Hermaphrodite Cat About To Undergo Gender Reassignment Surgery

Mittens the cat has both male and female genitalia.

The kitty, who lives in Canada, will need surgery to cure its boel and urinary problems as a result of it's dual gender. 

Colleen Clarke-Murphy took Mittens in when her daughter brought it home, thinking it was a stray. In October, Mittens was rushed to a vet, who gave the surprising news.

Clarke-Murphy said her first response was, "Did I just hear you right?"

Since gender assignment surgery is more a medical need than a cosmetic one, the initial question was, which gender should Mittens be?

Clarke-Murphy said she'd rather have a female cat, but she'll follow the veterinarian's recommendation to make Mittens a male.

"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," she said.

"I think it's got both personalities, so it really don't matter."

Mittens will need to be both spayed and neutered before the £1,000 reconstructive surgery.

Cats with two genders may be uncommon, but they're not unheard of; late last year, a couple in Liverpool was shocked to find that their little white princess, Twinkle, was also a little white prince.

Twinkle's vet recommended that the male parts be removed, and made it so.

The feline is reportedly doing well – alongside her brother Socks – after her gender assignment surgery.