "I was pretty stunned, it’s so unusual," she said. "I have seen over 3,000 cats during my time at Cats Protection and only seen one other hermaphrodite cat." "Hermaphrodite – or intersex – cats do not frequently occur and, if they do, they are often tortoiseshell so Bellini is one of the more unusual cats to be found," Louise Waters of Cats Protection told petMD, who explained that it is something that develops when cats are in-vitro. Scowcroft also stated that while it will be impossible for Bellini to reproduce, he is an otherwise happy and healthy cat, despite a mild heart murmur. Waters added that each case with hermaphroditic cats is different and unique, so Bellini's new owners will have to check in with their vet to "ensure that s/he remains healthy." Luckily, Cats Protection was able to re-home Bellini alongside a littermate named Daquiri. Scowcroft pointed out that when it comes to assigning a gender, "it is up to his new owner to decide what they think is best." "Either way," Scowcroft said, "[Bellini] is an absolute cutie pie and will make a really lovely pet." read more www.petmd.com