Grumpy Cat, internet legend, dead at 7
Grumpy Cat, the cantankerous internet sensation known the world over for her sour scowl has died. She was 7 years old.
Her owners shared the news of the famed cat’s Tuesday morning passing with a Twitter post captioned, “Some days are grumpier than others.”
“Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome,” the post said.
Grumpy Cat, an Arizona native whose real name was Tardar Sauce, died “peacefully” in the arms of her “mommy,” Tabatha Bundesen, 33, the owners wrote.
“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,” they added. “Her spirit will continue to live on through fans everywhere.”
The frown-faced calico cat, who suffered from feline dwarfism, inspired various memes — a particularly well-known one captioned, “I had fun once. It was awful.” She’s also made appearances in commercials for Friskies cat food and Cheerios.
Grumpy Cat became an Internet sensation when her photo was posted on Reddit in 2012, according to the kitty’s official website. When viewers suggested the picture was Photoshopped, her owners took to YouTube, and started posting videos of their feline friend. Those quickly went viral.
She was immortalized with an animatronic likeness in 2016 at Madame Tussauds in London, and even starred in the 2014 movie, “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever,” where she was voiced by actress Aubrey Plaza.
Grumpy has racked up about 8.5 million likes on her official Facebook page, about 2.5 million Instagram followers and around 1.5 million on Instagram. Her YouTube channel has attracted more than 260,000 subscribers.
The Daily Express estimated back in 2014 that the cat was worth 64 million British pounds — equivalent to about $100 million at the time.
But Bundesen told the Huffington Post at the time that the amount was “completely inaccurate,” and declined to comment further on the famous feline’s specific earnings.
Last year, however, the cross-looking kitty’s owner was awarded $710,000 in a copyright infringement suit against Grenade Beverage, which came out with a Grumpy Cat Grumpaccino, NPR reported. A deal between Bundesen and the Grenade Beverage owners, father-and-son team Nick and Paul Sandford, had gone sour, prompting the suit, according to the report.
Grumpy Cat really wasn’t so grumpy after all, her owners said on the website.
“She is a super cute and cuddly kitty,” they wrote, “and loves to be held and rubbed!”