@RealGrumpyCat/TwitterViral sensation and queen of internet cats – Grumpy Cat – has sadly died.
The famous cat, who starred in her own film, was seven years old, and passed away ‘at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha’.
Unfortunately, Grumpy Cat suffered complications from a urinary tract infection, and never overcame the illness.
In a statement posted to social media, Grumpy Cat’s family said:
We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat.
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. She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha.
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.
Some days are grumpier than others… pic.twitter.com/ws209VWl97
— Grumpy Cat (@RealGrumpyCat) May 17, 2019
Grumpy Cat was also known to her family as Tardar Sauce. She rose to fame in 2012 when Tabatha’s brother, Bryan, posted a photo of the cat on Reddit.
She received her Grumpy Cat nickname due to her permanently ‘grumpy’ face, which is caused by the cat’s underbite and feline dwarfism.
The viral feline sensation has 1.5 million followers on Twitter, and 2.4 million followers on Instagram, and 8.3 million fans on Facebook.
Depite her constantly ‘grumpy’ appearance, Tardar Sauce’s owners have always said that, 99 per cent of the time, she is ‘just a regular cat’.
— Grumpy Cat (@RealGrumpyCat) May 2, 2019
In 2014, Tardar Sauce was the star of her own film, called Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. It featured Aubrey Plaza as the voice of the titular feline, and sees the cat thwart a kidnapping in a pet store while learning the true meaning Christmas.
In 2014, it was reported by the Express that Grumpy Cat had amassed a fortune of around £64 million.
Speaking at the time, Grumpy’s owner Tabatha Bundesen said:
She’s unstoppable. What she’s achieved in such a short time is unimaginable and absolutely mind-blowing. I was able to quit my job as a waitress within days of her first appearance on social media and the phone simply hasn’t stopped ringing since.
— Grumpy Cat (@RealGrumpyCat) April 13, 2019
Grumpy Cat has appeared in films, adverts, countless items of merchandise and even has a best-selling book, which was translated into 15 different languages.
Our thoughts are with Grumpy Cat’s family, friends and fellow felines.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.