An “unusual” kitten is up for adoption after vets discovered it was a hermaphrodite.Nine-week-old Bellini was initially thought to be male when it was first taken in by a Cats Protection adoption centre in St Helens, Merseyside in February.An only child, Corey has sparked a close friendship with the Collie-Lurcher cross.His condition prompts unconscious episodes that can last up to half an hour, and is thought to be in the same medical family as narcolepsy.

To clarify what everyone needs to know about the intersex community, we spoke with Emily Quinn, the Youth Coordinator at Inter/Act Youth, and Ilene Wong Gregorio, the VP of Development at We Need Diverse Books and the author of , a fiction young adult book with an intersex protagonist.

Skye, recommended by the NHS and part funded by the government, would be able to detect the seizures before they happen following training.

When fully trained up at 18 months, Skye would accompany him everywhere in the same way a guide dog would - including the classroom.

Sarah Elliot, Cats Protection’s central veterinary officer, said: “Hermaphrodite – or intersex – cats do not frequently occur so Bellini is one of the more unusual cats to be found.” “This may arise through mosaicism – when a kitten’s cells divide unusually while the kitten is a growing embryo.

“Such mosaicism may result in a cat with either male or female reproductive organs and genitalia, or a pair of mixed reproductive organs and genitalia.