How about having the world’s most famous cat welcoming your newborn?.  At the Hello Kitty-themed Taiwan maternity hospital, it is believed the Japanese cartoon icon will ease the stress of childbirth as well as boost business.

The 30-bed Hau Sheng Hospital in Yuanlin in central Taiwan claims to be the only institution of its kind authorized by the popular cartoon cat’s parent company Sanrio Co Ltd.

At the Hello Kitty Maternity Hospital, newborns get everything Hello Kitty imaginable including: a set of whiskers, pink or blue receiving blankets, nurses dressed in pink uniforms with kitty-themed aprons, kitty-themed linen and room décor.

Director Tsai Tsung-chi said he hopes the white, mouthless cat that is one of the world’s most recognizable characters will ease the pain and fear associated with childbirth and being admitted into hospital.  [via]