On the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, fans were shocked to learn that their beloved cat-inspired character is, in fact, not a feline at all — she's a little girl.

A gold coin pendant with the image of Hello Kitty holding the number 50 is selling for about 120,000 yen ($800), while a Casio watch costs 18,700 yen ($120). But first, more on the origin story.

Participants of Hello Kitty Con during its opening night on Oct. 29, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Stefanie Keenan—Getty Images The first question is of course, why doesn’t she have a mouth.

The Forever 21 x Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Collection includes women’s, men’s and kids’ styles across apparel, jewelry, shoes and purses in addition to home decor.

Hello Kitty, that marketing phenomenon from the Japanese company Sanrio, made her debut Nov. 1, 1974. The little white cat with no mouth was initially aimed at young girls.

At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty’s birthday as Nov. 1, the same as Shimizu’s. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking.

At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty’s birthday as Nov. 1, the same as Shimizu’s. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking.

At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty’s birthday as Nov. 1, the same as Shimizu’s. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking.