Grumpy Cat, the internet sensation, has died
The 7-year-old feline, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, died from a urinary tract infection.
Grumpy Cat, the internet sensation whose permanent scowl touched the soul of the nation in different ways, has died, her family announced Friday.
Grumpy Cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, was 7.
The cause of death was a urinary tract infection. She died Tuesday in the arms of her “mommy,” Tabatha Bundesen, at their home in Arizona, the family said in a social media post.
“Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world — even when times were tough,” the family said.
Grumpy Cat, whose sourpuss was due to an underbite and a form a feline dwarfism, broke onto the scene in September 2013 after a photo was posted on Reddit under the headline “Meet grumpy cat.”
In 2013, Grumpy Cat won a Webby Award for meme of the year.
Bundesen, who said Grumpy Cat’s facial expression belied her loving and affectionate manner, built a small industry around the cat, according to the the New York Times. The feline’s face appeared on dozens of products and she was featured in TV ads, including as a “spokescat” for Friskies cat food. A Grumpy Cat advice book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book, also made it to the best-seller lists.
Her actual worth has not been disclosed but Bundesen last year was awarded $710,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit against the makers of Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino, according to NPR.
News of Grumpy Cat’s journey across the Rainbow Bridge was met with an outpouring of messages — people both mourning and sharing memes — on social media.
.