Unexpected fame for 'Ugly' cat

EXETER, N.H., March 6 (UPI) -- The Exeter Veterinary Hospital in New Hampshire said phones have been ringing nonstop since pictures of a cat named Ugly began circulating in the media.

Melissa LaRoche, a receptionist at the clinic, said the hospital has received calls from curious cat-lovers -- and even talk shows including Ellen DeGeneres' program -- about the cat, which is hairless except for a small patch on its chest, the Dover (N.H.) Community reported Friday.

Veterinarian Stephen Bassett, who owns Ugly, said the cat has lived at the hospital for about eight years. He said despite the name, the feline's family doesn't think of him as "ugly."

"We think he's quite aristocratic," he said. "We've had this cat for eight years and he's managed to live in relative obscurity, and now he's a national media star. It's really strange."

Bassett told the Manchester (N.H.) Union-Leader Ugly is unlikely to take any plane trips for TV appearances.

"I don't now how he would travel on a plane, he tends to yell quite a bit when he's in my car," Bassett said. "I'm not sure that's in the cards."