When a little girl brought home a playful stray cat, the seemingly regular household cat quickly became a part of the family. But after some tests at the local vet, the family discovered there was something very unique about their newest family member.
The cat, named Mittens, is actually a hermaphrodite - it has both male and female genitalia.
"Did I just hear you right?" Colleen Clarke-Murphy, the girls mother, recalls saying to the vet when she first heard the news. Having two sets of genitalia is causing health issues for Mittens who will need to undergo $1,500 worth of reconstructive surgery, reported CBC.
Although Mittens was just recently brought home by Clarke-Murphy's daughter, she is going to pay for the animal's surgery.
"She was part of my family when she came home with my daughter," Clarke-Murphy told CBC.
The vet recommended that Mittens be assigned to the male gender. Before the surgery Mittens will have to be spayed in both of his genitalia.
Clarke-Murphy plans to follow his advice.
"They're the ones who know what they're doing. I mean, I really don't know. I'd like for it to be a female, but it really don't matter. It's got both parts," Clarke-Murphy told CBC. "I think it's got both personalities, so it really don't matter."
