Grumpy Cat, Everyone’s Favourite Frowny-Faced Feline, Has Died

R.I.P. Grumpy Cat. You will be missed by many.

Grumpy Cat, the Internet’s favourite frowny faced feline, passed away this Tuesday.  She was seven. Grumpy Cat’s caretakers Tabatha Bundesen, her brother Bryan Bundesen, her daughter Crystal Bundesen, all of Morristown, Arizona,

announced Grumpy Cat’s passing Friday morning in a heartfelt message addressing the cat’s more than 12.4 million followers. Grumpy Cat died “peacefully” in Tabiaha’s arms on Tuesday morning from complications from a urinary tract infection that “unfortunately become too rough to overcome.”

“We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat,” Tabatha and her brother Bryan 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. Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere.”

Grumpy Cat wasn’t actually grumpy. She was born with feline dwarfism, which was responsible for her perma-frown and small size of less than five pounds. She shot to internet stardom in 2012 when Bryan posted a photo of the seemingly unhappy cat to Reddit. In just 48 hours, Bryan’s post has over a million views and parodies were popping up everywhere. Grumpy Cat was born.

The million views in short order became a million-dollar brand valuation with Grumpy Cat achieving household name recognition. There were endorsement deals (Friskies; a television commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios), talk show appearances (Today; Good Morning America), a Lifetime movie, merchandise, and even a “Grumppuccino” coffee drink.

Tabatha says she “never could have imagined” her cat would become so famous. She says Grumpy Cat, whose original name was Tardar Sauce (Tabatha’s then-young daughter Crystal spelled the cat’s name), wasn’t grumpy at all, but a sweet cat who never scratched the furniture, loved to be petted between her eyes, and lived happily with her feline family.

“It’s really awesome just knowing that Grumpy Cat brings smiles to so many faces all around the world,” Tabatha said of her cat.

R.I.P. Grumpy Cat. Your legacy lives on and you will be missed by many.

Re-live the grumpiness by checking out her socials:

Instagram: @realgrumpycat

Facebook: @TheOfficialGrumpyCat 

Twitter: @RealGrumpyCat 

How did celebri-cats take over the internet? Check out our Famous Internet Cats article to find out!