Fans of Hello Kitty were recently shocked to discover that the character, whose real name is Kitty White, is not a cat. While this has been an idea circulating for several years and has been confirmed by the brand’s owner, Sanrio, it has gained new prominence after Jill Koch, the company’s Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management, reiterated once again in an interview: “Hello Kitty is not a cat. In fact, she is a little girl.”
But this is not the only surprising news that promises to leave animation fans speechless. It seems that Goofy is apparently not a dog. Goofy, the tall and lovable companion of the Mickey Mouse character group with a very characteristic laugh, has been a staple of the Disney universe for nearly a century. However, a surprising debate has arisen around him: is he really a dog?
The confusion is understandable. After all, Goofy walks on two legs, wears clothes, and displays human-like qualities. This stands in stark contrast to Pluto, the undeniably canine companion of Mickey Mouse, who walks on all fours and barks.
Bill Farmer, the actor who voices Goofy and Pluto, weighed in on this controversy. In a 2020 interview, the artist states that Goofy “seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is also not a dog.” This suggests a separate, yet related, species within the broader canine classification. Bill Farmer even went so far as to propose a unique designation — “Canis Goofus” — and concluded that the character is “just Goofy.”