CATS
FINDING HOPE
A HOMELESS KITTEN HAS CAUSED A REAL STIR AMONG CARERS AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED THE YOUNG CAT COULD NOT BE DEEMED EITHER MALE OR FEMALE .
Tabby-and-white Hope was originally thought to be a female cat when they were admitted into Cats Protection ’ s care but on closer inspection it was discovered they had no external sex organs at all .
While hermaphrodite cats – which are also extremely rare - have both male and female sex organs , Hope has neither externally nor internally .
Cats Protection ’ s Senior Field Veterinary Officer Fiona Brockbank said : “ We carried out a procedure to look for sex organs but there ’ s nothing apparent inside or out . 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 , but it is effectively ‘ sexual organ agenesis ’ – where agenesis is the lack or failure of development in relation to body organs .
“ This is not something we ’ ve come across before at Cats Protection . While this means we don ’ t have any previous cases to base our knowledge of how this will affect Hope in the future , we spent time monitoring this cat to ensure they can urinate and defecate appropriately before they were considered ready for rehoming .”
At 15 weeks old , Hope is very much a playful kitten who has endeared themselves to staff and volunteers at both Cats Protection ’ s Warrington Adoption Centre , where they were first admitted and underwent investigations , and the charity ’ s Tyneside Adoption Centre where they await rehoming .
Tyneside Adoption Centre Manager Beni Benstead said : “ Discovering Hope ’ s special status has been an exciting time as none
Hope has been a delight to care for and it is fantastic that they are now ready to be adopted ; we know they will bring someone many years of fun and companionship . of us have seen this before or are likely to again .
“ Hope has been a delight to care for and it is fantastic that they are now ready to be adopted ; we know they will bring someone many years of fun and companionship . We would also be extremely grateful to hear updates on our Tyneside superstar .”
Hope has been vaccinated and microchipped and Cats Protection ’ s insurance partner , Petplan , has confirmed they will not need any special coverage .
To find out more about adopting Hope or any of the other cats at Cats Protection ’ s Tyneside Adoption Centre visit www . cats . org . uk / tyneside or call 0191 653 1052
8 | MORE THAN A PET | November / December 2022