How Do Authors Use Ugly Cats To Add Comic Relief?

I still get a laugh remembering the first time I saw the trailer for 'Cats' — my popcorn went cold because the fur was so… bizarre. If you’re talking famous cats that people often call ugly (intentionally or not), that movie is the big one: the human-cat hybrids with CGI fur sparked endless memes and a debate about the uncanny valley. I watched it with a bunch of friends and we spent the drive home calling out the ones that made us squirm the most. Another classic that comes to mind is 'Garfield: The Movie' from 2004. The initial CGI Garfield designs in early promos were widely criticized for looking off-putting, and even the final version never quite shed that uncanny vibe for some viewers — chubby, overly textured, and somehow creepy in close-up. Then there’s the horror route: 'Pet Sematary' (both the 1989 original and the 2019 remake) features Church, a beloved tabby who comes back wrong — dirty, ragged, and downright unsettling in his undead state. That kind of “ugly” is on purpose and plays into the creepy atmosphere. I also like to bring up older horror classics like 'Cat People' (1942, and the 1982 remake) and 'The Black Cat' (1934) where the feline imagery is used to unsettle the audience. Those cats aren’t pretty props — they’re symbols and creatures meant to disturb. If you want a watchlist that covers accidental ugliness, deliberate grotesque design, and symbolic eerie cats, start with 'Garfield: The Movie', then jump to 'Pet Sematary' and cap it off with 'Cats' for the most meme-able visuals — and maybe invite friends so you can riff together.

Casting an "ugly" cat for a movie is way more orchestration than people expect, and I've seen that up close at a few indie screenings and behind-the-scenes clips. Filmmakers don’t usually hunt for aesthetics alone — they hire animal talent through agencies and trainers who know how to pair a cat's look with a reliable personality. The actual casting process often starts with a massive flyer or a digital call: photos, short videos, temperament notes. Shelters and rescues are common places to find unique faces; sometimes a cat with a crooked ear, a missing tooth, or a grumpy glare is exactly what a director wants. On set you’ll rarely see one animal playing a demanding role. There are usually several cats that share the part: a calm one for close-up emotive shots, a more animated one for action, and a food-motivated stand-in for trickier cues. Trainers use positive reinforcement and lots of small rehearsals, and vets check for health and stress levels. When a particular physical trait can’t be found, prosthetics, clever makeup, camera angles, and even CGI are used — think subtle digital touch-ups rather than full-on effects unless it’s a fantasy film. What people forget is the humane side: the schedule is built around the animals, not the other way round, and safety is non-negotiable. If you’re curious, look for behind-the-scenes featurettes from films like 'Cats' to see how many layers go into creating a single feline character — it’s kind of an adorable miracle, honestly.

I've always been charmed by characters who don't fit the glossy cover-model mold, and ugly cats are some of the best examples. A few years ago I adopted a scraggly little tabby with a crooked ear and a permanently ruffled left flank, and watching how everyone who met him melted despite — or because of — his looks taught me a lot about storytelling. In fiction, ugliness can be a shorthand for authenticity: it signals history, survival, and a life lived rather than a life staged. Think of the delight when a grizzled, scrawny cat reveals a mischievous intelligence or a soft purr; suddenly the reader wants to know how that cat got that ear or that scar. Writers and creators lean into this all the time. In 'The Master and Margarita', Behemoth isn't pretty, but he's unforgettable because of his presence and wicked humor. In modern culture, look at how 'Grumpy Cat' became a global icon — not because she was conventionally cute, but because her expression told stories. An ugly cat in a book gains personality through voice, actions, and relationships: loyal to a flawed protagonist, brave in small ways, or hilariously opinionated. Those traits create empathy, which outranks looks every time. On a practical level, ugly cats can be more memorable and marketable precisely because they're distinctive. Readers love a character they can describe in a hundred different ways to their friends. If you're writing one, give them a little ritual (maybe they insists on napping on the only newspaper), a surprising talent (can catch anything with one paw), and a tiny vulnerability. That combination makes them beloved, not just tolerated — and honestly, I still miss my crooked-eared roommate when I walk past bookstores.

I still get a little giddy when I scroll past those defiantly weird cat photos — the ones with crooked teeth, half-missing ears, or a perpetually surprised face. A few months ago I voted in a local "most unconventional pet" poll after seeing a scrappy tabby with a lopsided whisker set-up and a rescue backstory; it felt less like a beauty contest and more like cheering for someone who’d been through stuff and come out hilarious and lovable. Part of why these cats win is pure internet economics: bizarre visuals get shared. If a cat looks like it could be a meme, it gets likes, and likes turn into votes. Beyond virality, there’s a compassionate thread here. I’ve volunteered at shelters where the scraggly, scarred animals were always the sweetest. When people vote for an "ugly" cat, they’re often saying they value personality and survival over pedigreed looks. Judges and audiences love a good origin story — the grumpy-faced rescue that became a therapy animal or the toothless senior who cuddles like a champ. Also, humans love subversion. When 'Grumpy Cat' shot to internet fame, it proved that charm can be upside-down from conventional cuteness. These contests tap into that rebellious energy: celebrating flaws, mocking perfection, and reminding us that beauty standards for pets are kind of arbitrary. Honestly, I enjoy it because it makes me laugh, cry, and then click the donate button to a local rescue — which, to me, is the best victory of all.

