Grumpy Cat, whose delightfully morose permanent expression gave birth to countless memes, has died at age 7, her owners announced on Friday.
The beloved internet star, whose real name was Tardar Sauce and was born in 2012, died on Tuesday due to complications from a urinary tract infection.
Grumpy Cat became an instant sensation in 2012 after a photo of her, taken by her owner's brother, was posted on Reddit. This quickly became a popular meme format and was followed up by a series of YouTube videos. Despite her famous expression, Grumpy's owners say she was actually "super cute and cuddly," with her appearance likely being a result of feline dwarfism.
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Outside of the memes, Grumpy Cat over the years was featured in commercials and TV shows like The Bachelorette, was added to Madame Tussauds wax museum, and even starred in a movie for Lifetime, in which she was voiced by Aubrey Plaza. A Grumpy Cat book also became a New York Times bestseller. Tabatha Bundesen, Grumpy Cat's owner, previously worked as a waitress but says she was able to quit her job within "days" of her pet going viral.
Bundesen and the rest of Grumpy Cat's family said on Friday that "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."
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