FIRST, there was Ugly Betty — the ugliest cat in town — but now Bolton has a new moggy which is even more hideous.

Ugly Bertie, as he has been named by the RSPCA workers who found him, takes ugly to a whole new level.

The unfortunate cat, a Persian longhair, was found wandering around in Brentwood Drive, Farnworth, when he was picked up by an RSPCA inspector.

His fur was full of fleas and so matted to his body that he could hardly walk.

Bertie’s name is a reference to a female cat, Ugly Betty, who was found by the RSPCA last September.

Betty, also not much of a looker, was in turn named after the eponymous glasses-andbraces- wearing star of the hit US TV show.

She was successfully rehomed after she appeared in The Bolton News, and now the RSPCA is hoping someone else will give Bertie a new home.

Kathy Kay at the Bolton branch of the RSPCA said: “Have you ever seen an uglier cat than that? We keep looking at him and laughing, but at the same time we feel really sorry for him.

“He’s either been abandoned or got himself lost.

“Persians are not the sort of cats that can groom themselves.

It takes a lot of work to look after them and, unless people are prepared to do all that, they should not be getting a long haired cat.”

Bertie’s looks are not helped by the fact that the vets who dealt with him had to shave him to solve the problem of his matted hair.

The RSPCA estimate he is about eight years old, and he is now in perfect health.

Mrs Kay said: “He’ll probably be a very attractive cat when his hair grows back and he gets himself sorted.”

Anyone who wants to help should call the RSPCA on 01204 521160.