There's something strangely comforting about scrolling through a feed full of imperfect faces — and ugly cats fit that niche perfectly. For me, the appeal is a mash-up of contrast and personality: while so much social media worships polished aesthetics and curated moments, a cat with a crooked tooth, a squashed face, or wildly mismatched eyes feels authentically alive. Those quirks read like character traits, not props, and that makes me laugh, empathize, and hit the like button more readily than I do for glossy, magazine-perfect shots. Beyond the vibe, the mechanics matter. Odd-looking cats are highly memeable. A single unusual expression or a dramatic sleeping position becomes a caption factory, and algorithms love new, shareable templates. There’s also a human story baked into many of those posts — rescue journeys, medical struggles, personalities that shine through hardness — and people connect to narrative. I’ve followed a few profiles that started as niche curiosities and turned into communities raising money for vet bills and adoption awareness. I always end up saving screenshots, tagging friends, and sending videos to my mom over coffee. The next time you scroll past an odd-faced kitty, don’t just chuckle — maybe share it, read the caption, or check whether the human behind the account is doing something good. It’s funny how a weird whisker or a lopsided grin can plant a tiny, warm reminder that beauty isn’t a single template — and that makes me feel oddly hopeful.

I always get a kick out of the weird little corners of celebrity pet culture, and the folks who love so-called 'ugly' cats are some of the sweetest offenders. I follow a few celebrity Instagram feeds and fan pages, and the pattern is funny: musicians and older stars especially seem to adore cats with faces and features that stand out—folded ears, smooshed faces, hairless skin, or those gloriously grumpy expressions. A classic example I point to when people ask is Taylor Swift: she famously parades around her Scottish Folds 'Meredith Grey' and 'Olivia Benson', and her big fluffy Ragdoll 'Benjamin Button' has that gentle, unusual look that fans eat up. Another beloved historical figure is Freddie Mercury, who genuinely worshipped his cats and wrote songs inspired by them—his Persian cats had a regal, sometimes very distinctive appearance. Beyond those, the internet itself birthed celebrity felines like 'Grumpy Cat' and 'Lil Bub' that blurred the line between pet and pop icon; they prove there’s a huge appetite for unconventional looks. Celebrities often pick these breeds or rescue oddballs because they make great photos, start conversations, or simply because a quirky kitty matches their personality. I’ve watched friends coo over a hairless Sphynx at a park, and then later see the same breed on a musician’s feed—the visual impact is immediate. If you want to dig deeper, check celeb interviews and Instagram stories for rescue tales and rescue organizations that work with celebrities—those often reveal the cutest backstories. Personally, I love that famous people help normalize pets that don’t fit textbook beauty standards; it always warms me to see a grumpy face land a starring role on a red carpet—or at least on my timeline.

I get a little giddy hunting down weird, adorable merch, so here’s a long list of places I personally check when I want 'ugly cat' stuff. The usual starting spots are Etsy and Redbubble — Etsy is great for handmade pins, embroidered patches, and quirky plushies made by small sellers, while Redbubble and Society6 are where I grab stickers, art prints, and phone cases from independent artists. TeePublic and Threadless often have tees and hoodies with bold designs if you want wearable weirdness. For mass-market convenience I’ll glance at Amazon and eBay; they sometimes have licensed or knockoff items, so I watch reviews and photos closely. If I’m hunting for limited-run enamel pins or art books, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are gold mines — you can back a cool project and get exclusive variants. I also follow artists on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: many creators run their own Shopify or Big Cartel shops and announce drops there, and that’s where I’ve scored the most original pieces. A few quick tips from my personal trials: use search terms like 'ugly cat art', 'weird cat sticker', or 'grumpy cat parody' (but be careful of trademarked characters), filter by ratings and recent reviews, and ask sellers about print methods (DTG vs screen printing) and materials. Whenever possible I support small artists directly — shipping might take longer but the designs are usually more thoughtful. Happy collecting — I always get a kick when a new artist shows up in my feed!

There’s a weird little happiness I get when I see an objectively weird-looking cat become beloved online. A few years ago I was doomscrolling through Pixiv and Twitter and kept stumbling over deliberately odd cat designs — scrunched faces, too-long limbs, mismatched eyes — and instead of recoil, people were making plushies and memes out of them. That’s the heart of it: fandoms love to turn the imperfect into charisma. The Japanese idea of 'kimo-kawaii' (gross-cute) plays into this, and you see it in indie merch booths and sticker sets as much as in fanart threads. From my experience, ugly cats trend because they’re easy to remix. Fans give them dumb nicknames, exaggerated expressions, and backstories that lean into the weirdness. Platforms like Pixiv, Twitter/X, and TikTok amplify these quirky designs quickly — one silly screencap or sticker pack can become a shared shorthand for a whole community. It’s similar to older internet cat phenomena like longcat and ceiling cat: people bond over absurdity. Even mainstream titles sometimes lean into imperfect cat designs for comedic relief or to humanize strange characters, and that nudges fans toward celebrating uglier aesthetics. If you hang around fan communities and sticker shops, you’ll notice creators leaning into that niche because it’s profitable and fun. I’ve bought a few tiny plushies that are gloriously unphotogenic but impossible to resist, and seeing them on my shelf with a cup of coffee always makes me smile. If you’re curious, poke around the 'kimo-kawaii' tag or search for oddball cat plush makers — it’s a surprisingly warm rabbit hole to fall down.