Hope, a 15-week-old tabby and white cat, was initially thought to be female when she was admitted to Cats Protection rescue center in Warrington, but vets found no external genitalia. Cats Protection’s senior veterinary officer, Fiona Brockbank, said it appeared to be a case of malaise – a failure to develop an organ – that she and her colleagues had never seen before. Vets said they had seen hermaphrodite cats – with both male and female genitalia – although they were rare. However, upon investigation, they found that Hope had no genitalia, external or internal. Brockbank said: “There is an outside chance that there is some ectopic ovarian tissue hiding internally, but we think that’s extremely unlikely… This is so rare that there’s not really a commonly used term for this condition, but it’s essentially genital agenesis. “While this means we have no previous cases [on which] to build on our knowledge of how this will affect Hope in the future, we spent time monitoring this cat to make sure she could urinate and defecate properly before she was considered ready to go home.” Described as a playful kitten, Hope has become a favorite with staff and volunteers at Cats Protection’s Warrington adoption centre, where she was first brought in and screened, and Tyneside adoption center in Gateshead. Tyneside center manager Beni Benstead said: “Discovering Hope’s special position was an exciting moment as none of us have seen this before or are likely to see it again. “Hope has been a joy to care for and it’s fantastic that they are now up for adoption. We know they will bring someone many years of fun and companionship. We would also be extremely grateful to hear any updates on our Tyneside superstar.”
