Tardar Sauce, a viral internet sensation commonly known as Grumpy Cat, has died at the age of 7.
The family of Grumpy Cat, who had 2.4 million followers on Instagram, confirmed the news in a post on Friday morning.
"Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered problems from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome," reads the post.
"She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha."
"Her spirit will continue to live on through her fans everywhere," reads the post's final line.
Grumpy was one of the first truly viral animals on the internet, which launched an entire industry of celebrity pets. Images of Grumpy cat first went viral on Reddit in Sept. 2012 in a post titled "Meet Grumpy Cat."
The internet immediately claimed the pictures were Photoshopped, so Grumpy's owners posted videos as well, which also went viral.
The internet immediately celebrated Grumpy's unique looks, and her photos were quickly turned into old internet-style macro memes and Photoshops.
A few months later, in 2013, Grumpy Cat made an appearance at the Mashable House at SXSW, where fans lined up to take photos with the new internet star.
Grumpy cat went on to secure a deal with meme agent Ben Lashes, who managed other viral stars like Keyboard Cat, Scumbag Steve, and Nyan Cat. From there, Grumpy Cat launched an extensive line of merch, made celebrity appearances, captured an endorsement with Friskies, and was even the star of its own movie, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever.
Though Grumpy Cat was born with feline dwarfism, its owners said she was just a "normal kitty" that just looks grumpy. "She plays, hides, and acts as cats act," her bio reads.
RIP, Grumpy. We'll always remember your grouchy face.
UPDATE: May 17, 2019, 8:16 a.m. EDT Updated with additional information.
Additional reporting by Brian Koerber.
Topics Animals
